Method and apparatus for network energy saving cell access

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for network energy saving (NES) cell access are provided. The method includes receiving a wake-up signal (WUS) configuration from a serving cell, wherein the WUS configuration is associated with at least one NES cell configured to perform system information block 1 (SIB1) transmission on request, transmitting a WUS to the at least one NES cell based on the WUS configuration, and monitoring for a SIB1 from the at least one NES cell in response to transmitting the WUS to the at least one NES cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to wireless communications, and more specifically to methods and apparatus for network energy-saving (NES) cell access. Background Technology

[0002] Various efforts have been made to improve different aspects of wireless communication in cellular wireless communication systems, such as 5G New Radio (NR) systems, by enhancing data rates, latency, reliability, and mobility. 5G NR systems are designed to provide flexibility and configurability to optimize network services and types, thus adapting to a variety of use cases, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC). However, with the continued increase in demand for radio access, there is a need for further improvements in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This disclosure relates to methods and apparatus for network energy-saving (NES) cell access.

[0004] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a user equipment (UE) for access to a network energy-saving (NES) cell is provided. The UE includes at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the UE to: receive a wake-up signal (WUS) configuration from a serving cell, wherein the WUS configuration is associated with at least one NES cell configured to execute System Information Block 1 (SIB1) transmission upon request; transmit a WUS to the at least one NES cell based on the WUS configuration; and monitor SIB1 from the at least one NES cell in response to transmitting a WUS to the at least one NES cell.

[0005] In some specific embodiments of the first aspect of this disclosure, one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the UE to: send a system information request to the serving cell; and in response to sending the system information request to the serving cell, monitor the WUS configuration in the system information block (SIB) from the serving cell.

[0006] In some specific embodiments of the first aspect of this disclosure, at least one NES cell includes multiple NES cells, and the WUS configuration includes the physical cell identities (PCIs) of the multiple NES cells to establish an association between the WUS configuration and the multiple NES cells.

[0007] In some specific embodiments of the first aspect of this disclosure, one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the UE to: determine, in response to determining that the WUS configuration includes the PCI of multiple NES cells, that the WUS configuration is common to the multiple NES cells.

[0008] In some specific embodiments of the first aspect of this disclosure, at least one NES cell includes multiple NES cells, the WUS configuration includes first area identifier information and second area identifier information, the first area identifier information is associated with a first NES cell among the multiple NES cells, and the second area identifier information is associated with a second NES cell among the multiple NES cells, and one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the UE to: receive and store SIB1 from the first NES cell; and determine whether the stored SIB1 is reusable for accessing the second NES cell by determining whether the first area identifier information is the same as the second area identifier information.

[0009] In some specific embodiments of the first aspect of this disclosure, one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the UE to: determine, in response to determining that the first area identifier information is the same as the second area identifier information, that the stored SIB1 is reusable for accessing the second NES cell.

[0010] In some specific embodiments of the first aspect of this disclosure, sending a WUS to at least one NES cell includes: determining whether the reference signal received power (RSRP) value of at least one NES cell exceeds an RSRP threshold; and sending a WUS to at least one NES cell in response to determining that the RSRP value of at least one NES cell exceeds the RSRP threshold.

[0011] In some specific embodiments of the first aspect of this disclosure, the WUS configuration includes an SIB1 transmission mode that indicates the time and frequency resources for SIB1 transmission from at least one NES cell.

[0012] In some embodiments of the first aspect of this disclosure, one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the UE to: receive a Random Access Response (RAR) after sending a WUS to at least one NES cell, wherein the RAR serves as an acknowledgment of the WUS. In some embodiments, after receiving the RAR from the serving RAN, the UE may consider the On-Demand SIB1 (OD-SIB1) request procedure (e.g., a procedure triggered by the UE when / after / after the UE sends the first UL-WUS to the serving RAN for an SIB1 request) to be successful. Additionally, after receiving the RAR from the serving RAN, the UE may terminate the OD-SIB1 request procedure. In some other embodiments, the UE may consider the OD-SIB1 request procedure to be successful after receiving the target SIB1 requested by the UE, or only thereafter. Under this condition, after receiving the requested SIB1 from the serving RAN, the UE may terminate the OD-SIB1 request procedure.

[0013] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a method for accessing a Network Energy Saving (NES) cell, performed by a User Equipment (UE), is provided. The method includes: receiving a Wake-Up Signal (WUS) configuration from a serving cell, wherein the WUS configuration is associated with at least one NES cell configured to perform System Information Block 1 (SIB1) transmission upon request; transmitting a WUS to the at least one NES cell based on the WUS configuration; and monitoring SIB1 from the at least one NES cell in response to transmitting the WUS to the at least one NES cell.

[0014] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a base station (BS) is provided for supporting network energy-saving (NES) cell access. The BS includes at least one processor and at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled to the at least one processor and storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the BS to: transmit a wake-up signal (WUS) configuration to the user equipment (UE) via the serving cell, wherein the WUS configuration is associated with at least one NES cell configured to perform system information block 1 (SIB1) transmission upon request; receive the WUS from the UE via the at least one NES cell; and initiate SIB1 transmission via the at least one NES cell in response to receiving the WUS.

[0015] In some specific embodiments of the third aspect of this disclosure, one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the BS to: receive a system information request from the UE via the serving cell; and in response to receiving the system information request, transmit the WUS configuration in the system information block (SIB) via the serving cell.

[0016] In some specific implementations of the third aspect of this disclosure, at least one NES cell includes multiple NES cells, and the WUS configuration includes the physical cell identities (PCIs) of the multiple NES cells to establish an association between the WUS configuration and the multiple NES cells.

[0017] In some specific embodiments of the third aspect of this disclosure, the WUS configuration includes an SIB1 transmission mode that indicates the time and frequency resources used for SIB1 transmission.

[0018] In some specific embodiments of the third aspect of this disclosure, one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the BS to: send a random access response (RAR) to the UE after receiving the WUS from the UE, wherein the RAR serves as an acknowledgment of the WUS. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The various aspects of this disclosure can be best understood by reading in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, based on the following detailed disclosure. The features are not drawn to scale. For clarity of discussion, the dimensions of the features may be arbitrarily increased or decreased.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the network configuration of scenario 1, which is an example of a specific implementation of this disclosure.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the network configuration of scenario 2, which is specifically implemented according to the examples of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the network configuration of scenario 3, which is specifically implemented according to the examples of this disclosure.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for performing an on-demand SIB1 request process by a UE capable of implementing the on-demand SIB1 request feature, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for processing on-demand SIB1 requests at the cell / BS side, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling process for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling process for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure.

[0027] Figure 8This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling process for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure.

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling process specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure for operations in which an NES cell provides a minimal WUS configuration.

[0029] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling process specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure for an NES cell to provide a minimum WUS configuration and cell A to optionally provide other WUS configurations.

[0030] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling process for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure.

[0031] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling process for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure.

[0032] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling process for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure.

[0033] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling process for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure.

[0034] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating a method / process for NES cell access specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure.

[0035] Figure 16 This is a flowchart illustrating a method / process for supporting NES cell access, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure.

[0036] Figure 17 This is a block diagram illustrating various aspects of a node for wireless communication according to this disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0037] Some of the abbreviations used in this application are defined as follows, and unless otherwise stated, the abbreviations have the following meanings: The following contains specific information relating to specific embodiments of this disclosure. The accompanying drawings and detailed disclosure are only illustrative of these embodiments. However, this disclosure is not limited to these specific embodiments. Other variations and embodiments of this disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0038] Unless otherwise stated, the same or corresponding elements in the drawings may be indicated by the same or corresponding reference numerals. Furthermore, the drawings and illustrations in this disclosure are generally not drawn to scale and are not intended to correspond to actual relative dimensions.

[0039] For consistency and ease of understanding, similar features may be identified by the same numbers in the accompanying drawings (although not illustrated in some examples). However, features in different specific embodiments may differ in other respects and should not be narrowly limited to those illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

[0040] References to “an embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” “various embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “an embodiment of this application,” etc., may indicate that the embodiment of this application described herein may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every possible embodiment of this application necessarily includes said particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, the repeated use of the phrases “in an embodiment” or “in an example embodiment,” and “an embodiment,” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but may refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, any use of the phrase “an embodiment” in connection with “this application” does not in any way imply that all embodiments of this application must include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but should be understood to mean that “at least some embodiments of this application” include said particular feature, structure, or characteristic.

[0041] The term “coupling” is defined as a connection, whether direct or indirect through an intermediate component, and is not necessarily limited to a physical connection. When used, the term “including” means “including but not limited to”; it specifically indicates an open inclusion or membership in a combination, group, series, or equivalent as described.

[0042] The expression "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of the following: A, B, and C" means "only A, or only B, or only C, or any combination of A, B, and C." The terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably. The term "and / or" is used only to describe the relationship between related objects and indicates that three relationships can exist, such that A and / or B can indicate that A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, or B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0043] For purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details such as functional entities, technologies, protocols, and standards are described to provide an understanding of the disclosed technologies. In other examples, detailed disclosures of well-known methods, technologies, systems, architectures, etc., have been omitted to avoid obscuring this disclosure with unnecessary detail.

[0044] Those skilled in the art will immediately recognize that any network function or algorithm disclosed can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination of both. The disclosed functions may correspond to modules, which can be software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof.

[0045] The software implementation may include computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable medium such as memory or other types of storage devices. One or more microprocessors or general-purpose computers with communication processing capabilities may be programmed with the corresponding executable instructions and execute the disclosed network functions or algorithms.

[0046] Microprocessors or general-purpose computers may include application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic arrays, and / or one or more digital signal processors (DSPs). Although some of the disclosed embodiments are geared toward software installed and executed on computer hardware, alternative embodiments implemented as firmware, or hardware, or a combination of hardware and software are also within the scope of this disclosure. Computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), cassette tape, magnetic tape, disk storage, or any other equivalent medium capable of storing computer-readable instructions.

