Multicast broadcast service notification and operation in inactive state

Abstract

To provide a method of a multicast broadcast service (MBS) notification.SOLUTION: A signal transmission includes: a step of determining, by user equipment (UE), a paging occasion for monitoring a downlink control channel associated with one or a plurality of paging messages that include one or a plurality of MBSs related notifications associated with scheduling information for reception of MBS data; a step of receiving one or a plurality of MBS-related notifications based on monitoring a downlink control channel in a first paging occasion of one or the plurality of paging occasions; and a step of receiving the MBS data based on the one or the plurality of MBS-related notifications.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 188,905, filed May 14, 2021 (the "Provisional Patent Application"), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Background technology]

[0002] The present invention is directed to 5G, the fifth generation mobile network. This is the new global wireless standard that succeeds 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G enables networks designed to connect machines, objects, and devices.

[0003] The present invention is more particularly directed to Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) notification signaling by improving the notification and operation of Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS), for example, in Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive states. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for multicast broadcast service (MBS) notification signaling, comprising: determining, by a user equipment (UE), paging occasions for monitoring a downlink control channel associated with one or more paging messages including one or more MBS-related notifications associated with scheduling information for receiving MBS data; receiving the one or more MBS-related notifications based on monitoring the downlink control channel at a first one of the paging occasions; and receiving MBS data based on the one or more MBS-related notifications.

[0005] The one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS)-related notifications may indicate a start or end time or an activation or deactivation time of an MBS session, may indicate one or more MBS configuration parameters for receiving MBS data, or may indicate a change in the MBS configuration. Preferably, the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration parameters include a Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) configuration parameter. Moreover, the change in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration includes one or more of a change in a Multicast Control Channel (MCCH) configuration for receiving MBS data or a change in a Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) configuration. The one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS)-related notifications may include a version number or index associated with the MBS configuration, and the change in the MBS configuration may be based on a change in the version number or index.

[0006] The method may further include determining, by a user equipment (UE), a change in a multicast broadcast service (MBS) configuration based on the version number or index. In this case, the user equipment (UE) may be in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state or a radio resource control (RRC) idle state. The one or more paging messages may result from paging initiated from a core network (CN). The user equipment (UE) may be in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state. Moreover, the one or more paging messages may result from paging initiated from a radio access network (RAN).

[0007] The method may further include receiving a configuration parameter indicating a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI), wherein the downlink control channel is associated with the P-RNTI. Preferably, receiving the one or more paging messages is based on group paging. Furthermore, the one or more paging messages are received by one or more additional user equipment (UE), and the one or more additional UEs including the UE are scheduled to receive multicast broadcast service (MBS) data. The determination of the paging occasion may be based on a discontinuous reception (DRX) procedure or a user equipment (UE) identifier. In that case, the user equipment (UE) identifier may be a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI). Furthermore, the determination of the paging occasion may be based on an offset parameter received via a radio resource control (RRC) message or via a broadcast message.

[0008] The method may further include initiating a state transition in response to receiving one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS)-related notifications. In this case, the state transition may include transitioning from a Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state or an RRC idle state to an RRC connected state. Initiating the state transition may be based on one or more channel robustness conditions. The one or more channel robustness conditions may be based on received signal received power (RSRP) or received signal received quality (RSRQ) associated with one or more reference signals. The state transition may be based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection resumption procedure or an RRC connection establishment procedure. Preferably, the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS)-related notifications include a version number or index of the MBS configuration, and initiating the state transition is based on the version number or index. Initiating the state transition may be based on a version number or index that changes compared to a current version number or index.

[0009] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for receiving multicast broadcast service (MBS) data in an inactive state. The method includes determining, by a user equipment (UE), to transition from a radio resource control (RRC) connected state to an RRC inactive state; determining an MBS zone associated with MBS data reception in the RRC inactive state; and receiving the MBS data using first MBS configuration parameters while the UE is in the MBS zone. The multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone may include one or more radio access network (RAN) notification areas (RNAs). The method may further include receiving a radio resource control (RRC) release message, where the determining to transition from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state is based on the RRC release message. Moreover, the radio resource control (RRC) release message includes one or more information elements (IEs) indicating parameters related to the multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone. Preferably, the one or more information elements (IEs) indicate identifiers of one or more cells or one or more radio access network (RAN) notification areas (RNAs) associated with the multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone.

[0010] The method may further include transitioning from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to an RRC connected state in response to reselecting a cell that is not in a multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone, and may include receiving second multicast broadcast service (MBS) configuration parameters for MBS data reception in response to the transition from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state. The transition from the radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state may be based on a random access process. The first configuration parameters may be associated with the multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone. The method may further include receiving a radio resource control (RRC) release message including the first configuration parameters associated with the multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone.

[0011] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a user equipment (UE) having one or more processors and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the UE to determine a paging occasion for monitoring a downlink control channel associated with one or more paging messages including MBS-related notifications associated with scheduling information for reception of one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) data, receive one or more MBS-related notifications based on monitoring the downlink control channel at a first paging occasion of one or more of the paging occasions, and receive MBS data based on the one or more MBS-related notifications. The one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS)-related notifications may indicate a start time or end time, or an activation time or deactivation time, of an MBS session. The one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS)-related notifications may indicate one or more MBS configuration parameters for reception of the MBS data. The one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration parameters may include semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration parameters. One or more multicast broadcast service (MBS) related notifications may indicate a change in the MBS configuration.

[0012] Preferably, the change in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration includes one or more of a change in a Multicast Control Channel (MCCH) configuration for MBS data reception or a change in a Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) configuration. Preferably, the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS)-related notifications include a version number or index associated with the MBS configuration, and the change in the MBS configuration is based on the change in the version number or index. The instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the UE to determine the change in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration based on the version number or index. Preferably, the UE is in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Connected state, but may be in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) Idle state.

[0013] The one or more paging messages may result from paging initiated from a core network (CN). The one or more paging messages may result from paging initiated from a radio access network (RAN). Preferably, the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the UE to receive a configuration parameter indicating a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI), wherein the downlink control channel is associated with the P-RNTI. Receiving the one or more paging messages may be based on group paging. Moreover, the one or more paging messages may be received by one or more additional user equipment (UE), and the one or more additional UEs including the UE are scheduled to receive multicast broadcast service (MBS) data. The determination of the paging occasion may be based on a discontinuous reception (DRX) procedure. The determination of the paging occasion may be based on a user equipment (UE) identifier. The UE identifier may be a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI). The determination of the paging occasion may be based on an offset parameter received via a radio resource control (RRC) message or via a broadcast message. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example of a system for mobile communications according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A] 1 illustrates example wireless communication protocol stacks for a user plane and a control plane, respectively, in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] 1 illustrates example wireless communication protocol stacks for a user plane and a control plane, respectively, in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] 1 illustrates an example of mapping between logical channels and transport channels in each of the downlink, uplink, and sidelink according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] 1 illustrates an example of mapping between logical channels and transport channels in each of the downlink, uplink, and sidelink according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3C] 1 illustrates an example of mapping between logical channels and transport channels in each of the downlink, uplink, and sidelink according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4A] 1 illustrates an example of mapping between transport channels and physical channels in each of the downlink, uplink, and sidelink according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] 1 illustrates an example of mapping between transport channels and physical channels in each of the downlink, uplink, and sidelink according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4C]1 illustrates an example of mapping between transport channels and physical channels in each of the downlink, uplink, and sidelink according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5A] 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communication protocol stack for NR sidelink communication according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5B] 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communication protocol stack for NR sidelink communication according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5C] 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communication protocol stack for NR sidelink communication according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5D] 1 illustrates an example of a wireless communication protocol stack for NR sidelink communication according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates examples of physical signals in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates examples of radio resource control (RRC) states and transitions between different RRC states according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates an example of a frame structure and physical resources according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates examples of component carrier configurations in different carrier aggregation scenarios according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 1 illustrates bandwidth portion configuration and switching according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 11]1 illustrates an example of a four-step contention-based and contention-free random access process according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] 1 illustrates an example of a two-step contention-based and contention-free random access process according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] 1 illustrates an example of a time-frequency structure of a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB) according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 14] 1 illustrates an example of an SSB burst transmission according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 15] 1 illustrates example components of a user equipment and a base station for transmission and / or reception according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 16] 10 illustrates an example of MBS group notification / paging for session start / end or MBS configuration change according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] 1 illustrates an example of a channel robustness-based group page response and selective MBS configuration according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 18] 1 illustrates an example of a process according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 19] 1 illustrates an example of a process according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 20] 1 illustrates an example of a process according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 21] 1 illustrates an example of MBS zone-based MBS data reception according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] 1 illustrates an example of a mobile communication system 100 according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The mobile communication system 100 may be operated by a wireless communication system operator, such as a mobile network operator (MNO), a private network operator, a multiple system operator (MSO), an Internet of Things (IoT) network operator, etc., and may provide services such as voice, data (e.g., wireless Internet access), messaging, vehicular communication services such as vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication services, safety services, mission-critical services, IoT, Industrial IoT (IIOT), and other services in residential, commercial, or industrial environments.

[0016] The mobile communication system 100 may enable various types of applications with different requirements regarding delay, reliability, throughput, etc. Examples of supported applications include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC). eMBB may support stable connections at high peak data rates, as well as moderate rates for cell-edge users. URLLC may support applications with stringent requirements regarding delay and reliability, and moderate requirements regarding data rates. An example of an mMTC application includes a network of countless IoT devices that are only sporadically active and send only small data payloads.

[0017] The mobile communication system 100 may include a radio access network (RAN) portion and a core network portion. The example shown in FIG. 1 describes a Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN) 105 and a 5G Core Network (5GC) 110 as examples of the RAN and core network, respectively. Other examples of the RAN and core network may be implemented without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Other examples of the RAN include an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (EUTRAN), a universal terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), etc. Other examples of the core network include an evolved packet core (EPC), a UMTS core network (UCN), etc. The RAN implements a radio access technology (RAT) and resides between the user equipment (UE) 125 and the core network. Examples of such RATs include New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), also known as evolved universal terrestrial radio access (EUTRA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), etc. The RAT of the exemplary mobile communication system 100 may be NR. The core network exists between the RAN and one or more external networks (e.g., data networks) and is responsible for functions such as mobility management, authentication, session management, bearer setup, and applications with different quality of service (QoS). The functional layer between the UE (125) and the RAN (e.g., NG-RAN (105)) may be referred to as the access stratum (AS), and the functional layer between the UE (125) and the core network (e.g., 5GC (110)) may be referred to as the non-access stratum (NAS).

[0018] The UE (125) may include wireless transmission and reception means for communicating with one or more nodes in a RAN, one or more relay nodes, or one or more other UEs, etc. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, wireless transmitting and / or receiving units in vehicles, V2X or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) devices, wireless sensors, IoT devices, IIOT devices, etc. Other names may be used for the UE, such as mobile station (MS), terminal equipment, terminal node, client device, mobile equipment, etc.

[0019] The RAN may include nodes (e.g., base stations) for communication with UEs. For example, the NG-RAN (105) of the mobile communication system (100) may include nodes for communication with UEs (125). Different names for RAN nodes may be used depending on, for example, the RAT used in the RAN. A RAN node may be referred to as a Node B (NB) in a RAN using the UMTS RAT. A RAN node may be referred to as an evolved Node B (eNB) in a RAN using the LTE / EUTRA RAT. For the illustrative example of the mobile communication system (100) in FIG. 1, the node of the NG-RAN (105) may be either a Next Generation Node B (gNB) (115) or a Next Generation Evolved Node B (ng-eNB) (120). In this specification, the terms base station, RAN node, gNB, and ng-eNB may be used interchangeably. The gNB (115) may provide NR user plane and control plane protocol termination for the UE (125). The ng-eNB (120) may provide E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol termination for the UE (125). The interface between the gNB (115) and the UE (125), or between the ng-eNB (120) and the UE (125), may be referred to as a Uu interface. The Uu interface may be established by a user plane protocol stack and a control plane protocol stack. For the Uu interface, the direction from the base station (e.g., the gNB (115) or the ng-eNB (120)) to the UE (125) may be referred to as a downlink, and the direction from the UE (125) to the base station (e.g., the gNB (115) or the ng-eNB (120)) may be referred to as an uplink.

[0020] The gNB (115) and the ng-eNB (120) may be interconnected with each other by an Xn interface. The Xn interface may include an Xn user plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. The transport network layer of the Xn-U interface may be built on Internet Protocol (IP) transport, and GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) may be used on top of User Datagram Protocol (UDP) / IP to carry user plane protocol data units (PDUs). Xn-U may provide non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and may support data forwarding and flow control. The transport network layer of the Xn-C interface may be built on Stream Control Transport Protocol (SCTP) over IP. The application layer signaling protocol may be referred to as XnAP (Xn Application Protocol). The SCTP layer may provide guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. At the transport IP layer, point-to-point transmission may be used to deliver signaling PDUs. The Xn-C interface may support Xn interface management, UE mobility management including context transfer and RAN paging, and dual connectivity.

[0021] The gNB (115) and ng-eNB (120) may also be connected to the 5GC (110) via an NG interface, more specifically to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) (130) of the 5GC (110) via an NG-C interface, and to the User Plane Function (UPF) (135) of the 5GC (110) via an NG-U interface. The transport network layer of the NG-U interface may be built on IP transport, and the GTP protocol over UDP / IP may be used to carry user plane PDUs between the NG-RAN node (e.g., the gNB (115) or the ng-eNB (120)) and the UPF (135). The NG-U may provide non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs between the NG-RAN node and the UPF. The transport network layer of the NG-C interface may be built on IP transport. SCTP may be added on top of IP for reliable transmission of signaling messages. The application layer signaling protocol may be referred to as the NGAP (NG Application Protocol). The SCTP layer may provide guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. For transport, IP layer point-to-point transmission may be used to deliver signaling PDUs. The NG-C interface may provide the following functions: NG interface management, UE context management, UE mobility management, forwarding of NAS messages, paging, PDU session management, configuration forwarding, and alert message transmission.

[0022] The gNB (115) or ng-eNB (120) performs the following functions: radio bearer control, radio admission control, connection mobility control, radio resource management functions such as dynamic allocation of resources (e.g., scheduling) to UEs in both uplink and downlink, IP and Ethernet header compression, encryption, and integrity protection of data, selection of AMF at UE attachment when routing to the AMF cannot be determined from information provided by the UE, routing of user plane data to the UPF, routing of control plane information to the AMF, connection setup and release, scheduling and transmission of paging messages, system block. The 5G LTE-R may host one or more of the following: scheduling and transmission of broadcast information (e.g., derived from AMF), measurement and measurement reporting configuration for mobility and scheduling, transport level packet marking in the uplink, session management, support for network slicing, QoS flow management and mapping to data radio bearers, support for UEs in RRC inactive state, delivery functions for NAS messages, radio access network sharing, dual connectivity, close interaction between NR and E-UTRA, and maintaining security and radio configuration for user plane 5G system (5GS) cellular IoT (CIoT) optimization.

[0023] The AMF (130) may host one or more of the following functions: NAS signaling termination, NAS signaling security, AS security control, CN inter-node signaling for mobility between 3GPP access networks, idle mode UE reachability (including control and execution of paging retransmissions), registration area management, support for intra-system and inter-system mobility, access authentication, access authentication including verification of roaming rights, mobility management control (subscription and policy), support for network slicing, Session Management Function (SMF) selection, 5GS CIoT optimization selection.

[0024] The UPF (135) may host one or more of the following functions: anchor point for intra-RAT / inter-RAT mobility (if applicable), external PDU session point of interconnection to the data network, packet routing and forwarding, user plane part of packet inspection and policy rule enforcement, traffic usage reporting, uplink classifier supporting routing of traffic flows to the data network, branching point to support multi-homed PDU sessions, QoS processing for the user plane, e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement, uplink traffic validation (mapping of Service Data Flow (SDF) to QoS flow), downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the NG-RAN (105) may support a PC5 interface between two UEs (125) (e.g., UE (125A) and UE (125B)). In the PC5 interface, the direction of communication between the two UEs (e.g., from UE (125A) to UE (125B) or vice versa) may be referred to as a sidelink. Sidelink transmission and reception over the PC5 interface may be supported when the UE (125) is within NG-RAN (105) coverage and when the UE (125) is outside NG-RAN (105) coverage, regardless of which RRC state the UE is in. Support for V2X services over the PC5 interface may be provided by NR sidelink communication and / or V2X sidelink communication.

[0026] PC5-S signaling may be used for unicast link establishment with direct communication request / accept messages. A UE may self-assign a source Layer-2 ID for a PC5 unicast link, for example, based on the V2X service type. During the unicast link establishment procedure, a UE may send its source Layer-2 ID for the PC5 unicast link to a peer UE, e.g., the UE from which the destination ID was received from a higher layer. The source Layer-2 ID and destination Layer-2 ID pair may uniquely identify the unicast link. The receiving UE may verify that the destination ID belongs to it and accept the unicast link establishment request from the source UE. During the PC5 unicast link establishment procedure, PC5-RRC procedures on the access stratum may be invoked for UE sidelink context establishment purposes, as well as for AS layer configuration, capability exchange, etc. PC5-RRC signaling may enable UE capability exchange and AS layer configuration, such as sidelink radio bearer configuration, between the pair of UEs between which the PC5 unicast link is established.

[0027] NR sidelink communication may support one of three types of transmission modes (e.g., unicast transmission, groupcast transmission, and broadcast transmission) for a pair of source Layer-2 ID and destination Layer-2 ID in an AS. The unicast transmission mode may be characterized by supporting one PC5-RRC connection between peer UEs for the pair, transmitting and receiving control information and user traffic between peer UEs on the sidelink, supporting sidelink HARQ feedback, supporting sidelink transmit power control, supporting RLC acknowledged mode (AM), and detecting radio link failures for the PC5-RRC connection. The groupcast transmission may be characterized by transmitting and receiving user traffic between UEs belonging to a group on the sidelink and supporting sidelink HARQ feedback. The broadcast transmission may be characterized by transmitting and receiving user traffic between UEs on the sidelink.

[0028] NR sidelink communications may use a source Layer-2 ID, a destination Layer-2 ID, and a PC5 link identifier. The source Layer-2 ID may be a link layer identifier that identifies the device or group of devices that is the recipient of the sidelink communication frame. The destination Layer-2 ID may be a link layer identifier that identifies the device that originates the sidelink communication frame. In some examples, the source Layer-2 ID and the destination Layer-2 ID may be assigned by a management function in the core network. The source Layer-2 ID may identify the source of data in NR sidelink communications. The source Layer-2 ID may be 24 bits long and may be split into two bit strings at the MAC layer. One bit string may be the least significant bit (8 bits) of the source Layer-2 ID and may be forwarded to the sender's physical layer. This may identify the intended source of data in the sidelink control information and may be used for packet filtering at the receiver's physical layer. The second bit string may be the MSB portion (16 bits) of the source Layer-2 ID and may be carried in a Medium Access Control (MAC) header. This may be used for packet filtering at the receiver's MAC layer. The destination Layer-2 ID may identify the target of the data in NR sidelink communication. For NR sidelink communication, the destination Layer-2 ID may be 24 bits long and may be split into two bit strings at the MAC layer: one bit string may be the LSB portion (16 bits) of the destination Layer-2 ID and may be forwarded to the sender's physical layer. This may identify the intended target of the data in the sidelink control information and may be used for packet filtering at the receiver's physical layer. The second bit string may be the MSB portion (8 bits) of the destination Layer-2 ID and may be carried in a MAC header. This may be used for packet filtering at the receiver's MAC layer. The PC5 link identifier may uniquely identify a PC5 unicast link within the UE for the lifetime of the PC5 unicast link. The PC5 link identifier may be used to indicate the PC5 unicast link for which the sidelink radio link failure (RLF) declaration was made and the PC5-RRC connection was released.

[0029] 2A and 2B show example radio protocol stacks for the user plane and control plane, respectively, according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2A, the protocol stack for the user plane of the Uu interface (between the UE (125) and the gNB (115)) includes a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) (201) and an SDAP (211), a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) (202) and a PDCP (212), a Radio Link Control (RLC) (203) and an RLC (213), a MAC (204) and a MAC (214), and sublayers of Layer-2 and a Physical (PHY) (205) and a PHY (215) layer (Layer 1 is also referred to as L1).

[0030] The PHY (205) and PHY (215) provide transport channels (244) to the MAC (204) and MAC (214) sublayers. The MAC (204) and MAC (214) sublayers provide logical channels (243) to the RLC (203) and RLC (213) sublayers. The RLC (203) and RLC (213) sublayers provide RLC channels (242) to the PDCP (202) and PCP (212) sublayers. The PDCP (202) and PDCP (212) sublayers provide radio bearers (241) to the SDAP (201) and SDAP (211) sublayers. Radio bearers can be categorized into two groups: data radio bearers (DRBs) for user plane data and signaling radio bearers (SRBs) for control plane data. The SDAP (201) and SDAP (211) sublayers provide QoS flows (240) to the 5GC.

[0031] The main services and functions of the MAC (204) or MAC (214) sublayer include mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing / demultiplexing of MAC service data units (SDUs) belonging to one or different logical channels to / from transport blocks (TBs) passed to / from the physical layer on transport channels, scheduling information reporting, error correction via Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) (one HARQ entity per cell in the case of carrier aggregation (CA)), priority handling between UEs via dynamic scheduling, priority handling between logical channels of one UE via Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP), priority handling between overlapping resources of one UE, and padding. A single MAC entity may support multiple numerologies, transmission timings, and cells. Mapping restrictions in logical channel prioritization control which numerologies, cells, and transmission timings a logical channel may use.

[0032] The HARQ function may ensure delivery between peer entities at Layer 1. If the physical layer is not configured for downlink / uplink spatial multiplexing, a single HARQ process may support one TB, and if the physical layer is configured for downlink / uplink spatial multiplexing, a single HARQ process may support one or more TBs.

[0033] The RLC (203) or RLC (213) sublayer may support three transmission modes: transparent mode (TM), unacknowledged mode (UM), and acknowledged mode (AM). RLC configuration may be per logical channel independent of numerology and / or transmission time, and automatic repeat request (ARQ) may operate with either the numerology and / or transmission time for which the logical channel is configured.

[0034] The main services and functions of the RLC (203) or RLC (213) sublayer depend on the transmission mode (e.g., TM, UM, or AM) and may include forwarding of PDUs from higher layers, sequence numbers independent of PDCP sequence numbers (UM and AM), error correction via ARQ (AM only), segmentation (AM and UM) and resegmentation (AM only) of RLC SDUs, reassembly of SDUs (AM and UM), duplicate detection (AM only), RLC SDU discard (AM and UM), RLC re-establishment, and protocol error detection (AM only).

[0035] An automatic repeat request in the RLC (203) or RLC (213) sublayer may have the following properties: ARQ retransmits RLC SDUs or RLC SDU segments based on an RLC status report; polling for RLC status notification may be used if required by RLC; the RLC receiver may also trigger an RLC status notification after detecting a missing RLC SDU or RLC SDU segment.

[0036] The main services and functions of the PDCP (202) or PDCP (212) sublayer may include forwarding of data (user plane or control plane), maintaining the PDCP sequence number (SN), header compression and decompression using the Robust Header Compression (ROHC) protocol, header compression and decompression using the EHC protocol, encryption and decryption, integrity protection and integrity verification, timer-based SDU discard, split bearer routing, duplication, reordering and in-order delivery, out-of-order delivery, and duplicate discard.