[0047] Radio communication network architectures (such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems, Advanced LTE (LTE-A) systems, Advanced LTE Pro systems, or 5G NR Radio Access Networks (RANs)) typically include at least one base station (BS), at least one user equipment (UE), and one or more optional network elements providing connectivity within the network. The UE communicates with networks (such as the core network (CN), evolved packet core (EPC) network, evolved universal terrestrial RAN (E-UTRAN), 5G core (5GC), or the Internet) via the RAN established by one or more BSs.

[0048] The UE may include, but is not limited to, a mobile station, mobile terminal or device, or a user communication radio terminal. The UE may be a portable radio device, including but not limited to mobile phones, tablets, wearable devices, sensors, vehicles, or personal digital assistants (PDAs) with wireless communication capabilities. The UE is configured to receive and transmit signals relative to one or more cells in the RAN via an air interface.

[0049] The BS can be configured to provide communication services based on at least the following radio access technologies (RATs): WiMAX, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), commonly referred to as 2G, GSM Evolution with Enhanced Data Rates (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) based on Basic Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), commonly referred to as 3G, High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), LTE, LTE-A, Evolved LTE (eLTE) for 5GC connectivity, NR (commonly referred to as 5G), and / or LTE-A Pro. However, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to these protocols.

[0050] A BS may include, but is not limited to, a Node B (NB) in UMTS, an Evolved Node B (eNB) in LTE or LTE-A, a Radio Network Controller (RNC) in UMTS, a BS Controller (BSC) in GSM / GERAN, an NG-eNB in ​​an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) BS combined with 5GC, a Next Generation Node B (gNB) in 5G-RAN, or any other device capable of controlling radio communications and managing radio resources within the cell. A BS may serve one or more UEs via a radio interface.

[0051] A BS can operate to provide radio coverage to a specific geographic area using multiple cells forming a RAN. The BS can support cell operation. Each cell can operate to provide service to at least one UE within its radio coverage area.

[0052] Each cell (usually referred to as the serving cell) can provide services to one or more UEs within its radio coverage, such that each cell schedules DL (and optional UL resources) to at least one UE within its radio coverage for DL ​​(and optional UL packet transmission from the UE). The BS can communicate with one or more UEs in the radio communication system via multiple cells.

[0053] Cells can be allocated sidelink (SL) resources to support neighboring services (ProSe) or vehicle-to-everything (V2X) services. Each cell can have coverage areas that overlap with other cells.

[0054] In a multi-RAT dual connectivity (MR-DC) scenario, the primary cell of a primary cell group (MCG) or secondary cell group (SCG) may be referred to as a special cell (SpCell). A primary cell (PCell) may include the SpCell of the MCG. A primary SCG cell (PSCell) may include the SpCell of the SCG. An MCG may include a set of serving cells associated with a primary node (MN), including SpCells and optionally one or more secondary cells (SCells). An SCG may include a set of serving cells associated with a secondary node (SN), including SpCells and optionally one or more SCells.

[0055] As described above, NR's frame structure supports flexible configuration to accommodate various next-generation (e.g., 5G) communication requirements, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), while meeting high reliability, high data rates, and low latency requirements. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technology in 3GPP can be used as the baseline for NR waveforms. Scalable OFDM parameter sets, such as adaptive subcarrier spacing, channel bandwidth, and cyclic prefix (CP), can also be used.

[0056] For NR, two decoding schemes can be considered: low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes and polar codes. The coding scheme can be configured and adapted based on channel conditions and / or service applications.

[0057] At a minimum, DL (Delivered Data), Guard Period, and UL (Upper Length) data should be included within a single NR frame's Transmission Time Interval (TTI). The corresponding portions of the DL, Guard Period, and UL data should also be configurable, for example, based on NR-based network dynamics. SL (Single Length) resources can also be provided in the NR frame to support ProSe or V2X services.

[0058] Any two or more of the following paragraphs, sub-items, points, actions, behaviors, terms or claims described in this disclosure may be logically, reasonably and appropriately combined to form a specific method.

[0059] Any statement, paragraph, (sub)item, point, action, behavior, term or claim described in this disclosure may be implemented independently and separately to form a specific method.

[0060] Dependencies in this disclosure (e.g., “based on,” “more specifically,” “preferably,” “in one implementation,” “in some specific implementations,” etc.) are merely one possible example that will not limit the specific method.

[0061] In this disclosure, “A and / or B” may refer to either A or B, both A and B, or at least one of A and B.

[0062] In this disclosure, “X / Y” may encompass the meanings of “X or Y,” “X and Y,” and “X and / or Y,” as indicated by two or more of the statements, paragraphs, sub-items, points, actions, behaviors, terms, alternatives, aspects, examples, embodiments, or claims described in the following invention.

[0063] One aspect of this disclosure can be applied in a variety of contexts, including communications, communication equipment (such as mobile phone devices, base station devices, wireless LAN devices and / or sensor devices), integrated circuits (such as communication chips), and software programs, etc.

[0064] As discussed in this disclosure, the terms "one antenna port" and "multiple antenna ports" may refer to "antenna ports for transmitting PUSCH / PUCCH" and "antenna ports for transmitting PUSCH / PUCCH," respectively.

[0065] Some of the terms, definitions and / or abbreviations included in this disclosure may be derived from existing documents (such as those from ETSI, ITU or other sources) or may be newly created by experts from 3GPP when precise vocabulary is required.

[0066] Examples of some selected terms used in this disclosure are provided below.

[0067] Antenna panel: A conceptual term for a specific implementation of a UE antenna. It can be assumed that the panel can be an operational unit used to control the transmit spatial filter (beam). A panel typically includes multiple antenna elements. In some implementations, the beam can be formed by the panel, and two panels may be needed to form two beams simultaneously. This simultaneous beamforming by multiple panels may be limited by the UE's capabilities. A similar definition for "panel" can be applied by applying spatial receive filtering characteristics.

[0068] Beam: A beam may include spatial (domain) filtering. In one example, spatial filtering may be applied in the analog domain by adjusting the phase and / or amplitude of a signal before it is transmitted by a corresponding antenna element. In another example, spatial filtering may be applied in the digital domain using multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology in a wireless communication system. For example, “UE transmits PUSCH using a specific beam” may mean that the UE transmits PUSCH using a specific spatial / digital domain filter. “Beam” may also be represented, but is not limited to, an antenna, an antenna port, an antenna element, an antenna group, an antenna port group, or an antenna element group. A beam may also be formed by a specific reference signal resource. In short, a beam may be equivalent to a spatial domain filter through which an EM wave radiates. Beam information may include details about the selected or used beam or spatial filter. In some specific implementations, individual beams (e.g., spatial filters) may be used to transmit individual reference signals. Therefore, a beam or beam information may be represented by one or more reference signal resource indices.

[0069] DCI: DCI can include downlink control information, and various DCI formats can be used in PDCCH. The DCI format can be a predefined format in which downlink control information can be encapsulated / formed and transmitted in PDCCH.

[0070] TCI Status: The TCI status may include parameters for configuring the QCL relationship between one or more DL reference signals and a target reference signal set. For example, the target reference signal set may be the DMRS port of a PDSCH or PDCCH.

[0071] HARQ: Ensures the functionality of delivery between peer entities at Layer 1 (e.g., the physical layer). A single HARQ procedure can support one transport block (TB) when the physical layer is not configured for downlink / uplink spatial multiplexing, and can support one or more TBs when the physical layer is configured for downlink / uplink spatial multiplexing. Each serving cell can have one HARQ entity. Each HARQ entity can support parallel (multiple) DL and UL HARQ procedures.

[0072] Throughout this disclosure, although the term "gNB" may be used, it should be understood that the term "gNB" may be replaced by any other type of BS (e.g., eNB). Additionally, unless otherwise specified, the terms "SSB" and "OD-SSB" may be used interchangeably in this disclosure.

[0073] The Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) may include, or consist of, the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS), the Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), and the Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) payload. The PSS and SSS may be pseudo-random sequences of length 127. The PBCH payload may include the Main Information Block (MIB) (24 bits in total) and an 8-bit payload. Information in the MIB may include: System Frame Number (SFN), Subcarrier Space (SCS), Demodulation Reference Signal (DMRS) configuration, access control, and configuration primarily used for System Information Block 1 (SIB1) acquisition. By decoding the PSS and SSS, the User Equipment (UE) can identify the Physical Cell Identity (PCI) of the corresponding cell and determine symbol boundaries. Therefore, using PBCH decoding, the UE can determine frame boundaries and attempt to decode the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

[0074] In New Radio (NR), SSB modes can be introduced to achieve beamforming, allowing corresponding SSBs (with corresponding spatial directions) to be transmitted in the time domain (as a transmission mode). SSB indexes can be used to distinguish SSBs and also help the UE determine frame boundaries. Next-generation Node Bs (gNBs) can perform beam scanning across different SSBs, and the UE can select the optimal SSB (e.g., with optimal Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP)) to obtain System Information (SI), paging reception, and perform a Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure when the UE wants to establish a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection. When decoding the MIB, the UE knows the PDCCH configuration, which may include Control Resource Set #0 (CORESET#0) and Search Space #0 (SS#0), and can then derive entries from a default table to identify the time / frequency resources for transmitting SIB1. Upon receiving SIB1, the UE obtains cell (re)selection information, Public Land Mobile Network Identifier (PLMN ID), Cell Identifier (ID), and public service cell information for subsequent operations.

[0075] Network energy saving (NES) technologies are considered crucial for environmental sustainability, reducing environmental impact through greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and achieving operational cost savings. As 5G technology likely becomes more widespread across industries and geographic regions, and as more advanced services and applications, such as extended reality (XR), demand very high data rates, networks may become denser and potentially utilize more antennas, greater bandwidth, and more frequency bands. The environmental impact of 5G technology may need to be kept under control, and novel solutions may need to be developed to improve network energy saving.