[0037] The main services and functions of the SDAP (201) or SDAP (211) may include mapping between QoS flows and data radio bearers, and marking QoS Flow IDs (QFIs) in both downlink and uplink packets. A single protocol entity of the SDAP may be configured for each individual PDU session.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2B, the protocol stack of the control plane of the Uu interface (between the UE (125) and the gNB (115)) includes, as described above, a PHY layer (Layer 1), MAC, RLC, and PDCP sublayers of Layer 2, and further includes an RRC (206) sublayer and an RRC (216) sublayer. The main services and functions of the RRC (206) sublayer and the RRC (216) sublayer on the Uu interface are broadcasting system information related to AS and NAS, paging initiated by 5GC or NG-RAN, and establishing, maintaining, and releasing an RRC connection between the UE and the NG-RAN (including adding, changing, and releasing carrier aggregation, and adding, changing, and releasing dual connectivity between NR or E-UTRA and NR). It includes security functions including key management, establishment, configuration, maintenance and release of SRBs and DRBs, mobility functions (including handover and context transfer; UE cell selection and reselection and control of cell selection and reselection; and inter-RAT mobility), QoS management functions, UE measurement reporting and control of reporting, radio link failure detection and recovery, and NAS message transfer to and from the NAS to the UE. The NAS (207) and NAS (227) layers are control protocols (terminated in the AMF on the network side) that perform functions such as authentication, mobility management, security control, etc.

[0039] Sidelink-specific services and functions of the RRC sublayer over the Uu interface may include configuration of sidelink resource allocation via system information or dedicated signaling, reporting of UE sidelink information, sidelink-related measurement configuration and reporting, and reporting of UE assistance information for SL traffic patterns.

[0040] 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate example mappings between logical channels and transport channels in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink, respectively, according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Different types of data transfer services may be provided by the MAC. Each logical channel type may be defined according to the type of information transferred. Logical channels may be classified into two groups: control channels and traffic channels. Control channels may be used only for the transfer of control plane information. The Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) is a downlink channel for broadcasting system control information. The Paging Control Channel (PCCH) is a downlink channel for carrying paging messages. The Common Control Channel (CCCH) is a channel for transmitting control information between a UE and a network. This channel may be used for UEs that do not have an RRC connection with the network. The Dedicated Control Channel (DCCH) is a point-to-point bidirectional channel that transmits dedicated control information between a UE and a network and may be used by UEs that have an RRC connection. Traffic channels may be used only for the transfer of user plane information. A dedicated traffic channel (DTCH) is a point-to-point channel dedicated to one UE for transferring user information. DTCHs can exist in both the uplink and downlink. A sidelink control channel (SCCH) is a sidelink channel for transmitting control information (e.g., PC5-RRC messages and PC5-S messages) from one UE to another. A sidelink traffic channel (STCH) is a sidelink channel for transmitting user information from one UE to another. A sidelink broadcast control channel (SBCCH) is a sidelink channel for broadcasting sidelink system information from one UE to other UEs.

[0041] Downlink transport channel types include the Broadcast Channel (BCH), the Downlink Shared Channel (DL-SCH), and the Paging Channel (PCH). The BCH may be characterized by a fixed, predefined transport format and the requirement that it be broadcast throughout the cell's coverage area either as a single message or by beamforming different BCH instances. The DL-SCH may be characterized by support for HARQ, support for dynamic link adaptation by varying modulation, coding, and transmit power, the possibility of being broadcast throughout the cell, the possibility of using beamforming, support for both dynamic and semi-static resource allocation, and support for UE discontinuous reception (DRX) to enable UE power savings. The DL-SCH may be characterized by support for HARQ, support for dynamic link adaptation by varying modulation, coding, and transmit power, the possibility of being broadcast throughout the cell, the possibility of using beamforming, support for both dynamic and semi-static resource allocation, and support for UE discontinuous reception (DRX) to enable UE power savings. The PCH may be characterized by support for UE discontinuous reception (DRX) to enable UE power saving (DRX cycle indicated to the UE by the network), a requirement to be broadcast throughout the coverage area of ​​the cell either as a single message or by beamforming different PCH instances, and a mapping to physical resources that can also be dynamically used for traffic / other control channels.

[0042] In the downlink, the following connections may exist between logical channels and transport channels: BCCH may be mapped to BCH, BCCH may be mapped to DL-SCH, PCCH may be mapped to PCH, CCCH may be mapped to DL-SCH, DCCH may be mapped to DL-SCH, DTCH may be mapped to DL-SCH.

[0043] Uplink transport channel types include the Uplink Shared Channel (UL-SCH) and the Random Access Channel (RACH). The UL-SCH may be characterized by the possibility of using beamforming, support for dynamic link adaptation by varying transmit power and potentially modulation and coding, support for HARQ, and support for both dynamic and semi-static resource allocation. The RACH may be characterized by limited control information and collision risk.

[0044] In the uplink, the following connections may exist between logical channels and transport channels: CCCH may be mapped to UL-SCH, DCCH may be mapped to UL-SCH, and DTCH may be mapped to UL-SCH.

[0045] Sidelink transport channel types include a Sidelink Broadcast Channel (SL-BCH) and a Sidelink Shared Channel (SL-SCH). The SL-BCH may be characterized by a predefined transport format. The SL-SCH may be characterized by support for unicast, groupcast, and broadcast transmissions, support for both UE autonomous resource selection and scheduled resource allocation by the NG-RAN, support for both dynamic and semi-static resource allocation when the UE is assigned resources by the NG-RAN, support for HARQ, and support for dynamic link adaptation by varying transmit power, modulation, and coding.

[0046] In the sidelink, the following connections may exist between logical channels and transport channels: SCCH may be mapped to SL-SCH, STCH may be mapped to SL-SCH, and SBCCH may be mapped to SL-BCH.

[0047] 4A, 4B, and 4C illustrate examples of mapping between transport channels and physical channels in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink, respectively, according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Physical channels in the downlink include a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH). The PCH and DL-SCH transport channels are mapped to the PDSCH. The BCH transport channel is mapped to the PBCH. Transport channels are not mapped to the PDCCH, and downlink control information (DCI) is transmitted via the PDCCH.

[0048] Physical channels in the uplink include the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). The UL-SCH transport channel may be mapped to the PUSCH, and the RACH transport channel may be mapped to the PRACH. The transport channels are not mapped to the PUCCH, and uplink control information (UCI) is transmitted via the PUCCH.

[0049] The sidelink physical channels include the Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH), the Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), the Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH), and the Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH). The Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) may indicate the resources and other transmission parameters used by the UE for the PSSCH. The Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) may transmit TBs of the data itself as well as control information such as HARQ procedures and CSI feedback triggers. At least six OFDM symbols in one slot may be used for PSSCH transmission. The Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH) may carry HARQ feedback over the sidelink from the UE that is the intended recipient of the PSSCH transmission to the UE that performed the transmission. The PSFCH sequence may be transmitted in one PRB repeated across two OFDM symbols near the edge of the sidelink resources in the slot. The SL-SCH transport channel may be mapped to the PSSCH. The SL-BCH may be mapped to the PSBCH. Transport channels are not mapped to the PSFCH, but sidelink feedback control information (SFCI) may be mapped to the PSFCH. Transport channels are not mapped to the PSCCH, but sidelink control information (SCI) may be mapped to the PSCCH.

[0050] 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D illustrate example wireless communication protocol stacks for NR sidelink communication according to various aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The AS protocol stack for the user plane at the PC5 interface (i.e., for the STCH) may consist of the SDAP, PDCP, RLC, and MAC sublayers, and a physical layer. The user plane protocol stack is shown in FIG. 5A. The AS protocol stack for the SBCCH at the PC5 interface may consist of the RRC, RLC, MAC sublayers, and a physical layer, as shown below in FIG. 5B. To support the PC5-S protocol, PC5-S is placed above the PDCP, RLC, and MAC sublayers, and a physical layer in the control plane protocol stack for the SCCH for PC5-S, as shown in FIG. 5C. The AS protocol stack for the control plane for the SCCH for RRC at the PC5 interface consists of the RRC, PDCP, RLC, and MAC sublayers, and a physical layer. The control plane protocol stack for the SCCH for RRC is shown in FIG. 5D.

[0051] Sidelink Radio Bearers (SLRBs) can be classified into two groups: Sidelink Data Radio Bearers (SL DRBs) for user plane data and Sidelink Signaling Radio Bearers (SL SRBs) for control plane data. Separate SL SRBs using different SCCHs can be configured for PC5-RRC and PC5-S signaling, respectively.

[0052] The MAC sublayer may provide the following services and functions over the PC5 interface: radio resource selection, packet filtering, priority handling between uplink and sidelink transmissions for a given UE, and sidelink CSI reporting. Due to the restriction of logical channel prioritization in the MAC, only sidelink logical channels belonging to the same destination may be multiplexed into a MAC PDU for each unicast, groupcast, and broadcast transmission that may be associated with the destination. For packet filtering, an SL-SCH MAC header containing both the source Layer-2 ID and the destination Layer-2 ID portion may be added to the MAC PDU. The logical channel identifier (LCID) included in the MAC subheader may uniquely identify a logical channel within the combination of the source Layer-2 ID and the destination Layer-2 ID.

[0053] The services and functions of the RLC sublayer may be supported for the sidelink. Both RLC unacknowledged mode (UM) and acknowledged mode (AM) may be used for unicast transmission, while only UM may be used for groupcast or broadcast transmission. In the case of UM, only one-way transmission may be supported for groupcast and broadcast.

[0054] The services and functions of the PDCP sublayer for the Uu interface may be supported for the sidelink with some restrictions: out-of-order delivery may only be supported for unicast transmission, and duplication may not be supported over the PC5 interface.

[0055] The SDAP sublayer may provide the following services and functions over the PC5 interface: mapping between QoS flows and sidelink data radio bearers. There may be one SDAP entity per destination for one of unicast, groupcast, and broadcast associated with the destination.

[0056] The RRC sublayer may provide the following services and functions over the PC5 interface: transfer of PC5-RRC messages between peer UEs, maintenance and release of PC5-RRC connections between two UEs, and detection of sidelink radio link failures for PC5-RRC connections based on instructions from MAC or RLC. A PC5-RRC connection may be a logical connection between two UEs for a pair of source and destination Layer-2 IDs that can be considered established after a corresponding PC5 unicast link is established. There may be a one-to-one correspondence between PC5-RRC connections and PC5 unicast links. A UE may have multiple PC5-RRC connections with one or more UEs for different pairs of source and destination Layer-2 IDs. Separate PC5-RRC procedures and messages may be used by the UE to transfer UE capabilities and sidelink configurations, including SL-DRB configurations, to a peer UE. Both peer UEs may exchange their UE capabilities and sidelink configurations using separate bidirectional procedures in both sidelink directions.

[0057] FIG. 6 illustrates examples of physical signals in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. A demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) may be used in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink for channel estimation. The DM-RS is a UE-specific reference signal that may be transmitted along with a downlink, uplink, or sidelink physical channel for channel estimation and coherent detection of the physical channel. A phase tracking reference signal (PT-RS) may be used in the downlink, uplink, and sidelink for tracking phase and mitigating performance loss due to phase noise. The PT-RS may be primarily used to estimate and minimize the impact of common phase error (CPE) on system performance. Due to phase noise characteristics, the PT-RS signal may have low density in the frequency domain and high density in the time domain. The PT-RS may occur when configured to exist in a network in combination with the DM-RS. A positioning reference signal (PRS) may be used in the downlink for positioning using different positioning techniques. The PRS may be used to measure the delay of downlink transmissions by correlating the received signal from the base station with a local replica in the receiver. A channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) may be used in the downlink and sidelink. The CSI-RS may be used for, among other things, channel state estimation, reference signal received power (RSRP) measurement for mobility and beam management, and time / frequency tracking for demodulation. The CSI-RS may be configured UE-specific, but multiple users may share the same CSI-RS resource. The UE may determine CSI reports and transmit them to the base station in the uplink using the PUCCH or PUSCH. The CSI reports may be carried in the sidelink MAC CE. The primary synchronization signal (PSS) and secondary synchronization signal (SSS) may be used for radio frame synchronization. The PSS and SSS may be used for cell search procedures during initial attach or for mobility purposes.A sounding reference signal (SRS) may be used in the uplink for uplink channel estimation. Similar to CSI-RS, the SRS may serve as a QCL reference for other physical channels, such that they may be configured to be transmitted quasi-colocated with the SRS. Sidelink PSS (S-PSS) and sidelink SSS (S-SSS) may be used in the sidelink for sidelink synchronization.

[0058] 7 illustrates examples of radio resource control (RRC) states and transitions between different RRC states according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. A UE may be in one of three RRC states: an RRC connected state (710), an RRC idle state (720), and an RRC inactive state (730). After power-on, the UE may be in the RRC idle state (720), and the UE may establish a connection with the network via an RRC connection establishment procedure using initial access to perform data transfer and / or voice calls. Once the RRC connection is established, the UE may enter the RRC connected state (710). The UE may transition from the RRC idle state (720) to the RRC connected state (710) or from the RRC connected state (710) to the RRC idle state (720) using an RRC connection establishment / release procedure (740).

[0059] The RRC inactive state (730) may be used to reduce signaling load and delays resulting from frequent transitions from the RRC connected state (710) to the RRC idle state (720) when the UE transmits frequent small data. In the RRC inactive state (730), the AS context may be stored by both the UE and the gNB. This may result in a faster state transition from the RRC inactive state (730) to the RRC connected state (710). The UE may transition from the RRC inactive state (730) to the RRC connected state (710) or from the RRC connected state (710) to the RRC inactive state (730) using an RRC connection resumption / deactivation procedure (760). The UE may transition from the RRC inactive state (730) to the RRC idle state (720) using an RRC connection release procedure (750).

[0060] FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a frame structure and physical resources according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Downlink, uplink, or sidelink transmissions may be organized into frames with a 10 ms duration consisting of ten 1 ms subframes. Each subframe may consist of 1, 2, 4, ... slots, and the number of slots per subframe may depend on the subcarrier spacing of the carrier on which the transmission occurs. The slot duration may be 14 symbols with a normal cyclic prefix (CP) or 12 symbols with an extended CP, and may scale in time as a function of the subcarrier spacing used so that there are an integer number of slots in a subframe. FIG. 8 illustrates a resource grid in the time and frequency domains. Each element of the resource grid, which contains one symbol in time and one subcarrier in frequency, is referred to as a resource element (RE). A resource block (RB) may be defined as 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain.

[0061] In some examples, with non-slot-based scheduling, packet transmission may occur over a portion of a slot, e.g., 2, 4, or 7 OFDM symbols, which may also be referred to as a minislot. Minislots may be used for low-latency applications such as URLLC and operation in unlicensed bands. In some embodiments, minislots may also be used for fast flexible scheduling of services (e.g., preemption of URLLC for eMBB).

[0062] FIG. 9 illustrates example component carrier configurations in different carrier aggregation scenarios according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In carrier aggregation (CA), two or more component carriers (CCs) may be aggregated. A UE may simultaneously receive or transmit on one or more CCs depending on its capabilities. CA may be supported for both contiguous and non-contiguous CCs in the same band or different bands, as shown in FIG. 9. The gNB and UE may communicate using a serving cell. The serving cell may be associated with at least one downlink CC (e.g., may be associated with only one downlink CC or may be associated with a downlink CC and an uplink CC). The serving cell may be a primary cell (PCell) or a secondary cell (SCell).

[0063] The UE may adjust the timing of its uplink transmission using an uplink timing control procedure. A timing advance (TA) may be used to adjust the uplink frame timing relative to the downlink frame timing. The gNB may determine a desired timing advance setting and provide it to the UE. The UE may use the provided TA to determine its uplink transmission timing relative to the UE's observed downlink receive timing.

[0064] In the RRC connected state, the gNB may be responsible for maintaining the timing advance to keep L1 synchronized. Serving cells with uplinks to which the same timing advance applies and that use the same timing reference cell are grouped into a timing advance group (TAG). A TAG may contain at least one serving cell with a configured uplink. The mapping of serving cells to TAGs may be configured by RRC. For a primary TAG, the UE may use the PCell as the timing reference cell, except for shared spectrum channel access, where an SCell may also be used as the timing reference cell in some cases. For a secondary TAG, the UE may use any of the activated SCells of this TAG as the timing reference cell and may not change it unless necessary.

[0065] A timing advance update may be signaled by the gNB to the UE via a MAC CE command. Such a command may restart a TAG-specific timer that may indicate whether L1 can be synchronized; when the timer is running, L1 may be considered synchronized; otherwise, L1 may be considered unsynchronized (uplink transmissions may only occur on the PRACH in this case).

[0066] A UE with single timing advance capability for CA may simultaneously receive and / or transmit multiple CCs corresponding to multiple serving cells (multiple serving cells grouped into one TAG) that share the same timing advance. A UE with multiple timing advance capability for CA may simultaneously receive and / or transmit multiple CCs corresponding to multiple serving cells (multiple serving cells grouped into multiple TAGs) with different timing advances. NG-RAN may ensure that each TAG contains at least one serving cell. A non-CA-capable UE may receive on a single CC and transmit on a single CC corresponding to only one serving cell (one serving cell in one TAG).

[0067] The multi-carrier characteristics of the physical layer in case of CA may be exposed to the MAC layer, and one HARQ entity may be required per serving cell. When CA is configured, the UE may have one RRC connection with the network. In RRC connection establishment / re-establishment / handover, one serving cell (e.g., PCell) may provide NAS mobility information. Depending on the UE capabilities, the SCell may be configured to form a set of serving cells together with the PCell. The set of serving cells configured for the UE may consist of one PCell and one or more SCells. Reconfiguration, addition, and deletion of SCells may be performed by RRC.

[0068] In a dual connectivity scenario, a UE may be configured with multiple cells including a Master Cell Group (MCG) for communicating with a master base station, a Secondary Cell Group (SCG) for communicating with a secondary base station, and two MAC entities, one for the MCG for communicating with the master base station and one for the SCG for communicating with the secondary base station.

[0069] FIG. 10 illustrates bandwidth portion configuration and switching according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. A UE may be configured with one or more bandwidth portions (BWPs) (1010) in a given component carrier. In some examples, one of the one or more bandwidth portions may be activated at a time. The active bandwidth portion may define the UE's operating bandwidth within the cell's operating bandwidth. For initial access, an initial bandwidth portion (1020) determined from system information may be used until the UE's configuration within the cell is received. For example, in bandwidth adaptation (BA) via BWP switching (1040), the UE's reception and transmission bandwidths may not be as large as the cell's bandwidth and may be adjusted. For example, the widths may be ordered to vary (e.g., shrink during periods of low activity to save power). The locations may move in the frequency domain (e.g., to increase scheduling flexibility). The subcarrier spacing may be ordered to vary (e.g., enable different services). The first active BWP (1020) may be the active BWP at the time of RRC (re)configuration of the PCell or activation of the SCell.

[0070] For a downlink BWP or an uplink BWP in a set of downlink or uplink BWPs, the UE may be provided with the following configuration parameters: subcarrier spacing (SCS), cyclic prefix, common RBs and a number of consecutive RBs, an index within the set of downlink or uplink BWPs by the respective BWP-Id, a set of BWP common parameters and a set of BWP-specific parameters. A BWP may be associated with an OFDM numerology according to the subcarrier spacing and cyclic prefix configured for the BWP. For the serving cell, the UE may be provided with a default downlink BWP among the configured downlink BWPs. If the UE is not provided with a default downlink BWP, the default downlink BWP may be the initial downlink BWP.

[0071] A downlink BWP may be associated with a BWP inactivity timer. If a BWP inactivity timer associated with an active downlink BWP expires and a default downlink BWP is configured, the UE may perform a BWP switch to the default BWP. If a BWP inactivity timer associated with an active downlink BWP expires and a default downlink BWP is not configured, the UE may perform a BWP switch to an initial downlink BWP.

[0072] 11 illustrates an example of a four-step contention-based and contention-free random access process according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 12 illustrates an example of a two-step contention-based and contention-free random access process according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The random access procedure may be triggered by several events, such as initial access from an RRC idle state, an RRC connection re-establishment procedure, downlink or uplink data arrival during an RRC connected state when the uplink synchronization state is "unsynchronized," uplink data arrival during an RRC connected state when there are no PUCCH resources available for a scheduling request (SR), an SR failure, a request by RRC upon synchronization reconfiguration (e.g., handover), a transition from an RRC inactive state, establishing time alignment of a secondary TAG, a request for other system information (SI), beam failure recovery (BFR), and a consistent uplink listen-before-talk (LBT) failure on the PCell.

[0073] Two types of random access (RA) procedures may be supported: a four-step RA type with MSG1 and a two-step RA type with MSGA. Both types of RA procedures may support contention-based random access (CBRA) and contention-free random access (CFRA), as shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0074] The UE may select the type of random access at the start of the random access procedure based on the network configuration. If CFRA resources are not configured, the RSRP threshold may be used by the UE to select between the 2-step RA type and the 4-step RA type. If CFRA resources for the 4-step RA type are configured, the UE may perform random access using the 4-step RA type. If CFRA resources for the 2-step RA type are configured, the UE may perform random access using the 2-step RA type.

[0075] MSG1 for the 4-step RA type may consist of a preamble on the PRACH. After transmitting MSG1, the UE may monitor for a response from the network within the configured window. For CFRA, a dedicated preamble for MSG1 transmission is allocated by the network, and upon receiving a random access response (RAR) from the network, the UE may terminate the random access procedure as shown in FIG. 11. For CBRA, upon receiving the random access response, the UE may transmit MSG3 using the uplink grant scheduled in the random access response and monitor contention resolution as shown in FIG. 11. If contention resolution is not successful after MSG3 (re)transmission, the UE may revert to MSG1 transmission.

[0076] The MSGA for the two-step RA type may include a preamble in the PRACH and a payload in the PUSCH. After the MSGA transmission, the UE may monitor a response from the network within a configured window. For CFRA, a dedicated preamble and PUSCH resources may be configured for MSGA transmission, and upon receiving a network response, the UE may terminate the random access procedure as shown in FIG. 12. For CBRA, if contention resolution is successful upon receiving a network response, the UE may terminate the random access procedure as shown in FIG. 12. On the other hand, if a fallback indication is received in MSGB, the UE may perform MSG3 transmission using the uplink grant scheduled in the fallback indication and monitor contention resolution. If contention resolution is not successful after MSG3 (re)transmission, the UE may revert to MSGA transmission.

[0077] FIG. 13 illustrates an example of the time and frequency structure of a synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB) according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. An SS / PBCH block (SSB) may consist of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), each occupying one symbol and 127 subcarriers (e.g., subcarrier numbers 56-182 in FIG. 13), and a PBCH spanning three OFDM symbols and 240 subcarriers, with one symbol remaining unused for the SSS in the center, as shown in FIG. 13. The possible time locations of the SSBs within a half-frame may be determined by the subcarrier spacing, and the periodicity of the half-frames in which the SSBs are transmitted may be configured by the network. During a half-frame, different SSBs may be transmitted in different spatial directions (i.e., using different beams spanning the cell's coverage area).