[0076] The work on the New Radio (NR) technology NES in 3GPP Rel-18 may have led to the specification of beneficial technologies, primarily targeting Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection modes (or RRC_CONNECTED states), user-specific signals and channels, and low-load scenarios. The technologies specified in Version 18 may include: SSB-free secondary cell (SCell) operation for inter-band carrier aggregation (CA) for frequency range 1 (FR1) and co-located cells; enhancements to cell DTX / DRX mechanisms, including alignment of cell DTX / DRX operation with UE DRX operation in RRC connectivity mode; inter-node information exchange regarding cell DTX / DRX operation; technologies in the spatial and power domains to achieve efficient adaptation of spatial elements and efficient adaptation of power offset values ​​between the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) and Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS); mechanisms to prevent legacy UEs from camping on cells using Rel-18 NES technology; enhancements to the Conditional Handover (CHO) process; and enhancements to inter-node beam activation and paging restricted to limited areas, corresponding to Radio Resource Management (RRM) / Radio Frequency (RF) core requirements.

[0077] In the upcoming Release 19 work, one objective may be to specify the procedures and signaling methods for On-Demand System Information Block 1 (SIB1) to support User Equipment (UE) in idle / inactive modes. More specifically, objectives may include: triggering methods for uplink wake-up signals (WUS) using existing signals / channels, configuring wake-up signals to the UE, and exchanging information between next-generation node Bs (gNBs) for at least the configuration of the WUS.

[0078] For the case where the cell broadcasts SSB but not SIB1, three scenarios (Scenario 1, Scenario 2, and Scenario 3) are described.

[0079] Scene 1: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the network configuration of scenario 1, which is specifically implemented according to the examples of this disclosure. For example... Figure 1 As illustrated, cell #1 can operate on frequency #1 and can broadcast SSB and SIB1. Cells #2 and #4 can operate on frequency #2, different from frequency #1, and can both broadcast only SSB. The coverage of cell #2 and cell #4 can completely overlap with the coverage of cell #1. Cell #3 can operate on frequency #3, different from frequency #1 and frequency #2. Cell #3 can broadcast only SSB, and the coverage of cell #3 can completely overlap with the coverage of cell #1.

[0080] exist Figure 1In scenario 1, UE#1 may not be able to implement the "On-Demand SIB1 Request" or "(Rel-19) Network Energy Saving" feature / function. This means that when UE#1 identifies a cell that does not broadcast SIB1 during its idle / inactive state (e.g., RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state), UE#1 may not request SIB1. In scenario 1, UE#1 can detect cell #1 (within the coverage of cell #1) and may camp only on cell #1. If cell #1 is unsuitable, UE#1 can perform cell (re)selection according to the 3GPP specifications. On the other hand, UE#2 may be able to implement the "On-Demand SIB1 Request" feature / function. This means that when UE#2 is in the RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE state and identifies a cell that does not broadcast SIB1, UE#2 can request that cell to perform SIB1 transmission. In scenario 1, UE#2 can detect cell #1 and cell #2, and can attempt to camp on cell #1 or attempt to request SIB1 associated with cell #2.

[0081] Specific criteria may exist regarding why UE#2 camps on a cell other than cell#1. For example, UE#2 may be configured to camp on a specific frequency, or UE#2 may be disabled by cell#1 due to cell#1 overload. UE#2 may be able to trigger an "On-Demand SIB1 Request (Procedure)" regarding at least one SSB, at least one cell, or at least one frequency via one or more requests. Upon receiving an On-Demand SIB1 Request, a cell (e.g., cell#1, cell#2) may provide SIB1 to meet UE#2's needs. The mechanism for providing SIB1 may include broadcast, multicast, or unicast transmission. When using broadcast or multicast transmission, the cell may stop broadcasting SIB1 when the demand is met. Furthermore, the "On-Demand SIB1 (OD-SIB1) Request" action may not be guaranteed to succeed, and UE#2 may repeat the request or attempt to camp on another cell or remain in an idle / inactive state.

[0082] Scene 2: Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the network configuration of scenario 2, specifically implemented according to the examples of this disclosure. For example... Figure 2 As illustrated, cell #1 can operate on frequency #1, and cell #1 can broadcast SSB and SIB1. Cells #2 and #4 can operate on frequency #2, different from frequency #1, and both can broadcast only SSB. The coverage of cells #2 and #4 can partially overlap with the coverage of cell #1. Cell #3 can operate on frequency #3, different from frequency #1 and frequency #2. Cell #3 can broadcast only SSB, and the coverage of cell #3 can partially overlap with the coverage of cell #1.

[0083] In this scenario, UE#1 may not be able to implement the on-demand SIB1 request (or (Rel-19) network energy saving) feature / function. This means that when UE#1 is in the RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE state and identified as a cell that does not broadcast SIB1, UE#1 may not request SIB1. In scenario 2, UE#1 can detect cells #1 and #3. Only cell #1 is accessible. If cell #1 is unsuitable, UE#1 can perform cell (re)selection according to 3GPP specifications, even if the quality of cell #3 may be sufficient (e.g., the SSB-RSRP between cell #3 and UE#1 may be higher than the threshold, but SIB1 may not be available, so UE#1 may try to search for cells other than cell #1 and cell #3). On the other hand, UE#2 may be able to implement the "on-demand SIB1 request" feature / function. This means that when UE#2 is in the RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE state and identified as a cell that does not broadcast SIB1, UE#2 can request SIB1. In scenario 2, UE#2 can detect cell #2 and attempt to request SIB1 associated with cell #2. Otherwise, UE#2 may perform cell (re)selection or may be forced out of service. Additionally, UE#2 may not receive additional assistance from cell #1 because UE#2 may not be within the coverage area of ​​cell #1. Conversely, UE#3 may be able to implement the "on-demand SIB1 request" feature, which means that UE#3 can detect both cell #1 and cell #4 and decide whether to camp on cell #1 or attempt to request SIB1 associated with cell #4. In some specific implementations, UE#3 may receive specific assistance from cell #1 and then camp on cell #4.

[0084] If UE#2 fails to camp on cell #2 even after performing the on-demand SIB1 request procedure, UE#2 can log this situation to reflect the existence of a coverage hole (because there may not be a suitable / acceptable cell for the UE to camp on). When UE#2 enters the RRC_CONNECTED state, UE#2 can perform a report, and the network provider can attempt optimization. Otherwise, broadcasting an SSB in a cell without SIB1 might be wasteful.

[0085] There may be specific criteria for why UE#3 camps on cell #4 instead of cell #1. For example, this could be when UE#3 is configured to camp on a specific frequency, or when cell #1 might be overloaded. UE#3 may be able to trigger an on-demand SIB1 request procedure on a request basis, based on at least one cell or at least one frequency. Upon receiving the request, the cell can provide SIB1 to meet UE#3's needs. The mechanism for providing SIB1 may include broadcast, multicast, or unicast transmission. When broadcast transmission is available, the cell may stop broadcasting SIB1 when UE#3's needs can be met. In some implementations, the "on-demand SIB1 request" procedure / behavior may not be guaranteed to succeed, and UE#3 may repeat the same request, attempt to camp on another cell, or remain idle / inactive.

[0086] Scene 3: Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the network configuration of scenario 3, specifically implemented according to the examples of this disclosure. For example... Figure 3 As illustrated, cell #1 can operate on frequency #1, and cell #1 can broadcast SSB and SIB1. Cells #2 and #4 can operate on frequency #2, different from frequency #1, and both can broadcast only SSB. The coverage of cells #2 and #4 may not overlap with the coverage of cell #1. Cell #3 can operate on frequency #3, different from frequency #1 and frequency #2. Cell #3 can broadcast only SSB, and the coverage of cell #3 may not overlap with the coverage of cell #1.

[0087] UE#1 may not be able to implement the on-demand SIB1 request feature / function. This means that when UE#1 is in the RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE state and is identified as being in a cell that does not broadcast SIB1, UE#1 may not request SIB1. In scenario 3, UE#1 can detect cell #1 and can perform legacy operations. UE#2 may be able to implement the on-demand SIB1 request feature / function. This means that when UE#2 is in the RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE state and is identified as being in a cell that does not broadcast SIB1, UE#2 can request SIB1. In scenario 3, UE#2 can detect cell #2 and can attempt to request the SIB1 associated with cell #2. Otherwise, UE#2 may perform cell (re)selection or may be forced out of service. Additionally, UE#2 may not be able to obtain other assistance from cell #1 because UE#2 may not be within the coverage area of ​​cell #1. Conversely, UE#3, which cannot implement the "on-demand SIB1 request" feature / function, can detect cell #3, but may not have the means to request SIB1 transmission from cell #3. Therefore, UE#3 can be identified as not in service.

[0088] If UE#2 fails to camp on cell #2 even after performing the on-demand SIB1 request procedure, UE#2 can log this status to reflect a potential coverage hole (because there may be no available / suitable / acceptable cell). When UE#2 enters the RRC_CONNECTED state, UE#2 can report this, and the network provider can attempt optimization. Otherwise, broadcasting an SSB in a cell without SIB1 might be wasteful.

[0089] In some specific implementations, to address issues in different scenarios, the system may attempt to reuse existing system frame structures and channels to support the "on-demand SIB1 request" feature / process / behavior, while maintaining initial constraints such as DCI size budget and blind decoding. Additionally or alternatively, the system may attempt to eliminate unnecessary cell-side behavior to conserve network energy. Additionally or alternatively, the system may attempt to avoid impacting legacy UEs and cells. For example, the on-demand SIB1 sequence may be designed to prevent confusion or erroneous situations.