[0078] The PBCH may be used to carry the Master Information Block (MIB), which is used by the UE during cell search and initial access procedures. The UE may first decode the PBCH / MIB to receive other system information. The MIB may provide the UE with the parameters necessary to acquire System Information Block 1 (SIB1), more specifically, the information necessary to monitor the PDCCH for scheduling the PDSCH carrying SIB1. Additionally, the MIB may indicate cell barring status information. The MIB and SIB1 are collectively referred to as Minimum System Information (SI), and SIB1 may be referred to as Remaining Minimum System Information (RMSI). Other System Information Blocks (SIBs) (e.g., SIB2, SIB3, ..., SIB10, and SIBpos) may be referred to as other SIs. Other SI may be broadcast periodically on the DL-SCH, may be broadcast on demand on the DL-SCH (e.g., upon request from a UE in RRC idle, RRC inactive, or RRC connected state), or may be sent in a dedicated manner to UEs in RRC connected state on the DL-SCH (e.g., upon request, if configured by the network, from a UE in RRC connected state, or if the UE has an active BWP for which a common search space is not configured).

[0079] FIG. 14 illustrates an example of SSB burst transmission according to some aspects of some various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. An SSB burst may include N SSBs, where each SSB of the N SSBs may correspond to a beam. The SSB burst may be transmitted according to a periodicity (e.g., an SSB burst duration). During a contention-based random access process, a UE may perform a random access resource selection process, where the UE first selects an SSB before selecting an RA preamble. The UE may select an SSB with an RSRP above a configured threshold. In some embodiments, the UE may select any SSB if an SSB with an RSRP above a configured threshold is not available. A set of random access preambles may be associated with the SSB. After selecting an SSB, the UE may select a random access preamble from the set of random access preambles associated with the SSB and transmit the selected random access preamble to initiate the random access process.

[0080] In some embodiments, a beam among the N beams may be associated with a CSI-RS resource. The UE may measure the CSI-RS resource and select a CSI-RS with an RSRP above a configured threshold. The UE may select a random access preamble corresponding to the selected CSI-RS and transmit the selected random access process to initiate the random access process. If there is no random access preamble associated with the selected CSI-RS, the UE may select a random access preamble corresponding to an SSB quasi-co-located with the selected CSI-RS.

[0081] In some embodiments, based on UE measurements of CSI-RS resources and UE CSI reports, the base station may determine a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state and indicate the TCI state to the UE, which may use the indicated TCI state for reception of downlink control information (e.g., via the PDCCH) or data (e.g., via the PDSCH). The UE may use the indicated TCI state to use an appropriate beam for reception of data or control information. The indication of the TCI state may use an RRC configuration or a combination of RRC signaling and dynamic signaling (e.g., via a MAC Control Element (MAC CE) and / or based on the value of a field in the downlink control information that schedules downlink transmissions). The TCI state may indicate a quasi-co-location (QCL) relationship between a downlink reference signal, such as a CSI-RS, and a DM-RS associated with a downlink control or data channel (e.g., the PDCCH or PDSCH, respectively).

[0082] In some embodiments, a UE may be configured with a list of up to M TCI-state configurations using physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) configuration parameters to decode a PDSCH according to a detected PDCCH with DCI for the UE and a given serving cell, where M may depend on UE capabilities. Each TCI-state may include parameters for configuring a QCL relationship between one or two downlink reference signals and a DM-RS port of a PDSCH, a DM-RS port of a PDCCH, or a CSI-RS port of a CSI-RS resource. The quasi-co-location relationship may be configured by one or more RRC parameters. The quasi-co-location type corresponding to each DL RS may take one of the following values: "QCL-TypeA": {Doppler shift, Doppler spread, average delay, delay spread}, "QCL-TypeB": {Doppler shift, Doppler spread}, "QCL-TypeC": {Doppler shift, average delay}, "QCL-TypeD": {Spatial Rx parameters}. The UE may receive an activation command (eg, MAC CE) used to map the TCI state to a codepoint in the DCI field.

[0083] FIG. 15 illustrates example components of a user equipment and a base station for transmission and / or reception according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. All or a subset of the blocks and functions in FIG. 15 may reside in or be performed by the base station (1505) and the user equipment (1500). The antenna (1510) may be used to transmit or receive electromagnetic signals. The antenna (1510) may comprise one or more antenna elements and may enable different input / output antenna configurations, including multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configurations, multiple-input single-output (MISO) configurations, and single-input multiple-output (SIMO) configurations. In some embodiments, the antenna (150) may enable massive MIMO configurations with tens or hundreds of antenna elements. The antenna (1510) may enable other multi-antenna techniques, such as beamforming. In some examples, depending on the capabilities of the UE (1500) or the type of the UE (1500) (e.g., a low complexity UE), the UE (1500) may only support a single antenna.

[0084] The transceiver 1520 may communicate bidirectionally over the wireless links described herein via the antenna 1510. For example, the transceiver 1520 may represent a wireless transceiver in a UE and may communicate bidirectionally with a wireless transceiver in a base station, or vice versa. The transceiver 1520 may include a modem for modulating packets, providing the modulated packets to the antenna 1510 for transmission, and demodulating packets received from the antenna 1510.

[0085] The memory (1530) may include RAM and ROM. The memory (1530) may store computer-readable computer-executable code (1535) including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions described herein. In some examples, the memory (1530) may include, among other things, a basic input / output system (BIOS) that may control basic hardware or software operations such as interaction with peripheral components or devices.

[0086] The processor (1540) may include a hardware device having processing capabilities (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some examples, the processor (1540) may be configured to operate a memory using a memory controller. In other examples, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor (1540). The processor (1540) may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory (1530)) to cause the UE (1500) or the base station (1505) to perform various functions.

[0087] The central processing unit (CPU) 1550 may perform basic arithmetic, logic, control, and input / output (I / O) operations specified by computer instructions in the memory 1530. The user device 1500 and / or base station 1505 may include additional peripheral components such as a graphics processing unit (GPU) 1560 and a global positioning system (GPS) 1570. The GPU 1560 is dedicated circuitry for rapid manipulation and modification of the memory 1530 to accelerate processing performance of the user device 1500 and / or base station 1505. The GPS 1570 may be used to enable location-based services or other services, for example, based on the geographic location of the user device 1500.

[0088] In some examples, a UE may use discontinuous reception (DRX) in the RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE states to reduce power consumption. The UE may monitor one paging occasion (PO) per DRX cycle. A PO may be a set of PDCCH monitoring occasions and may include multiple time slots (e.g., subframes or OFDM symbols) in which paging DCI may be transmitted. One paging frame (PF) may be one radio frame and may include one or more POs or the start of a PO.

[0089] In some examples, in multi-beam operation, the UE may assume that the same paging message and the same short message may be repeated in the transmission beam. The selection of the beam for receiving the paging message and the short message may be up to the UE implementation. The paging message may be the same for both RAN-initiated and CN-initiated paging.

[0090] In some examples, the UE may initiate an RRC connection resumption procedure upon receiving a paging initiated by the RAN. If the UE receives a CN-initiated paging in the RRC_INACTIVE state, the UE may move to RRC_IDLE and notify the NAS.

[0091] In some examples, the PF and PO for paging may be determined by the following formula: The SFN for the PF is determined by: (SFN+PF_offset) mod T=(T div N) * (UE_ID mod N); the index (i_s) indicating the index of the PO is determined by i_s=floor(UE_ID / N) mod Ns.

[0092] In some examples, the PDCCH monitoring occasion for paging may be determined according to pagingSearchSpace and firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO, and nrofPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionPerSSB-InPO, if configured. If SearchSpaceId=0 is configured for pagingSearchSpace, the PDCCH monitoring occasion for paging may be the same as for RMSI.

[0093] In some examples, when SearchSpaceId=0 is configured for pagingSearchSpace, Ns can be either 1 or 2. When Ns=1, there can be only one PO starting from the first PDCCH monitoring occasion for paging in the PF. When Ns=2, the PO can be in either the first frame (i_s=0) or the second frame (i_s=1) of the PF.

[0094] In some examples, if a SearchSpaceId other than 0 is configured for the pagingSearchSpace, the UE may monitor the (i_s+1)th PO. * may be a set of "X" consecutive PDCCH monitoring occasions, where "S" is the number of actual transmitted SSBs determined according to ssb-PositionsInBurst in SIB1, and X may be nrofPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionPerSSB-InPO if configured, or may be equal to 1 otherwise. *The (i_s+1)th PDCCH monitoring occasion may correspond to the Kth transmitted SSB, where x=0, 1,...,X-1, K=1, 2,...,S. PDCCH monitoring occasions for paging that do not overlap with UL symbols (determined according to tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon) may be numbered sequentially from 0 starting from the first PDCCH monitoring occasion for paging in the PF. If the first PDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO exists, the starting PDCCH monitoring occasion number of the (i_s+1)th PO is the (i_s+1)th value of the first PDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO parameter; otherwise, the starting PDCCH monitoring occasion number of the (i_s+1)th PO is the (i_s+1)th value of the first PDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO parameter. * S * It may be equal to X. If X>1, once the UE detects a PDCCH transmission addressed to the P-RNTI in that PO, the UE may not need to monitor subsequent PDCCH monitoring occasions for this PO.

[0095] In some examples, a PO associated with a PF may start within or after the PF. In some examples, a PDCCH monitoring occasion for a PO may span multiple radio frames. If a SearchSpaceId other than 0 is configured for paging-SearchSpace, a PDCCH monitoring occasion for a PO may span multiple periods of the paging search space.

[0096] In some examples, the following parameters are used in the calculation of the above PF and i_s: T: UE DRX cycle (T may be determined by the shortest UE-specific DRX value, if configured by RRC and / or higher layers, and the default DRX value broadcast in the system information. In RRC_IDLE state, if UE-specific DRX is not configured by higher layers, the default value is applied), N: T total number of paging frames, Ns: number of paging occasions in PF, PF_offset: offset used for PF determination, UE_ID: 5G-S-TMSI mod 1024.

[0097] In some examples, the parameters Ns, nAndPagingFrameOffset, nrofPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionPerSSB-InPO, and the length of the default DRX cycle may be signaled in SIB1. The values ​​of N and PF_offset may be derived from the parameter nAndPagingFrameOffset. In some examples, the parameter first-PDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO may be signaled in SIB1 for paging in an initial DL BWP. For paging in a DL BWP other than the initial DL BWP, the parameter first-PDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO may be signaled in the corresponding BWP configuration.

[0098] In some examples, if the UE does not have 5G-S-TMSI, for example, if the UE is not yet registered with the network, the UE may use a default identity UE_ID=0 in the above PF and i_s formulas.

[0099] In some examples, the 5G-S-TMSI may be a bit string 48 bits long. The 5G-S-TMSI may be interpreted as a binary number in the above formula, with the left-most bit representing the most significant bit.

[0100] In some examples, paging may enable the network to reach UEs in RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE states via paging messages and to notify UEs in RRC_IDLE, RRC_INACTIVE, and RRC_CONNECTED states of system information changes and ETWS / CMAS indications via short messages. Both paging messages and short messages may be addressed by P-RNTI on the PDCCH, but the former may be transmitted on the PCCH, while the latter may be transmitted directly on the PDCCH.

[0101] In some examples, in RRC_IDLE, the UE may monitor the paging channel for CN-initiated paging. In RRC_INACTIVE, the UE may also monitor the paging channel for RAN-initiated paging. The UE may not need to continuously monitor the paging channel. Paging DRX may be defined when a UE in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE may be required to monitor the paging channel for one paging occasion (PO) per DRX cycle. The paging DRX cycle may be configured by the network: 1) for CN initiated paging, a default cycle may be broadcast in the system information; 2) for CN initiated paging, a UE-specific cycle may be configured by NAS signaling; 3) for RAN initiated paging, a UE-specific cycle may be configured by RRC signaling; the UE may use the shortest of the applicable DRX cycles, e.g., a UE in RRC_IDLE may use the shortest of the first two cycles above, and a UE in RRC_INACTIVE may use the shortest of the three.

[0102] In some examples, the UE's POs for CN-initiated paging and RAN-initiated paging may be based on the same UE ID, resulting in overlapping POs for both. The number of different POs in a DRX cycle is configurable via system information, and the network may distribute UEs to those POs based on their IDs.

[0103] In some examples, when RRC_CONNECTED, the UE may monitor the paging channel in the PO signaled in the system information for SI change indication and PWS notification. In the case of bandwidth adaptation (BA), the UE in RRC_CONNECTED may monitor the paging channel on the active BWP where the common search space is configured.

[0104] In some examples, for operation with shared spectrum channel access, a UE may be configured for an additional number of PDCCH monitoring occasions in its PO to monitor paging. However, if the UE detects a PDCCH transmission in the PO of the UE addressed by the P-RNTI, the UE may not need to monitor subsequent PDCCH monitoring occasions in this PO.

[0105] In some examples, the network may initiate a paging procedure by sending a paging message at a paging occasion for the UE. The network may address multiple UEs in the paging message by including one PagingRecord for each UE.

[0106] In some examples, upon receiving a paging message, when in RRC_IDLE, for each PagingRecord, if any, included in the paging message, the UE may forward the UE-Identity and accessType (if present) to higher layers if the UE-Identity included in the PagingRecord matches a UE identity assigned by higher layers.

[0107] In some examples, for RRC_INACTIVE, if there are Paging Records included in the paging message, for each Paging Record, the UE-Identity included in the Paging Record may match the UE's stored fullI-RNTI. If the UE is configured by higher layers with Access Identity 1: The UE may initiate the RRC connection resumption procedure with resumeCause set to mps-PriorityAccess. If the UE is configured by higher layers with Access Identity 2: The UE may initiate the RRC connection resumption procedure with resumeCause set to mcs-PriorityAccess. If the UE is configured by higher layers with one or more access identifiers equal to 11 through 15, the UE may initiate the RRC connection resumption procedure with resumeCause set to highPriorityAccess. Otherwise, the UE may initiate the RRC connection resumption procedure with resumeCause set to mt-Access.

[0108] In some examples, the UE may perform a RAN-based notification area update (RNAU) periodically or when the UE selects a cell that does not belong to a configured RNA.

[0109] In some examples, the RRCRelease message may be used to command the release of an RRC connection or the suspension of an RRC connection. In some examples, the IE suspendConfig may indicate a configuration for the RRC_INACTIVE state. The network does not form suspendConfig when the network redirects the UE to an inter-RAT carrier frequency or if the UE is configured with a DAPS bearer. In some examples, ran-PagingCycle may refer to a UE-specific cycle for RAN-initiated paging. In some examples, t380 may refer to a timer that triggers a periodic RNAU procedure in the UE. In some examples, the RAN-NotificationAreaInfo in the RRC release message may include a cell list field that indicates a list of cells configured as RAN areas. In some examples, ran-AreaConfigList may indicate a list of RAN area codes or RA codes as RAN areas.

[0110] In some examples, the RRCResume message may be used to resume a suspended RRC connection.

[0111] In some examples, a group scheduling mechanism may be used to enable UEs (e.g., UEs in an RRC connected state) to receive broadcast / multicast services, which may in some examples be possible in conjunction with unicast reception.

[0112] In some examples, broadcast / multicast service delivery may be dynamically changed between multicast (PTM) and unicast (PTP) with service continuity for a given UE.

[0113] In some examples, broadcast / multicast operation may be provided to UEs in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE state.

[0114] In one example, in a Point-to-Point (PTP) transmission in a Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS), for an RRC_CONNECTED UE, a UE-specific PDCCH scrambled with a UE-specific RNTI (e.g., C-RNTI) and a CRC may be used to schedule a UE-specific PDSCH that may be scrambled with the same UE-specific RNTI.

[0115] In one example, in point-to-multipoint (PTM) transmission in MBS (e.g., PTM transmission scheme 1), for RRC_CONNECTED UEs in the same MBS group, a group-common PDCCH whose CRC is scrambled by a group-common RNTI may be used to schedule a group-common PDSCH that may be scrambled by the same group-common RNTI. This scheme may also be referred to as a group-common PDCCH-based group scheduling scheme.

[0116] In one example, in point-to-multipoint (PTM) transmission in MBS (e.g., PTM transmission scheme 2), for RRC_CONNECTED UEs in the same MBS group, a UE-specific PDCCH whose CRC is scrambled with a UE-specific RNTI (e.g., C-RNTI) may be used to schedule a group-common PDSCH that may be scrambled with a group-common RNTI. This scheme may also be referred to as a UE-specific PDCCH-based group scheduling scheme.

[0117] In one example, the UE-specific PDCCH / PDSCH may indicate that the PDCCH / PDSCH is only discernible by the target UE, but may not be discernible to other UEs in the same MBS group with the target UE.

[0118] In one example, a group-common PDCCH / PDSCH may indicate that the PDCCH / PDSCH is transmitted on the same time / frequency resources and may be identified by all UEs in the same MBS group.

[0119] In one example, for an RRC_CONNECTED UE, if the initial transmission for multicast is based on PTM transmission scheme 1, at least retransmissions may use PTM transmission scheme 1. In one example, PTP transmission for retransmissions may be used. In one example, PTM transmission scheme 2 for retransmissions may be used. In one example, an association between PTM scheme 1 and PTP transmitting the same TB may be indicated. In one example, when multiple retransmission schemes are used, different retransmission schemes may be used simultaneously for different UEs in the same group.

[0120] In one example, for multicast for RRC-CONNECTED UEs, the common frequency resources of the group-common PDCCH / PDSCH may be restricted within the frequency resources of the dedicated unicast BWP to support simultaneous reception of unicast and multicast in the same slot.

[0121] In one example, a common frequency resource may be defined as an MBS-specific BWP that is associated with a dedicated unicast BWP and may use the same numerology (e.g., SCS and CP). In one example, BWP switching may be required between multicast reception in an MBS-specific BWP and unicast reception in its associated dedicated BWP.

[0122] In one example, the common frequency resource may be defined as an MBS frequency region having a number of adjacent PRBs, which may be configured within a dedicated unicast BWP. In one example, the starting PRB and the length of the PRB for the MBS frequency region may be indicated.

[0123] In one example, the UE may be configured without unicast reception on the common frequency resource.

[0124] In one example, more than one common frequency resource per UE / per dedicated unicast BWP may be subject to UE capability.

[0125] In one example, one unicast PDSCH and one group-common PDSCH may be TDM multiplexed in a slot based on UE capabilities for RRC_CONNECTED UEs.

[0126] In one example, an SPS group-common PDSCH may be used for MBS for UEs in RRC_CONNECTED.

[0127] In one example, the group-common PDCCH may be a UE-specific PDCCH used for or for activation / deactivation of the SPS group-common PDSCH.

[0128] In one example, more than one SPS group-common PDSCH configuration may be used per UE.

[0129] In one example, in PTM transmission scheme 1, a CORESET for the group-common PDCCH may be configured within the common frequency resources for the group-common PDSCH. In one example, the number of CORESETs for the group-common PDCCH within the common frequency resources for the group-common PDSCH may be configurable.

[0130] In one example, in a search space set of a group-common PDCCH in PTM scheme 1 for multicast in the RRC_CONNECTED state, CCE indices may be common to different UEs in the same MBS group.

[0131] In one example, for an RRC_CONNECTED UE, the unicast PDSCH and the group-common PDSCH may be inter-slot TDM'd in different slots.

[0132] In one example, the following cases exist for simultaneous reception of unicast PDSCHs and group-common PDSCHs in a slot based on the UE capabilities of an RRC_CONNECTED UE: In one example, TDM between multiple TDMed unicast PDSCHs and one group-common PDSCH may be used in a slot; In one example, TDM between multiple group-common PDSCHs in a slot may be used; In one example, TDM between multiple TDMed unicast PDSCHs and multiple TDMed group-common PDSCHs in a slot may be used; In one example, FDM between multiple TDMed unicast PDSCHs and multiple TDMed group-common PDSCHs in a slot may be used; In one example, FDM between multiple group-common PDSCHs in a slot may be used.

[0133] In one example, in the search space set of the group-common PDCCH of PTM scheme 1 for multicast in the RRC_CONNECTED state, a new search space type specific to multicast may be defined.

[0134] In one example, for an RRC_CONNECTED UE receiving multicast, at least one of ACK / NACK-based HARQ-ACK feedback for multicast and NACK-only-based HARQ-ACK feedback for multicast may be used, at least for PTM scheme 1.

[0135] In one example, in ACK / NACK-based HARQ-ACK feedback for multicast, from a per-UE perspective, the UE may feedback an ACK or a NACK. From the perspective of UEs in a group, the PUCCH resource configuration for ACK / NACK feedback may be shared or separate PUCCH resources.

[0136] In one example, in NACK-only based HARQ-ACK feedback for multicast, from a per-UE perspective, the UE may only feedback NACKs. From the perspective of the UEs in a group, the PUCCH resource configuration may be for NACK-only feedback.

[0137] In one example, ACK / NACK-based or NACK-only-based HARQ-ACK feedback may be configurable.

[0138] In one example, for an RRC_CONNECTED UE receiving multicast, when used for group-common PDCCH scheduling, for ACK / NACK-based HARQ-ACK feedback, the PUCCH resource configuration for HARQ-ACK feedback may be shared with the PUCCH resource configuration for HARQ-ACK feedback for unicast from a per-UE perspective, or may be separate from the PUCCH resource configuration for HARQ-ACK feedback for unicast.

[0139] In one example, for RRC_CONNECTED UEs receiving multicast, when used for group-wide PDCCH scheduling, for NACK-only based HARQ-ACK feedback, the PUCCH resource configuration for HARQ-ACK feedback may be separate from the configuration for HARQ-ACK feedback for unicast from a per-UE perspective.

[0140] In one example, enabling / disabling of HARQ-ACK feedback for MBS may be used, for example, via DCI or via enable / disable RRC configuration, or RRC may configure the enable / disable function and the DCI may indicate enable / disable, or the MAC CE may indicate enable / disable, or RRC may configure the enable / disable function and the MAC CE may indicate enable / disable.

[0141] For example, in slot level repetition for group common PDSCH of RRC_CONNECTED UE, DCI may be used, or RRC may be used, or RRC and DCI may be used, or MAC CE may be used, or RRC and MAC CE may be used to indicate the number of repetitions.

[0142] In one example, from the perspective of an RRC_CONNECTED UE receiving multicast, for at least the initial transmission of PTM scheme 1, retransmissions may be based on a group-common PDCCH scheduled group-common PDSCH, a UE-specific PDCCH scheduled PDSCH (e.g., a UE-specific PDSCH or a group-common PDSCH). In one example, retransmissions may be based on a code block group (CBG).

[0143] In one example, when ACK / NACK-based HARQ-ACK feedback is used, both Type 1 and Type 2 HARQ-ACK codebooks may be used for RRC_CONNECTED UEs receiving multicast.

[0144] In one example, a UE in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE may support a group-common PDCCH whose CRC is scrambled with a common RNTI for scheduling a group-common PDSCH, and the scrambling of the group-common PDSCH may be based on the same common RNTI.

[0145] In one example, for UEs in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE, beam sweeping may be used for group-common PDCCH / PDSCH.

[0146] In one example, for UEs in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE, common frequency resources for group-common PDCCH / PDSCH may be defined / configured.

[0147] In one example, if a specific common frequency resource is not configured, the UE may assume the initial BWP as the default common frequency resource for the group-common PDCCH / PDSCH.

[0148] In one example, from a physical layer perspective, for broadcast reception, the same group-common PDCCH and corresponding scheduled group-common PDSCH may be received by both UEs in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE and UEs in RRC_CONNECTED.

[0149] In one example, for UEs in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE, a common search space (CSS) may be used for the group-common PDCCH / PDSCH.

[0150] In one example, for UEs in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE, a CORESET may be configured within the common frequency resources for group-common PDCCH / PDSCH.