[0090] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating a method 400 for an on-demand SIB1 request process performed by a UE capable of implementing the on-demand SIB1 request feature, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure. In action 401, the UE may determine whether to broadcast SIB1. The UE may attempt to synchronize with the SSB of the cell. By decoding the SSB, the UE may have PSS and SSS information to derive the PCI of the corresponding cell (e.g., the cell where the UE receives the SSB) and may be able to identify symbol boundaries. By further decoding the PBCH on the SSB, the UE may synchronize with the frame and may obtain the associated time and frequency resources to obtain the SIB1 broadcast by the corresponding cell. In legacy behavior, the UE may select an appropriate SSB (e.g., beam) to obtain SIB1. If all information is provided but the UE fails to obtain SIB1, the UE may attempt to synchronize with other SSBs or may perform a cell search again. This may mean that the UE may waste considerable effort to confirm whether SIB1 can be received, or that the channel quality between the UE and the corresponding cell may be insufficient. In the following, a function block for action 401 may be designed to guide the UE in checking the availability / validity of SIB1, and / or an earlier determination method may be applied to improve efficiency. Availability may include whether SIB1 exists or whether it can be broadcast on demand. The UE may obtain other ancillary information and may be able to determine the availability of SIB1, wherein the ancillary information may be provided from another cell, the core network, Operations, Management and Maintenance (OAM), etc.

[0091] In action 402, the UE can determine whether to camp on a cell that does not broadcast SIB1. For example, after confirming that the corresponding cell may not have available SIB1, the UE can attempt a cell search on another cell with the same / different frequency. Alternatively, the UE can attempt to request SIB1 on the cell. In some implementations, action 402 can be determined before action 401, i.e., the UE can be configured to skip cells that do not broadcast SIB1 or to skip specific frequencies, even if the UE can implement the "on-demand SIB1 request" feature. If the UE decides to camp on a cell that does not broadcast SIB1, the UE can perform action 403; otherwise, the UE can perform a cell search. In practice, the execution of action 402 can be UE-specific, but the NW or gNB can overturn these decisions. For example, access control can be used to suppress UE access to cells that do not broadcast SIB1. This control method can work with Access Control Block (ACB) / Unified Access Control (UAC) or can work independently.

[0092] Once the UE determines the availability of an SIB1 request and wants to camp on that cell accordingly, a relative configuration can be provided to the UE to enable the request. If no configuration is available, the UE can return to action 402 to re-determine the target cell to camp on, or the UE can apply a default or stored configuration. The acquisition of the SIB1 configuration can be performed on the same cell (a cell that does not broadcast SIB1) or on different cells. The configuration used for on-demand SIB1 requests facilitates the generation of request sequences, appropriate setting of request behavior, associated resources and channels, and relative control mechanisms. In action 403, the UE can also check the validity of the configuration. Furthermore, the UE can acquire at least one configuration, making it possible to obtain multiple configurations subject to the corresponding cell.

[0093] In action 403, the UE can obtain the on-demand SIB1 request configuration. In action 404, the UE can execute the on-demand SIB1 request procedure. In action 405, the UE can determine whether the on-demand SIB1 request procedure has been completed. In action 406, the UE can camp on the target cell.

[0094] In some implementations, the UE may follow a configuration or certain procedures to perform action 404. The UE may transmit request signaling to a cell (e.g., a cell that does not broadcast SIB1, a cell where the UE receives an SSB in action 401, or another cell). The signaling may be decoded in a specific format and may be transmitted in a contention-based manner (e.g., other UEs may transmit the same sequence at the same resource) or in a contention-free manner (e.g., the sequence may be transmitted on a reserved resource, which only the UE can use). To ensure the reliability and success of the request, the UE may transmit the sequence in a diversity manner, where repetition / retransmission of sequences with the same and / or different transmit powers may be employed. The content of the request sequence may include a simple on / off request, or a request for a specific part of SIB1, or an identifier indicating the UE.

[0095] After completing action 404, the UE may attempt to perform a cell search again to check if SIB1 can be broadcast by that cell (e.g., the cell where the UE received the SSB in action 401). Broadcasting SIB1 can be implicit, meaning the UE can recognize that the request may have been successfully completed if SIB1 could be broadcast. Note that the gNB (or the cell where the UE received the SSB in action 401) may successfully receive the request but still decide not to broadcast SIB1. In this respect, the UE can still recognize the failure of the request. Another option is for the gNB (or the cell where the UE received the SSB in action 401) to provide explicit acknowledgment if the request is received by the gNB (or the cell where the UE received the SSB in action 401). When the UE receives acknowledgment from the gNB (or the cell where the UE received the SSB in action 401) but still fails to receive SIB1, the UE can identify itself as being blocked by that cell. The blocking may last for a long time, and the UE may not attempt to request SIB1. The duration of the blocking can be configured by the blocking parameters provided in SIB1. In some implementations, the UE may, by default, prohibit itself from requesting SIB1 for a default value (e.g., 300 seconds). A specific case could be that when the UE can be prohibited, but the cell broadcasts SIB1 (e.g., requested by another UE), the UE can still be suppressed to camp on that cell, or the prohibition can be implicitly expired / terminated (if SIB1 might be broadcast, or if the UE receives SIB1 from the prohibited cell).

[0096] In action 406, if the UE may receive SIB1 after the request action, the UE may attempt to camp on the target cell. The UE may store the corresponding SIB1 information and associate the corresponding SIB1 information with the cell's PCI. The UE may perform paging monitoring on the cell and may remain in the RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE state. The UE may perform an RRC recovery operation to transition from an inactive state to a connected state. The UE may perform RRC connection establishment (or RRC connection setup) and may enter the RRC_CONNECTED state. Note that the steps from action 401 to action 406 may not be performed sequentially. For example, if there is a pre-configured method for determining camping priority, action 403 may be performed first, followed by action 402.

[0097] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a method 500 for processing on-demand SIB1 requests on the cell / BS side, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure.

[0098] To achieve power / energy savings, the network can determine in Action 501 not to broadcast SIB1, and this behavior can apply to all SSBs (all beams) or at least one SSB. The network can perform load analysis for each direction and can turn SIB1 transmission on / off in the corresponding direction. The broadcast periodicity can be adaptive; a longer periodicity can be used if the network wants to achieve more power / energy savings. In some specific implementations, cells can broadcast “compact” SIB1s, which provide only specific information compared to the regular SIB1 in the 3GPP specification. Additionally, it can be typical for the network to decide not to broadcast SIB1s in higher frequency bands (e.g., due to less coverage).

[0099] When the gNB / NW decides not to broadcast SIB1 on an associated cell, the cell may request to negotiate such a change with other cells. Other cells may include adjacent cells (whose coverage may fully / partially overlap / not overlap with the non-SIB1-broadcasting cell). The negotiation may also include frequency, SSB (SSB index) for non-SIB1 broadcasting, periodicity of SIB1 broadcasting, configuration supporting "on-demand SIB1 requests," and other information regarding cell load and cell prohibition controls. In Action 502, the negotiating cell may provide corresponding auxiliary information or configuration for the serving UE or requesting UE of the negotiating cell. The cell itself may provide auxiliary information instead of negotiating with neighboring cells. Auxiliary information may be appended through a special design in the PSS / SSS / PBCH, or may be provided via OAM or pre-configuration.

[0100] In Action 503, the cell may monitor SIB1 request signaling. For example, the cell may monitor specific resources or configured resources to identify whether any UE is sending on-demand SIB1 request signaling. Monitoring may occur at any SSB or any frequency, or at at least one SSB or at least one frequency. If multiple requests are detected in a corresponding SSB and / or frequency, the cell may identify that the request is intended to be associated with an SSB / frequency. Conversely, the request may be unrelated to an SSB / frequency, and the cell may identify that the request may be a broadcast enabling SIB1 on any SSB / frequency. The cell may employ "energy-efficient monitoring," meaning that monitoring may be triggered only when certain conditions are met; otherwise, the cell may not monitor the request sequence. Additionally, the cell may monitor requests only on specific SSBs, resources, and / or frequencies to avoid power / energy consumption.

[0101] A cell can detect multiple requests from different sources (even if these requests can be sent on the same resource). In action 504, the cell can determine whether an SIB1 request has been received. Action 504 may or may not be required to distinguish requests from different sources. Distinction can be achieved by examining the sequence, or by examining the received power or received signal strength indicator on the associated UL physical resource, or by examining the received resource (different UEs may generate different sequences (with the same request content)). If the received strength is sufficiently high, or if the received sequence can be decoded, the cell can consider the request sequence to have been successfully received. The cell can adapt the configuration used to send the request sequence based on the reception result / performance of the request.

[0102] Upon receiving an on-demand SIB1 request, the cell can determine in action 505 whether to broadcast SIB1. For example, the cell can respond to the request, whereby the cell can send an ACK / NAK to the UE in action 505. The cell can then further initiate the broadcast of SIB1. The broadcast can be performed by all SSBs on all frequencies or by all SSBs on a specific frequency or by a specific SSB.

[0103] In this disclosure, cell A can be defined as a normal cell, for example, a cell that periodically transmits at least its own SIB1 (e.g., cell #1 in scenarios 1 to 3). Network energy saving (NES) cells (e.g., cells #2, #3, and #4 in scenarios 1 to 3) can be cells that do not transmit any SIB1 without a request from the UE, but can perform SIB1 transmission in response to a UL WUS received from the UE (e.g., an on-demand SIB1 request).

[0104] The UE can obtain UL WUS configuration from the NES cell or Cell A. The UE can send UL WUS to the NES cell or Cell A, which is the target cell for UL WUS transmission, and the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) can be the starting point for UL WUS signaling. Conditions that trigger UL WUS may include the UE wanting to establish an RRC connection with a specific cell, or the UE wanting to camp on a specific cell for the UE's RRC idle / inactive mode operation (such as receiving / monitoring paging). The following provides scenarios where the UE attempts to perform RRC connection establishment (e.g., scenarios 1 to 8) and scenarios involving UE operation in the RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE state.

[0105] Scenario 1: An RRC idle / inactive UE (e.g., a UE operating in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE state) may want to perform RRC establishment and may detect cell A during the initial cell search. WUS configuration and WUS transmission can also occur in cell A.