[0151] In one example, for an RRC_CONNECTED UE, if ACK / NACK-based HARQ-ACK feedback is used for PTM scheme 1, and if the initial transmission for multicast is based on PTM transmission scheme 1, retransmissions may use PTP transmission. In one example, the HARQ process ID and NDI indicated in the DCI may be used to associate PTM scheme 1 with a PTP transmitting the same TB.

[0152] In one example, for a UE in RRC_CONNECTED, more than one SPS group common PDSCH configuration for MBS may be configured per UE according to UE capabilities.

[0153] In one example, for a UE in RRC_CONNECTED, HARQ-ACK feedback for an SPS group-common PDSCH for an MBS may be used.

[0154] In one example, the CFR (Common Frequency Resources) for multicast for an RRC-CONNECTED UE, which may be limited within the frequency resources of the dedicated unicast BWP and may use the same numerology (SCS and CP), may include the following configurations: starting PRB and number of PRBs, one PDSCH-config for the MBS (e.g., separate from the PDSCH-Config of the dedicated unicast BWP), one PDCCH-config for the MBS (e.g., separate from the PDCCH-Config of the dedicated unicast BWP), and an SPS-config for the MBS (e.g., separate from the SPS-Config of the dedicated unicast BWP).

[0155] In one example, at least the CSS may be used in the search space set of the group-common PDCCH in PTM scheme 1 for multicast in the RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0156] In one example, at least the group-common PDCCH may be used for activation / deactivation of the SPS group-common PDSCH for an MBS in the RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0157] In one example, if used for an RRC_CONNECTED UE receiving multicast, for ACK / NACK based feedback, the UE may be optionally configured with a separate PUCCH-Config for multicast, otherwise the PUCCH-Config for unicast may apply.

[0158] In one example, the priority of HARQ-ACK feedback for RRC_CONNECTED UEs receiving multicast may be lower, higher, or equal to the priority of HARQ-ACK feedback for unicast.

[0159] In one example, for an RRC_CONNECTED UE receiving multicast, ACK / NACK-based HARQ-ACK feedback for multicast may be used, and NACK-only based HARQ-ACK feedback for multicast may be used.

[0160] In one example, when HARQ-ACK feedback (at least ACK / NACK-based feedback) is available for multicast and unicast for a given UE receiving multicast, multiplexing for the same priority and prioritization for different priorities may be used to determine PUCCH resources, at least when corresponding PUCCH resources within a slot overlap in time.

[0161] In one example, when used for multicast, ACK / NACK-based feedback may use a Type 1 HARQ-ACK codebook construction based on the union of PDSCH TDRA sets of unicast and multicast services (if they are configured separately) of at least the same priority.

[0162] In one example, slot-level repetition for group-common PDSCH for RRC_CONNECTED UEs receiving multicast may be used.

[0163] In one example, to enable / disable HARQ-ACK feedback for RRC_CONNECTED UEs receiving multicast, RRC signaling may configure an enable / disable function of a DCI indicating enable / disable HARQ-ACK feedback. In one example, the DCI may indicate (explicitly or implicitly) whether HARQ-ACK feedback is enabled / disabled. In one example, the enable / disable may be performed by a MAC CE.

[0164] In one example, for UEs in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE, one common frequency resource for group-common PDCCH / PDSCH may be defined / configured.

[0165] In one example, for a UE in RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE, for broadcast reception, the UE may assume that the group-common PDCCH / PDSCH is QCL'd in SSB.

[0166] In one example, in broadcast reception, when the UE-specific active BWP of an RRC_CONNECTED UE includes the common frequency resources of an RRC_IDLE / INACTIVE UE and the SCS and CP are the same, the same group-common PDCCH and corresponding scheduled group-common PDSCH can be received by both the RRC_IDLE / RRC_INACTIVE UE and the RRC_CONNECTED UE.

[0167] In one example, two modes may be available for MBS: one delivery mode for high QoS (reliability, delay) requirements may be available in the RRC CONNECTED state, and one delivery mode for "low" QoS requirements may be available when the UE can receive data in the INACTIVE / IDLE state. In one example, delivery mode 1 may be used only for multicast sessions. In one example, delivery mode 2 may be used for broadcast sessions. In one example, mode 2 may be available for multicast sessions. In one example, the UE may remain in RRC_CONNECTED when there is no data in progress for a multicast session. Generally, information of the MBS services / groups subscribed by the UE (e.g., TMGI) and the QOS requirements of the MBS services may be provided to the RAN.

[0168] In one example, the functionality of QoS flow to MBS RB mapping in SDAP may be required for NRMBS.

[0169] In one example, both idle / inactive UEs and connected mode UEs can receive MBS services (e.g., broadcast services) transmitted by NR MBS delivery mode 2. The ability of connected mode UEs to receive this may depend on the network provisioning of the service (e.g., which frequency), the UE connected mode configuration, and the UE capabilities.

[0170] In one example, a two-stage approach (e.g., BCCH and MCCH) may be used for transmission of PTM configuration for NR MBS delivery mode 2. In one example, an MCCH change notification mechanism may be used to notify changes in MCCH configuration due to session start for NR MBS delivery mode 2. In one example, an MBS interest indication may be used for UEs in connected mode for broadcast services. In one example, an MBS interest indication may not be used for UEs in idle / inactive mode for NR MBS delivery mode 2.

[0171] In some examples, once a multicast session is configured, UEs may join the multicast session (e.g., via a NAS SM procedure). When the first multicast UE joins a multicast session, such a multicast session may be established between the 5GC and the RAN. The multicast session may be in either an active or inactive state depending on multicast data activity. In some examples, when a multicast session is activated, the 5GC may be expected to notify UEs in NAS CM_IDLE / RRC_IDLE state via a paging procedure. For UEs in CM_CONNECTED / RRC_INACTIVE state, RAN paging may be used to alert the UE to begin receiving multicast data by resuming the RRC connection. To reduce paging overhead, it may be desirable to page multiple UEs using a group paging mechanism. Exemplary embodiments may enable MBS group notification and enhanced operation in the RRC inactive state.

[0172] In some examples, 5G MBS data sessions may have a wide range of durations and transmission periodicities. Many UEs may also receive MBS data without much unicast traffic and signaling during an MBS session. Exemplary embodiments may enable power savings for UEs with MBS sessions, as the UEs may be able to receive 5G MBS in all RRC states.

[0173] In the following, MBS configuration may refer to MBS radio bearer and control configuration, such as MBS QoS, MCCH / MTCH configuration, SPS configuration, etc.

[0174] In some examples, when an MBS service is announced through higher layers, the UE may subscribe to the service or join a multicast group so that it can receive the MBS configuration and data. In some examples, such a subscription or multicast group joining process may require the UE to transition to an RRC connected state. In some examples for multicast, the UE transitions to an RRC connected state to join the group and obtain the MBS configuration.

[0175] In some examples, the MBS session may start later than the service is announced. In some cases, the start of the session may be known and in other cases provided to the UE, but the exact start time may be determined closer to data availability, in which case the UE may be notified about the start of the MBS session. In some examples, the MBS notification may be used to inform the user of different RRC states for the start of an upcoming MBS session.

[0176] In some examples, some of the MBS configuration may be provided at MBS join / subscription time, but there may be elements of the MBS configuration that may be determined closer to data transmission or that may change during an MBS session. In some examples, MBS notifications may be used for UEs in different RRC states to obtain the MBS configuration or changes in the MBS configuration. In some examples, MBS notifications may be sent as UE-specific signaling or group signaling.

[0177] In some examples, the number of UEs in an MBS group may be large and the MBS notification information may be common to all member UEs, and in some examples, UE-specific signaling may not be scalable or efficient in most cases.

[0178] In some examples, paging-based notification may be used to deliver such MS notifications to UEs in all RRC states. UEs in the RRC connected, inactive, and idle states may be able to monitor paging occasions to obtain this notification information. MBS notifications may be used by the core network or RAN to reach UEs in all states and provide notifications regarding session start / end or MBS configuration changes. In some examples, group paging may be more efficient than UE-specific paging for MBS-related notifications. In some examples, group paging may be used to notify UEs about MBS session start / end or activation / deactivation. In some examples, group paging may be used during an active MBS session to notify UEs about any changes to the MBS configuration, such as an MCCH change or SPS configuration change. Figure 16 shows example MBS group notification / paging for session start or MBS configuration change.

[0179] In some examples, an MBS user may be in idle or inactive mode after initial MBS session activation. For example, the UE may have joined a multicast session that may start later, and the UE may be released to idle or inactive mode due to (unicast) data inactivity. Another example is when a multicast session is initiated, but the session is deactivated due to inactivity in one MBS data session for a configurable period, and the UE may be released to idle / inactive due to inactivity in the RAN. In some examples, MBS data transmissions may be periodic or aperiodic and may include long durations of inactivation between MBS transmission bursts within a session. In some examples, an MBS user may transition to an idle or inactive state during an MBS session as determined by the network to free up network resources during congestion and / or improve UE power savings.

[0180] In some examples, upon receiving the MBS notification based on the type of service and the notification, the UE may be instructed to transition to a connected state to receive the MBS configuration and data. In some examples, when the MBS configuration does not change, the UE may be instructed to remain in a power saving state, inactive or idle, and continue to receive MBS data based on the previously received MBS configuration.

[0181] In some examples, the UE's RRC context may be maintained by the RAN during the RRC inactive state. In some examples, for multicast services with stricter QoS and service continuity requirements, the UE may use the RRC inactive state for power savings compared to the idle state. In some examples, for multicast services with higher QoS requirements where the RAN and UE may maintain an MBS RRC context, the UE may only move to the inactive state for power savings as determined by the network.

[0182] The main difference between an MBS user in a connected state and an MBS user in an inactive state may be their participation in downlink control channels, e.g., PDCCH, monitoring and uplink control channel signaling, e.g., HARQ and CSI feedback.

[0183] For UEs with robust channel conditions, uplink feedback to the RAN may not be required, as it may not change the transmission attributes of the MBS data, e.g., MCS level or retransmissions. For such UEs, moving to the inactive state may not affect the QoS or reliability of their MBS reception. In some examples, UEs that are only involved in MBS reception and have robust channel conditions, e.g., high RSRP / RSRQ, as configured by the RAN may transition to the inactive state as triggered by the UE or the RAN.

[0184] In some examples, MBS users in an inactive state with robust channel conditions may be configured not to respond to MBS notifications, e.g., group MBS paging, when their channel robustness conditions meet criteria set by the network.

[0185] In some examples, the UE may require a valid MBS configuration before receiving MBS data. If the MBS settings are provided via common / group signaling, the terminal may acquire such information without transitioning to the RRC connected state. In some examples, for example, if the MBS configuration is provided through dedicated signaling, the UE may transition to the RRC connected state to acquire the MBS configuration before being able to receive MBS data. In some examples, the MBS notification may include a timer or index to indicate whether a previously received MBS configuration is applicable or has changed. If there are no changes, the UE may skip acquiring the MBS configuration and reuse the stored configuration.

[0186] For example, as shown in FIG. 17, UE(2) and UE(3) may not respond to paging because they meet the MBS channel robustness requirements set by the network, but UE(3) may send a paging response and may need to obtain an MBS configuration if it is not the current one.

[0187] In some examples, the MBS configurations may have a time index or version number so that a UE receiving an MBS notification can determine whether their last received version is the current one.

[0188] In some examples, the MBS notification may carry information to instruct the UE to reuse a previous MBS configuration using a version number or index, or to obtain a new MBS configuration via common or dedicated signaling. An example is shown in Figure 18.