[0106] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling procedure for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure. In action 601, the UE may attempt to detect the SSB of cell A and may identify whether cell A is not blocked by MIB information (e.g., CellBarred IE may not be set to "blocked", CellBarred IE may be set to "not blocked"), and may be able to obtain SIB1 of cell A. Using SIB1, the UE may identify whether cell A is reserved for other purposes (the flag "cellReservedForOperatorUse" can be broadcast with the value "reserved" or "not reserved"). If a cell status may be indicated as "not banned" and "reserved" for use by any PLMN / SNPN operator, and is not "true" for other uses and not "true" for future use, then a UE with access identity 11 (e.g., PLMN use) or access identity 15 (e.g., PLMN staff) may be allowed to camp on that cell (e.g., the UE may consider the cell as a candidate cell during a cell (re)selection process). If a cell may be reserved, then a UE with access identities 0, 1, 2, 12, 13, or 14 may consider the cell "banned" and may not be allowed to camp on it. Another flag in SIB1, cellReservedForOtherUse, may be broadcast as "true" or may be omitted. When this flag is broadcast by SIB1 and the cell may not broadcast any CAG-ID or NID, or when the cell may not broadcast any CAG-ID and the UE may not operate in SNPN access mode, then all UEs may consider the cell "banned".

[0107] More specifically, the uac-BarringInfo IE within SIB1 provides parameters to determine when a unified access prohibition check can be requested. The unified access prohibition check may involve the UE generating a random number uniformly distributed between 0 and 1. If the random number is likely less than the value of uac-BarringFactor, the access attempt can be permitted. Otherwise, the access attempt can be prohibited. If the access attempt may be prohibited, the UE can wait for a period of time and may attempt the access attempt again. The UE can check which access category and / or access identity it belongs to and can apply the corresponding parameters to verify whether the UE can attempt the access attempt.

[0108] Following action 602, even if the UE is prohibited due to reserved settings, or the UE is unable to attempt due to UAC control, or the UE considers cell A to be "prohibited" after a UAC check (e.g., by referring to 3GPP TS 38.331 and TS 38.304 specifications), the UE can still further check whether SIBx is broadcast. SIBx can be system information used to configure WUS. SIBx can be new system information in addition to existing system information, or SIBx can be combined with other existing system information. If the state of SIBx is likely "broadcasting," the UE can receive SIBx after receiving SIB1 and configure it, possibly without requiring a UE request. Conversely, if the state of SIBx is likely "not broadcasting," the UE may be able to trigger an on-demand SI request. In some implementations, if cell A is designated to provide WUS configuration, the UE can trigger an on-demand SI request regardless of the UAC check result. In some other implementations, the UE may be prohibited from attempting to monitor / receive SIBx (e.g., system information blocks including WUS configurations for the UE to request SIB1 from an NES cell) from cell A. An NES cell may refer to a cell operating in NES mode. Alternatively, a cell not operating in NES cell mode may operate as an anchor cell (e.g., cell A) to support the OD-SIB1 request process of a neighboring NES cell or the cell itself (after the cell switches to NES mode). In other words, a cell may broadcast its own WUS configuration (e.g., via broadcast SIBx) while operating as an anchor cell. Then, if a UE receives and stores the broadcast SIBx, the UE may be able to request SIB1 from that cell based on the stored WUS configuration after the cell switches to NES mode.

[0109] The UE can request SIBx using Msg1 / Msg3, and cell A can subsequently broadcast SIBx (dedicated signaling is not required in case 1). The WUS configuration in SIBx may include one or more of the following items (1) to (4): (1) WUS signaling configuration: Dedicated preamble or dedicated PRACH resources can be provided. Cell A can also configure RA type and associated RA parameters (e.g., separate from SI-RequestConfig and RACH-ConfigCommon). For example, RA parameters may include the maximum number of WUS signaling attempts, transmit power settings (initial power value and power ramp-up value), RAR window, etc.

[0110] In some specific implementations, the WUS configuration can be common to all NES cells (supported by the serving RAN / PLMN / SNPN), so that when a UE can use this configuration to transmit WUS, cell A can notify all neighboring NES cells of cell A to resume SIB1 transmission in neighboring NES cells.

[0111] In some specific implementations, WUS configuration can be cell-specific for different NES cells, necessitating an association between the WUS configuration and the NES cell. This association can be supported using PCI or partial PCI, where cell A can configure multiple preambles and / or multiple ROs, and different preambles / ROs can be mapped to specific NES cells. When the UE transmits WUS, cell A is aware of this requirement and can notify the corresponding NES cell (e.g., via the Xn interface, via XnAP messages, via inter-node RRC messages).

[0112] In some specific implementations, the RA configuration for WUS signaling can be provided within RACH-ConfigCommon or SI-RequestConfig in SIB1 of cell A. If this is possible, the WUS configuration on SIBx can contain other configurations (discussed below). Another special case is that there is no SIBx for WUS configuration, and cell A can provide WUS configuration only via the existing SIB1.

[0113] (2) ID of SIB1 validity information and / or other system information for the NES cell: Validity information, such as one or more value tags (associated with different SIBs) that may be presented along with the SIB1 configuration, may provide an area ID (e.g., systeminformationAreaID) to inform the UE whether the stored SIB1 and its configuration in the NES cell are reusable or whether a new SIB1 needs to be acquired. If the stored SIB1 and / or other SIBs are likely valid, the UE may skip WUS transmission and perform RRC connection establishment, or may camp directly on the associated NES cell; otherwise, the UE may trigger WUS transmission. Furthermore, the tracking area ID and RNA ID (e.g., RAN notification area ID) may be appended together to facilitate the UE's determination of whether it can remain in cell A for RRC idle / inactive mode operation (if the ID (e.g., tracking area ID, RNA ID) may be the same as the ID broadcast by cell A). In some implementations, the information areaScope may be applied. When areaScope (e.g., areaScope may be associated with SIBx) can be set to "false," or may not exist, or may be missing, the SIB1 of the NES cell can be cell-specific, and the UE may not be able to use any stored SIB1 information, which may result in a mandatory request for the SIB1 of the NES cell. When areaScope (e.g., areaScope may be associated with SIBx) can be set to "true" or may exist, the SIB1 of the NES cell can be area-specific. The UE may be able to obtain the SIB1 of the NES cell using stored SIB1 information and / or SIBx information associated with areaScope (e.g., by determining whether the valueTag associated with the stored SIB1 information and / or SIBx information associated with areaScope is the same as the received valueTag). In one implementation, a Boolean indication (e.g., NES-specific) may be associated with each NES cell, and cell A may provide a corresponding configuration for the UE to obtain the SIB1 information of the corresponding NES cell. Note that cell A may provide a separate configuration for the corresponding NES cell. For example, if NESspecific might be set to "true" or might exist, then SIBx can be associated with the configuration of a specific NES cell. If NESspecific might be set to "false" or might be missing, then SIBx can be cell-specific.

[0114] (3) WUS Triggering Conditions: Cell A may configure specific conditions for the UE to transmit WUS. These conditions may include one or more of the following conditions (i) to (iv): (i) The SSB RSRP of the NES cell may exceed a threshold (e.g., this threshold may be different from the threshold in the SIB2 configuration). This threshold may be a fixed value, may be pre-configured, or may be provided to the UE in the WUS configuration or in SIB1 of cell A.

[0115] (ii) Permitted access class, which may be the only restricted AC (high priority service) capable of triggering the transmission of SIB1 in the NES cell.

[0116] (iii) Allowed NASSI, which may indicate the only specific (network) slice of the NES cell that may be allowed to be woken up for (RRC) connectivity purposes.

[0117] (iv) SIB1 Transmission Check Flag: If this flag may be set to 'true', the UE may be required to perform a cell search on the NES cell and determine whether SIB1 can be transmitted. This determination may rely on the MIB information of the NES cell. The UE may be permitted to transmit WUS if it can determine that there may be no SIB1 transmission on the detected NES cell. If this flag may be set to 'false', the UE may trigger WUS regardless of the check result. If this flag may not exist (or may be missing), the UE may by default assume that a check of the SIB1 status of the NES cell may always be required before transmitting WUS.

[0118] (4) SIB1 Transmission Mode: Once the NES cell decides to transmit SIB1, Cell A can indicate the transmission mode (e.g., time / frequency mode) of the NES cell's SIB1. This mode can include aperiodic, semi-periodic (with configured duration and periodicity), and periodic (with periodicity). More specifically, the SubCarrierSpacingCommon IE, PDCCH-ConfigSIB1 IE, and relative information that may exist in the NES cell's MIB can be provided along with the transmission mode to enable the UE to acquire SIB1 without detecting the NES cell's MIB. On the other hand, if the transmission mode may not exist in the WUS configuration, this may imply that the UE should follow legacy procedures to acquire the NES cell's SIB1.

[0119] Cell A can update its WUS configuration (SIBx), and this update can follow the modification cycle specification. Furthermore, the validity of the WUS configuration can be checked using the value labels of Cell A.

[0120] In action 603, the UE may send an SI request to cell A via Msg1 or Msg3. In action 604, cell A may broadcast at least one SIBx including the WUS configuration. In this disclosure, the dashed arrows shown in the figures (e.g., Figure 6 Actions 603 and 604 in the code can represent optional operations that can be omitted in certain scenarios.

[0121] In action 605, upon receiving the WUS configuration and meeting the triggering conditions, the UE can transmit the WUS to cell A by following the configuration. Cell A may have an acknowledgment, which can be a RAR scrambled by the corresponding RA-RNTI, and the RAR content may be without an appended TA value or granted. In action 606, cell A may notify the corresponding NES cell (after receiving the associated WUS) to transmit SIB1 via backhaul, the Xn interface, or the S1 interface. The NES cell may also transmit an acknowledgment message back to cell A. Note that cell A may transmit the RAR after receiving the acknowledgment message from the NES cell. If the UE may not receive an acknowledgment, the UE may repeat the WUS transmission, and if the repetition may exceed the configured maximum number of times, the UE may mark the WUS transmission as an access failure. The maximum number of times can be configured along with the WUS configuration, or it can be given by a default value.

[0122] Upon receiving confirmation, the UE may follow legacy procedures to obtain the MIB / SIB1 from the NES cell, or it may monitor the configured CORESET#0 and SS#0 to receive SIB1 according to the corresponding configuration given by the WUS configuration. The NES cell may terminate SIB1 transmission based on the specific implementation of the NES cell or the SIB1 transmission mode configured in the WUS configuration. More specifically, if the WUS configuration may already contain a portion of the NES SIB1 information, the NES cell may not append / include that portion of the information to the SIB1, or the NES cell may not transmit that portion of the information. The UE may transmit an acknowledgment (e.g., by sending another WUS with a different dedicated preamble) to notify cell A of the successful reception of SIB1 from the NES cell.

[0123] Scenario 2: In some specific implementations, an RRC idle / inactive UE may want to perform RRC (connection) establishment and may detect cell A during the initial cell search. In case 2, WUS configuration can occur in cell A, but WUS transmission can occur for NES cells, such as... Figure 7 exemplified in .

[0124] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling process for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure. Figure 7 Actions 701, 702, 703, and 704 in the text can be combined with... Figure 6Actions 601, 602, 603, and 604 are almost identical, except that the WUS configuration may also include additional RA settings for the UE to implement WUS transmission to the NES cell and monitoring of SIB1 under the NES cell, and may optionally send specific acknowledgments if SIB1 is available after WUS transmission. For example, the WUS configuration may include the RACH configuration of the NES cell (e.g., RACH-ConfigCommon of the NES cell).

[0125] In action 705, the UE may attempt to perform SSB / DL synchronization with the NES cell, and then transmit WUS to the NES cell. Since a valid SIB1 may not yet be available, receiving RAR (or other acknowledgments) may be problematic. In some implementations, the WUS configuration may indicate a corresponding acknowledgment monitoring configuration. In some implementations, in case 2, the UE may wait for an acknowledgment of the WUS transmission (e.g., a RAR from cell A, even if the corresponding preamble can be transmitted to the NES cell), followed by a SIBx from cell A, and this acknowledgment may originate from the NES cell. Alternatively, explicit acknowledgment may not be performed.

[0126] In action 706, the UE can receive SSB / SIB1 from the NES cell. The UE can recognize successful reception of SSB1 from the NES cell as a positive acknowledgment. On the other hand, if the UE may not receive SSB1 within the configured duration (such as signaling notification in the WUS configuration) or the default time, the UE can treat the WUS transmission as a failure and can repeat the WUS transmission until the maximum number of attempts is reached. This maximum number of attempts can be configured in the WUS configuration or is a default value.

[0127] If the NES cell sends its SIB1 after receiving the WUS, the NES cell can notify cell A to stop broadcasting SIBx. The NES cell can also report the WUS reception load to cell A (e.g., how many preambles were received over time) and suggest preferred WUS configuration settings. Cell A can then adjust its WUS configuration and perform SIBx modifications accordingly. In case 2, once the UE can obtain the NES cell's SIB1, the UE may not send any acknowledgment to cell A.

[0128] Scenario 3: In scenario 3, an RRC-idle / inactive UE can perform RRC (connection) establishment and can detect cell A during the initial cell search. WUS configuration can occur in the NES cell, but WUS transmission can occur in cell A. In some implementations, the NES cell can provide a minimum WUS configuration, and cell A can additionally provide other WUS configurations. The minimum WUS configuration can be used to instruct the NES cell to support WUS transmission / reception to trigger SIB1 transmission and can further provide validity checks. Other WUS configurations can be used to configure other parameters as illustrated in previous scenarios. An example signaling procedure for scenario 3 can be found in... Figure 8 Example in.

[0129] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling procedure for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure. In action 801, the UE may receive SIB1 from cell A. SIB1 may include an SI request, UAC information, etc.

[0130] When a UE may be blocked by cell A during action 802, the UE may not attempt to request other SIBs from cell A, regardless of whether the other SIBs are in broadcast or non-broadcast status. In other words, the UE will only request other SIBs from cell A if it considers cell A to be "not blocked" for the UE. The UE may perform a cell search to identify if other cells are detectable. If no cell is identified, the UE may follow the legacy blocking mechanism and may attempt to camp on cell A again after a period of time. If the UE may detect another cell A (e.g., SIB1 is broadcast by another cell A) and / or an NES cell, that other cell A may still be preferentially used for camping unless 1) no other cell A is available for camping, or 2) the SSB RSRP value of the NES cell measured by the UE is better configured than the threshold for cell A. This configuration may occur with WUS configuration, or the UE may obtain this configuration via SIB2 (cell reselection criteria and parameters). In some specific implementations, the UE may not need to implement the UAC mechanism for WUS configuration requests (e.g., by directly monitoring and receiving broadcast SIBX), and therefore the UE can automatically receive WUS configurations via the UAC mechanism.

[0131] In action 803, the UE can receive and decode the SSB and corresponding MIB from the NES cell. The MIB can indicate that no SIB1 is being transmitted (e.g., by setting parameter k in FR1). SSB (Set to 30), the UE can reinterpret the MIB information to obtain the minimum WUS configuration. The minimum WUS configuration may include at least one of the following items (1) to (3): (1) WUS transmission flag: used to indicate whether WUS can be transmitted by cell A or NES cell (i.e., being set to "0" means that WUS can be sent to cell A; otherwise, WUS can be sent to NES cell).

[0132] (2) SIB1 validity information and other system information IDs: Validity information such as value tags and area IDs (e.g., system information area ID) can be provided in the SIB1 to let the UE know whether the stored SIB1 of the NES cell can be reused or whether a new SIB1 needs to be acquired. If the stored SIB1 is valid, the UE can skip WUS transmission and perform RRC connection establishment, or can directly camp on the associated NES cell; otherwise, the UE can trigger WUS transmission. In addition, the tracking area ID and / or RNA ID can be appended together so that this information can help the UE determine whether the UE is staying in cell A for RRC idle / inactive mode operation (if the tracking area ID is the same as the tracking area ID of cell A, and / or if the RNA ID is the same as the RNA ID of cell A).

[0133] (3) Basic RA Configuration: Entries in the predefined RA configuration can be used with the detected PCI to identify the applied preamble and resources. For example, the minimum WUS configuration can provide parameter K, and the UE can perform a modulo (MOD) operation on the detected PCI through parameter K and know the corresponding entry in the WUS signaling configuration. This configuration may only exist if the WUS transmission flag is set to "1" (e.g., configured to transmit WUS to NES cells).

[0134] In some implementations, when the minimum WUS configuration is received and the UE is configured to send WUS to cell A, the UE may attempt to acquire SIBx through actions 804 and 805 to have other WUS configurations. Other WUS configurations may be a complete configuration of all WUS relative configurations or an incremental configuration other than the minimum configuration. In some implementations, one or more of the information items described in paragraphs

[0103] to

[0113] of this disclosure may be appended to other WUS configurations.

[0135] Given other WUS configurations, the UE and cell A can execute actions 806, 807, and 808, which can respectively interact with... Figure 6 Actions 605, 606, and 607 are identical. The NES cell can terminate SIB1 transmission based on its specific implementation or configured mode. In some implementations, the NES cell can use dedicated signaling to instruct connected UEs on SIB1 changes and SIB1 transmission modes.

[0136] Scenario 4: In scenario 4, an RRC-idle / inactive UE can perform RRC (connection) establishment and can detect cell A during the initial cell search. WUS configuration and WUS transmission can occur in the NES cell. WUS configuration in the NES cell can also include two operations: (a) the NES cell can provide only the minimum WUS configuration, and (b) the NES cell can provide the minimum WUS configuration, and cell A can optionally provide other WUS configurations. Signaling procedures can be performed separately in... Figure 9 and Figure 10 Example in.

[0137] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling process specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure for operations in which an NES cell provides a minimal WUS configuration. Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling process specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure for an NES cell to provide a minimum WUS configuration and cell A to optionally provide other WUS configurations.

[0138] Figure 9 Actions 901 to 903 and Figure 10 Actions 1001 to 1003 in the text can be combined with Figure 8 Actions 801 to 803 are essentially the same, the difference being that the minimum WUS configuration can indicate the necessity of obtaining other WUS configurations. In some implementations, a single bit can be used to indicate this. When this bit is set to "1", it indicates that cell A can assist in configuring other WUS configurations, and the UE can then perform actions 904 and 905 accordingly. When this bit is set to "0", it indicates that no other WUS configuration is provided from other cells A, and the UE can request to send the WUS to the NES cell via the available information in the minimum WUS configuration. Subsequently, in action 906, the UE can directly transmit the WUS to the NES cell. In action 907, the NES cell can send at least one SSB / SIB to the UE in response to the WUS from the UE. Figure 10 Actions 1004 and 1005 in the text can be combined with... Figure 9 Actions 906 and 907 are basically the same.

[0139] In some specific implementations, an alternative to the 1-bit indication can be a directly applicable default behavior (e.g., no signaling notification of the 1-bit indication is required). For example, by default, the UE can assume that it should send WUS directly to the NES cell after the information broadcast by the NES cell, and if the NES cell does not provide SIB1 transmission even though WUS has been sent, the UE can fall back to cell A to obtain alternative WUS configurations via the SIBx request procedure illustrated in actions 904 and 905. After obtaining alternative WUS configurations, the UE can retry WUS transmission based on these alternative configurations.

[0140] Scenario 5: In scenario 5, an RRC-idle / inactive UE can perform RRC (connection) establishment and can detect NES cells during the initial cell search. Cell A can provide WUS configuration to the UE, and the UE can send WUS to cell A. An example signaling procedure for scenario 5 is described in... Figure 11 exemplified in .

[0141] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling procedure for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure. In action 1101, the UE may identify, based on additional information in the MIB, that SIB1 has not been broadcast and that the UE may have failed to camp on the NES cell for RRC connection establishment. The UE may perform a cell search and then find cell A in action 1102. In action 1103, the UE may be blocked by cell A due to the cell being reserved for other purposes or UAC prohibition control. Even so, the UE can still perform the following actions 1104 to 1108 for SIB1 request and reception. In some other implementations, if the UE considers cell A to be "blocked" for the UE, the UE may not be enabled to perform action 1104 (and therefore actions after action 1104 may also be disabled). In other words, actions 1204 / 1205 may be enabled for the UE or performed by the UE only if cell A is "not blocked" for the UE (as a result of a UAC check performed with reference to 3GPP technical specifications).

[0142] In action 1104, the UE may trigger an SI request procedure (e.g., by transmitting an SI request to cell A via Msg 1 / Msg 3). In action 1105, the UE may obtain the WUS configuration via SIBx from cell A. In action 1106, the UE may send WUS signaling to cell A based on the received WUS configuration. Cell A then responds to the WUS from the UE by triggering on-demand SIB1 transmission in the NES cell. Afterward, the UE may return to the access NES cell and may perform SIB1 acquisition in action 1108. Figure 11Actions 1104 to 1108 in the text can be combined with Figure 6 Actions 603 to 607 are basically the same.

[0143] Situation 6: In scenario 6, an RRC-idle / inactive UE can perform RRC (connection) establishment and can detect NES cells during the initial cell search. WUS configuration can be provided by cell A, and the WUS can be sent to the NES cell. The signaling procedure for scenario 6 can be... Figure 12 Example in.

[0144] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling procedure for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure. Actions 1201 to 1205 are substantially the same as actions 1101 to 1105, except that the WUS configuration may include additional RA settings for the UE to monitor the NES cell and send specific acknowledgments. For example, the WUS configuration may include the RACH configuration of the NES cell (e.g., RACH-ConfigCommon IE). If the UE is not blocked by cell A, the UE may attempt to camp on cell A instead of triggering the on-demand SIB1 request procedure to camp on the NES cell. If the UE is blocked by cell A, the UE may proceed to execute actions 1206 and 1207, which are respectively related to... Figure 7 Actions 705 and 706 are basically the same.

[0145] Situation 7: In scenario 7, an RRC-idle / inactive UE can perform RRC (connection) establishment and can detect an NES cell during the initial cell search. The UE can receive a minimum WUS configuration from the NES cell. Based on the minimum WUS configuration, the UE can send a WUS to cell A to trigger SIB1 transmission in the NES cell. The minimum WUS configuration can indicate support for the on-demand SIB1 request function / procedure and can command the UE to send a WUS to cell A (if the UE detects cell A) to trigger the UE to send a WUS to cell A. If cell A is not detected, the UE can consider this attempt to the NES cell as an entry failure (e.g., unable to obtain SIB1), or the UE can fall back to sending a WUS directly to the NES cell. An example signaling procedure for scenario 7 is... Figure 13 Example in.

[0146] Figure 13This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling procedure for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure. In action 1301, the UE may receive a minimum WUS configuration from the NES cell. Using the minimum WUS configuration, the UE knows that the WUS should be sent to cell A. Therefore, the UE may perform a cell search procedure to find cell A accordingly. After detecting cell A, the UE may skip the UAC prohibition check (e.g., the UE does not want to camp on cell A but is required to obtain SIB1 information to know the potential resource allocation for WUS transmission). In action 1302, the UE may receive SIB1 information from cell A. Using the SIB1 information, the UE may be able to transmit WUS and may skip the SI request procedure even if SIBx is indicated as "not broadcast". The NES cell may provide parameter K for a basic RA configuration (e.g., the configuration described in action 703) in the minimum WUS configuration of the NES cell, and this RA configuration may be associated with cell A. The UE can use this information and the received SIB1 information to identify the timing of WUS, and can send WUS in action 1306.

[0147] In some specific implementations, cell A may provide the UE with additional / remaining WUS configurations (e.g., NES cells do not require all WUS details to be provided in the minimum WUS configuration). For example, if cell A indicates in action 1302 that SIBx is not provided / broadcast, then in action 1303, the UE can know that SIBx was not broadcast by cell A. The UE can then perform an SI request procedure in action 1304 to request additional / remaining WUS configurations from cell A. In action 1305, cell A may send SIBx containing the additional / remaining WUS configurations to the UE. Using the complete WUS configuration (e.g., by referring to both the minimum WUS configuration and other WUS configurations), the UE can send WUS to cell A in action 1306. Cell A can then trigger the transmission of SIB1 from the NES cell in action 1307. The UE can then obtain SIB1 from the NES cell based on the complete WUS configuration in action 1308. In some implementations, the minimum WUS configuration can indicate (e.g., by using a 1-bit flag) whether additional WUS configurations from cell A are needed, and indicate (e.g., by using a 1-bit flag) whether additional WUS configurations are being broadcast. Using these indications, the UE can accelerate WUS transmission (e.g., by skipping one or more actions in the process). Situation 8: In scenario 8, an RRC-idle / inactive UE can perform RRC (connection) establishment and detect NES cells during the initial cell search. The UE can receive WUS configuration from the NES cell. Therefore, the UE can directly send WUS to the NES cell to trigger SIB1 transmission in the NES cell. It can be observed that in scenario 8, all signaling is exchanged between the UE and the NES cell. Therefore, scenario 8 can be applied to standalone NES cell deployment scenarios. An example signaling procedure for scenario 8 is shown in... Figure 14 Example in.

[0148] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating a signaling procedure for a UE to obtain SIB1 from an NES cell, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure. In action 1401, the UE may receive a minimum WUS configuration from the NES cell (e.g., via SSB). In action 1402, the UE may apply the minimum WUS configuration to send a WUS to the NES cell. In action 1403, the NES cell may send at least one SIB1 to the UE in response to receiving a WUS from the UE.

[0149] In some implementations, depending on the available space in the MIB, the minimum WUS configuration may include at least one of the following: a) a flag for supporting WUS and optional indication of the target cell, b) SIB1 validity information, or c) basic RA configuration such as parameter K. The UE may send WUS based on the minimum WUS configuration after determining that a triggering condition has been met. The triggering condition may include at least one of the following: WUS support check, validity check, and / or SSB quality check. After sending WUS, the UE may monitor SSB and relative MIB information after a time offset. The time offset may be a default value, and the UE may identify WUS transmission as successful if the MIB indicates the presence of SIB1. If the UE does not obtain SIB1 from the NES cell after sending WUS and does not receive a response from the NES cell before the duration expires, the UE may consider the NES cell a banned cell, where the duration may be a default value. The UE may then perform a cell search based on legacy operations.

[0150] In some specific implementations, to support access control in determining whether to camp on an NES cell in different scenarios and accordingly triggering the on-demand SIB1 request procedure, the UAC can be used if the UE is restricted by the UAC and blocked by the cell. The UE may optionally consider camping on an NES cell. If the UE cannot successfully attempt / access the NES cell (e.g., cannot obtain SIB1 information), the UE can then perform cell selection. Conversely, if the UE successfully identifies an NES cell, the UE may not attempt to obtain SIB1 unless the UE is blocked by another cell.

[0151] Figure 15This is a flowchart illustrating a method / process 1500 for NES cell access specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure. Although actions 1502, 1504, and 1506 are illustrated in Figure 15 The text indicates separate actions represented by independent boxes, but these separately illustrated actions should not be interpreted as necessarily being performed sequentially. Figure 15 The order in which the actions are performed is not intended to be construed as limiting, and any number of the disclosed boxes can be combined in any order to implement the method or alternative methods. Each of actions 1502, 1504, and 1506 can be performed independently of the other actions and may be omitted in some specific embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, method / process 1500 may be combined with other processes / methods described in this disclosure. Process 1500 can be performed by the UE, wherein each action of process 1500 corresponds to an operation performed by the UE.

[0152] In action 1502, process 1500 may begin by receiving a WUS configuration from the serving cell, wherein the WUS configuration may be associated with at least one NES cell configured to perform SIB1 transmission on request (e.g., on-demand SIB1 transmission). The serving cell may correspond to cell A as described in this disclosure.

[0153] In action 1504, procedure 1500 may send WUS to at least one NES cell based on WUS configuration.

[0154] In action 1506, process 1500 may respond to sending WUS to at least one NES cell to monitor SIB1 from at least one NES cell.

[0155] In some specific implementations, the UE may send a System Information (SI) request to the serving cell and, in response to sending a System Information (SI) request to the serving cell, monitor the WUS configuration in the SIB from the serving cell.

[0156] In some specific implementations, at least one NES cell may include multiple NES cells. The WUS configuration may include the Physical Cell Identity (PCI) of multiple NES cells to establish the association between the WUS configuration and the multiple NES cells.

[0157] In some specific implementations, the UE may determine whether the WUS configuration is common to multiple NES cells in response to the determination that the WUS configuration includes the PCI of multiple NES cells.

[0158] In some specific implementations, at least one NES cell may include multiple NES cells. The WUS configuration may include first area identifier information and second area identifier information. The first area identifier information may be associated with a first NES cell among the multiple NES cells, and the second area identifier information may be associated with a second NES cell among the multiple NES cells. The UE may receive and store SIB1 from the first NES cell, and determine whether the stored SIB1 is reusable for accessing the second NES cell by determining whether the first area identifier information is the same as the second area identifier information.

[0159] In some specific implementations, the UE may determine that the stored SIB1 is reusable for accessing the second NES cell in response to the determination that the first area identifier information is the same as the second area identifier information.

[0160] In some specific implementations, the UE can determine whether the Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) value of at least one NES cell exceeds an RSRP threshold. In response to determining that the RSRP value of at least one NES cell exceeds the RSRP threshold, the UE can send a WUS to at least one NES cell.

[0161] In some specific implementations, the WUS configuration may include an SIB1 transmission mode that indicates the time and frequency resources used for SIB1 transmissions from at least one NES cell.

[0162] In some specific implementations, the UE may receive a random access response (RAR) after sending a WUS to at least one NES cell, where the RAR is used as an acknowledgment of the WUS.

[0163] Procedure 1500 enables on-demand acquisition of SIB1 from the NES cell via the WUS mechanism, allowing the UE to access the NES cell efficiently. Procedure 1500 provides the UE with a solution to trigger SIB1 transmission from the NES cell when SIB1 is not continuously broadcast, thereby saving network resources and reducing power consumption. By transmitting WUS based on the received configuration and monitoring SIB1 in response to WUS transmission, Procedure 1500 establishes a signaling exchange mechanism between the UE, Cell A, and the NES cell, which optimizes network resource utilization while maintaining service availability. Additionally, Procedure 1500 enables the UE to make efficient camping decisions based on successful SIB1 acquisition, thereby enhancing the overall cell selection and access process in the wireless communication network.

[0164] It should also be noted that the BS can perform methods / actions corresponding to those performed by the UE. For example, a receive action performed by the UE can correspond to a send / configure action performed by the BS; a send action performed by the UE can correspond to a receive action performed by the BS. In other words, the BS and UE can have mutually aligned roles in sending and receiving, such as... Figure 16 exemplified in .

[0165] Figure 16 This is a flowchart illustrating a method / process 1600 for supporting NES cell access, specifically implemented according to an example of this disclosure. Although actions 1602, 1604, and 1608 are illustrated in... Figure 16 The text indicates separate actions represented by independent boxes, but these separately illustrated actions should not be interpreted as necessarily being performed sequentially. Figure 16 The order in which the actions are performed is not intended to be construed as limiting, and any number of the disclosed boxes can be combined in any order to implement the method or alternative methods. Each of actions 1602, 1604, and 1608 can be performed independently of the other actions and may be omitted in some specific embodiments of this disclosure. Furthermore, method / process 1600 may be combined with other processes / methods described in this disclosure. Process 1600 may be performed by a BS, wherein each action of process 1600 corresponds to an operation performed by the BS.

[0166] In action 1602, process 1600 may be initiated by sending a WUS configuration to the UE via the UE's serving cell (e.g., cell A), wherein the WUS configuration is associated with at least one NES cell configured to perform SIB1 transmission upon request.

[0167] In action 1604, process 1600 may receive WUS from the UE via at least one NES cell. In action 1606, process 1600 may initiate SIB1 transmission via at least one NES cell in response to receiving WUS.

[0168] In some specific implementations, the BS can receive system information requests from the UE via the serving cell, and in response to receiving the system information requests, send the WUS configuration in the system information block (SIB) via the serving cell.

[0169] In some specific implementations, at least one NES cell may include multiple NES cells. The WUS configuration may include the PCIs of multiple NES cells to establish the association between the WUS configuration and the multiple NES cells.

[0170] In some specific implementations, the WUS configuration may include an SIB1 transmission mode that indicates the time and frequency resources used for SIB1 transmission.

[0171] In some specific implementations, the BS may send a RAR to the UE after receiving the WUS from the UE, where the RAR is used as an acknowledgment of the WUS.

[0172] Figure 17 This is a block diagram illustrating a node 1700 for wireless communication according to various aspects of this disclosure. For example... Figure 17 As illustrated, node 1700 may include a transceiver 1720, a processor 1728, a memory 1734, one or more presentation components 1738, and at least one antenna 1736. Node 1700 may also include a radio frequency (RF) bandgap module, a BS communication module, a network communication module and a system communication management module, input / output (I / O) ports, I / O components, and a power supply. Figure 17 not shown in the example).

[0173] Each of these components can communicate with each other directly or indirectly via one or more buses 1740. Node 1700 can be an execution reference. Figure 1 and Figure 16 The various functions disclosed in the UE or BS.

[0174] Transceiver 1720 has a transmitter 1722 (e.g., transmitting / transmission circuitry) and a receiver 1724 (e.g., receiving / reception circuitry) and can be configured to transmit and / or receive time and / or frequency resource allocation information. Transceiver 1720 can be configured to transmit in different types of subframes and time slots, including but not limited to available, unavailable, and flexibly usable subframe and time slot formats. Transceiver 1720 can be configured to receive data and control channels.

[0175] Node 1700 may include a variety of computer-readable media. Computer-readable media may be any available media that Node 1700 can access, and includes volatile (and / or non-volatile) media and removable (and / or non-removable) media.

[0176] Computer-readable media can include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media can include both volatile (and / or non-volatile) and removable (and / or non-removable) media implemented in any method or technology for storing information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data.

[0177] Computer storage media may include RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory (or other storage technologies), CD-ROM, DVD (or other optical disc storage), cassette tape, magnetic tape, disk storage (or other magnetic storage devices), etc. Computer storage media may not include transmitted data signals. Communication media typically embody computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in modulated data signals (such as carrier waves), or other transmission mechanisms, and include any information transmission medium.

[0178] The term "modulated data signal" can refer to a signal whose characteristics are set or altered in a manner that encodes information in the signal. Communication media can include wired media (such as wired networks or direct wired connections) and wireless media (such as acoustic, RF, infrared, and other wireless media). Any combination of any of the components listed above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0179] Memory 1734 may include computer storage media in the form of volatile and / or non-volatile memory. Memory 1734 may be removable, non-removable, or a combination thereof. Example memories may include solid-state memory, hard disk drives, optical disk drives, etc. Figure 17 As illustrated herein, memory 1734 may store computer-readable and / or computer-executable instructions 1732 (e.g., software code), which are configured to, when executed, cause processor 1728 to perform actions described herein, as referenced for example. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The various functions disclosed herein. Alternatively, instruction 1732 may not be directly executable by processor 1728, but may be configured (e.g., when compiled and executed) to cause node 1700 to perform the various functions disclosed herein.

[0180] Processor 1728 (e.g., having processing circuitry) may include intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), microcontroller, ASIC, etc. Processor 1728 may include memory. Processor 1728 can process data 1730 and instructions 1732 received from memory 1734, as well as information transmitted and received via transceiver 1720, baseband communication module, and / or network communication module. Processor 1728 can also process information to be transmitted to transceiver 1720 for transmission via antenna 1736 to network communication module for transmission to a CN.

[0181] One or more presentation components 1738 may present data indications to a person or another device. Examples of presentation components 1738 may include display devices, speakers, printing components, vibration components, etc.

[0182] In view of this disclosure, it will be apparent that various techniques can be used to implement the disclosed concepts without departing from the scope of those concepts. Furthermore, while these concepts have been disclosed with specific reference to certain embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of these concepts. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments are to be considered illustrative rather than limiting in all respects. It should also be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and many rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE) for accessing a network energy-saving (NES) cell, the UE comprising: At least one processor; and At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, coupled to the at least one processor and storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the UE to: Receive wake-up signal (WUS) configuration from serving cell, wherein the WUS configuration is associated with at least one NES cell configured to execute system information block 1 (SIB1) transmission upon request; Based on the WUS configuration, send WUS to the at least one NES cell; as well as In response to sending the WUS to the at least one NES cell to monitor SIB1 from the at least one NES cell.

2. The UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the UE to: Send a system information request to the serving cell; and In response to sending the system information request to the serving cell to monitor the WUS configuration in the system information block (SIB) of the serving cell.

3. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one NES cell includes multiple NES cells, and The WUS configuration includes the physical cell identity (PCI) of the plurality of NES cells to establish the association between the WUS configuration and the plurality of NES cells.

4. The UE of claim 3, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the UE to: In response to determining that the WUS configuration includes the PCI of the plurality of NES cells, it is determined that the WUS configuration is common to the plurality of NES cells.

5. The UE according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one NES cell includes multiple NES cells. The WUS configuration includes first region identifier information and second region identifier information. The first area identifier information is associated with a first NES cell among a plurality of NES cells, and the second area identifier information is associated with a second NES cell among the plurality of NES cells. The one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, also cause the UE to: Receive and store SIB1 from the first NES cell; as well as The storage of SIB1 is determined to be reusable for accessing the second NES cell by determining whether the first area identifier information is the same as the second area identifier information.

6. The UE of claim 5, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the UE to: In response to determining that the first area identifier information is the same as the second area identifier information, it is determined that the stored SIB1 is reusable for accessing the second NES cell.

7. The UE of claim 1, wherein sending the WUS to the at least one NES cell comprises: Determine whether the reference signal received power (RSRP) value of the at least one NES cell exceeds the RSRP threshold; as well as In response to determining that the RSRP value of the at least one NES cell exceeds the RSRP threshold, the WUS is sent to the at least one NES cell.

8. The UE of claim 1, wherein the WUS configuration includes an SIB1 transmission mode indicating time and frequency resources for the SIB1 transmission from the at least one NES cell.

9. The UE of claim 1, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the UE to: After sending the WUS to the at least one NES cell, a Random Access Response (RAR) is received, wherein the RAR serves as an acknowledgment of the WUS.

10. A method for network energy-saving (NES) cell access performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: Receive wake-up signal (WUS) configuration from serving cell, wherein the WUS configuration is associated with at least one NES cell configured to execute system information block 1 (SIB1) transmission upon request; Based on the WUS configuration, send WUS to the at least one NES cell; as well as In response to sending the WUS to the at least one NES cell to monitor SIB1 from the at least one NES cell.

11. A base station (BS) for supporting network energy-saving (NES) cell access, the BS comprising: At least one processor; and At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium, coupled to the at least one processor and storing one or more computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the BS to: Wake-up signal (WUS) configuration is sent to the UE via the serving cell of the user equipment (UE), wherein the WUS configuration is associated with at least one NES cell configured to perform system information block 1 (SIB1) transmission upon request; WUS is received from the UE via the at least one NES cell; as well as In response to receiving the WUS, the SIB1 transmission is initiated via the at least one NES cell.

12. The BS of claim 11, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the BS to: Receive system information request from the UE via the serving cell; and In response to receiving the system information request, the WUS configuration in the system information block (SIB) is transmitted via the serving cell.

13. The BS according to claim 11, wherein: The at least one NES cell includes multiple NES cells, and The WUS configuration includes the physical cell identity (PCI) of the plurality of NES cells to establish the association between the WUS configuration and the plurality of NES cells.

14. The BS of claim 11, wherein the WUS configuration includes an SIB1 transmission mode indicating time and frequency resources for the SIB1 transmission.

15. The BS of claim 11, wherein the one or more computer-executable instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the BS to: After receiving the WUS from the UE, a Random Access Response (RAR) is sent to the UE, wherein the RAR is used as an acknowledgment for the WUS.

Images