[0189] In some examples, the MBS configuration may be the same across a set of nearby cells or sectors. In this case, the RAN may configure such a set of cells as a RAN Notification Area (RNA) for MBS so that inactive UEs moving within such MBS-RNA can receive MBS data without returning to connected mode. UEs in an inactive state may resume their connection in the same cell or a different cell within the same RNA reusing the same MBS context and configuration. In some examples, the RAN may reuse the RNA concept to define an MBS zone with a common configuration within which inactive UEs can move and maintain their MBS reception without returning to a connected state. In some examples, upon cell reselection in an inactive state, an MBS user may set a higher priority for gNBs that are part of the common MBS zone in the RNA. In some examples, when a UE in an active state reselects a cell with a different MBS RNA, the UE may transition to an RRC connected state to obtain a locally valid MBS configuration.

[0190] Multicast Broadcast Services (MBS) are provided in different Radio Resource Control (RRC) states, including the RRC inactive state. Existing solutions for MBS operation in the inactive state may require frequent transitions of the UE to the RRC connected state, for example, due to receipt of MBS change notifications, MBS start / end timing of MBS sessions, and / or MBS configuration. Such frequent transitions may strain system RACH capacity and degrade wireless device and network performance. Exemplary embodiments enhance MBS notification and operation in the RRC inactive state.

[0191] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 19, a user equipment (UE) can determine a paging occasion for monitoring a control channel. For example, the determination of the paging occasion may be based on a DRX procedure. The UE may determine the paging occasion based on performing a DRX procedure and using DRX parameters. For example, the determination of the paging occasion may be based on a UE ID (e.g., a TMSI associated with the UE), one or more offset parameters (e.g., determined based on an RRC message or a broadcast message), etc. Monitoring the control channel may be for receiving downlink control information comprising scheduling information of a paging transport block, for example, via a paging channel (e.g., PCCH). The downlink control information on the downlink control channel may be addressed by a paging RNTI (P-RNTI). The UE may receive a configuration parameter indicating the P-RNTI (e.g., via an RRC message or a broadcast message). The paging transport block may comprise one or more paging messages. The one or more paging messages may comprise one or more MBS-related notifications. The UE may monitor the downlink control channel at one or more first paging occasions of the UE-determined paging occasions. The UE may receive MBS data based on the one or more MBS-related notifications.

[0192] In some examples, the one or more MBS-related notifications may indicate a start time or activation time and / or a stop time or deactivation time of one or more MBS sessions. Reception of MBS data may be based on the start time or activation time and / or the stop time or deactivation time of one or more MBS sessions, which may be indicated by the one or more MBS-related notifications.

[0193] In some examples, the one or more MBS-related notifications may indicate one or more MBS configuration parameters for reception of MBS data. For example, the one or more MBS configuration parameters may include parameters of a multicast control channel, parameters of one or more semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configurations (e.g., periodicity, parameters for determining SPS resources, etc.) used to receive the MBS data, etc. The UE may receive the MBS data based on the one or more MBS configuration parameters. In some examples, the one or more MBS-related notifications may indicate a change in an MBS configuration parameter, for example, a change in a multicast control channel configuration parameter or a change in an SPS configuration parameter (e.g., a change in SPS periodicity, etc.). The UE may determine the change in the MBS configuration parameter based on the one or more MBS-related notifications. For example, the one or more MBS-related notifications may include a version number or index of the MBS configuration, and the UE may determine that the MBS configuration has changed based on a change in the version number or index of the MBS configuration compared to the current / existing version number or index.

[0194] The UE may be in one of multiple RRC states (e.g., an RRC connected state, an RRC idle state, or an RRC inactive state). In some examples, when the UE is in the RRC idle state, the paging may be a core network (CN) initiated paging. In some examples, when the UE is in the RRC inactive state, the paging may be a radio access network (RAN) initiated paging. In some examples, when the UE is in the RRC inactive state, the paging may comprise one or more cells and may be performed in a RAN notification area (RNA) assigned to the UE when it is commanded to enter the inactive state (e.g., via an RRC release message).

[0195] In some examples, the paging may be a group paging and may be directed to a group of UEs including the UE (e.g., a group of UEs interested in one or more MBS sessions, e.g., UEs that may be scheduled to receive MBS data). For example, the UE may determine paging occasions associated with the group of UEs to which the UE belongs and may monitor paging occasions associated with the group of UEs. In some examples, the UE may determine that the paging message is associated with a group of UEs based on a group ID included in the paging message.

[0196] In some examples, the UE may perform a state transition in response to receiving one or more MBS-related notifications (e.g., as indicated by one or more paging messages). For example, the UE may be in an RRC idle / inactive state, and the UE may transition to an RRC connected state (e.g., using an RRC resumption procedure or an RRC establishment procedure) in response to receiving one or more MBS-related notifications. In some examples, the UE may perform a state transition in response to receiving one or more MBS-related notifications based on one or more channel robustness conditions (e.g., RSRP or RSRQ of one or more reference signals). In some examples, the UE may perform a state transition based on whether the one or more MBS-related notifications indicate a change in the MBS configuration (e.g., based on a version number or index of the MBS configuration). In some examples, the UE may determine that the MBS configuration has changed (e.g., based on one or more MBS-related notifications that indicate a version number or index associated with the MBS configuration), and the UE may perform a state transition in response to this determination. In some examples, the UE may acquire a new MBS configuration based on this state transition and receive MBS data using the new MBS configuration.

[0197] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 20, the UE may determine to transition from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state. For example, the UE may receive an RRC release message including a suspend config IE indicating a transition command from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state. The UE may determine an MBS zone associated with MBS data reception (e.g., MBS data reception in the RRC inactive state). For example, the MBS zone may be for / associated with one or more cells and / or RAN Notification Areas (RNAs) and / or Tracking Areas (TAs). In some examples, the UE may determine the MBS zone based on one or more IEs / parameters indicated by the RRC release message (e.g., suspend config in the RRC release message). The one or more IEs / parameters indicating the MBS zone may indicate an identifier associated with the cell / RNA / TA of the MBS zone. The UE may receive MBS data while in the MBS zone using the first configuration parameter. In some examples (e.g., while the UE is in an RRC inactive state), the MBS configuration parameters may be MBS zone specific, and the first configuration parameter may be for the MBS zone in which the UE currently resides.

[0198] In some examples, such as that shown in Figure 21, the UE may reselect a cell based on a cell reselection procedure while in the RRC inactive state. In response to the cell reselection and camping on the cell, and if the cell reselection results in a change of MBS zone, e.g., if the reselected cell is not within the current MBS zone, the UE may perform a state transition based on, e.g., a random access process. The UE may receive new MBS configuration parameters for the new MBS zone to which the new reselected zone belongs.

[0199] In an exemplary embodiment, a user equipment device (UE) can determine paging occasions for monitoring a downlink control channel associated with one or more paging messages including one or more MBS-related notifications. The UE can receive the one or more MBS-related notifications based on monitoring the control channel at a first one of the paging occasions. The UE can receive MBS data based on the one or more MBS-related notifications.

[0200] In some examples, one or more multicast broadcast service (MBS) related notifications may indicate a start or end time or an activation or deactivation time of an MBS session.

[0201] In some examples, one or more multicast broadcast service (MBS)-related notifications may indicate one or more MBS configuration parameters for reception of MBS data.

[0202] In some examples, the one or more multicast broadcast service (MBS) configuration parameters may comprise semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration parameters.

[0203] In some examples, the one or more multicast broadcast service (MBS)-related notifications may indicate a change in the MBS configuration. In some examples, the change in the multicast broadcast service (MBS) configuration comprises one or more of a change in a multicast control channel (MCCH) configuration or a change in a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration for MBS data reception. In some examples, the one or more multicast broadcast service (MBS)-related notifications may comprise a version number or index associated with the MBS configuration. The change in the MBS configuration may be based on the change in the version number or index. In some examples, the UE may determine the change in the multicast broadcast service (MBS) based on the version number or index.

[0204] In some examples, a user equipment (UE) may be in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state.

[0205] In some examples, a user equipment (UE) may be in a radio resource control (RRC) idle state, and in some examples, one or more paging messages may be received based on a core network (CN) initiated paging.

[0206] In some examples, a user equipment (UE) may be in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state, and in some examples, one or more paging messages may be received based on a radio access network (RAN) initiated paging.

[0207] In some examples, the UE may receive a configuration parameter indicating a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI), and the downlink control channel may be associated with the P-RNTI.

[0208] In some examples, receiving the one or more paging messages may be based on group paging. In some examples, the one or more paging messages may be received by one or more additional user equipment (UE) that may be interested in receiving multicast broadcast service (MBS) data, e.g., UEs that may be scheduled to receive MBS data.

[0209] In some examples, determining the paging occasion may be based on a discontinuous reception (DRX) procedure. In some examples, determining the paging occasion may be based on a user equipment (UE) identifier. In some examples, the user equipment (UE) identifier may be a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI).

[0210] In some examples, determining the paging occasion may be based on an offset parameter received via a radio resource control (RRC) message or via a broadcast message.

[0211] In some examples, the UE may initiate a state transition in response to receiving one or more MBS-related notifications. In some examples, the state transition may comprise a transition from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state or an RRC idle state to an RRC connected state. In some examples, the initiation of the state transition may be based on one or more channel robustness conditions. In some examples, the one or more channel robustness conditions may be based on a received signal received power (RSRP) or a received signal received quality (RSRQ) associated with one or more reference signals. In some examples, the state transition may be based on a radio resource control (RRC) connection resumption procedure or an RRC connection establishment procedure. In some examples, the one or more multicast broadcast service (MBS)-related notifications may comprise a version number or index of an MBS configuration. Initiation of the state transition may be based on the version number or index. In some examples, initiation of the state transition may be based on a version number or index that changes compared to a current version number or index.

[0212] In an exemplary embodiment, a user equipment (UE) may determine to transition from a radio resource control (RRC) connected state to an RRC inactive state. The terminal may determine an MBS zone associated with MBS data reception in the RRC inactive state. The UE may receive MBS data using first MBS configuration parameters while the UE is within the MBS zone.

[0213] In some examples, an MBS zone may comprise one or more Radio Access Network (RAN) Notification Areas (RNAs).

[0214] In some examples, the UE may receive a radio resource control (RRC) release message, and a decision to transition from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state may be based on the RRC release message. In some examples, the RRC release message may comprise one or more information elements (IEs) that indicate parameters related to a multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone. In some examples, the one or more information elements (IEs) may indicate identifiers of one or more cells or one or more radio access network (RAN) notification areas (RNAs) associated with the multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone.

[0215] In some examples, the UE may transition from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to an RRC connected state in response to reselecting a cell that is not in a multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone. In some examples, the UE may receive second multicast broadcast service (MBS) configuration parameters for MBS data reception in response to transitioning from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state. In some examples, the transition from the radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state may be based on a random access process.

[0216] In some examples, the first configuration parameter may be associated with an MBS zone. In some examples, the UE may receive a radio resource control (RRC) release message comprising the first configuration parameter associated with the MBS zone.

[0217] The example blocks and modules described in this disclosure with respect to various example embodiments may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. Examples of general-purpose processors include, but are not limited to, a microprocessor, any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. In some examples, a processor may be implemented using a combination of devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0218] The functions described in this disclosure may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. Instructions or code may be stored on or transmitted to a computer-readable medium for implementation of the functions. Other examples for implementing the functions disclosed herein are also within the scope of this disclosure. Implementation of the functions may be through physically co-located or distributed elements (e.g., in various locations), including being distributed such that portions of the functions are implemented in different physical locations.

[0219] Computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, non-transitory computer storage media. Non-transitory storage media can be accessed by general-purpose or special-purpose computers. Examples of non-transitory storage media include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disc (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices. Non-transitory media can be used to carry or store desired program code means (e.g., instructions and / or data structures) and can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In some examples, software / program code can be transmitted from a remote source (e.g., a website, a server, etc.) using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave. In such examples, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are within the definition of medium. Combinations of the above examples are also included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0220] As used in this disclosure, the use of the term "or" in a list of items indicates an inclusive list. A list of items may be preceded by phrases such as "at least one of" or "one or more of." For example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C includes A or B or C or AB (i.e., A and B) or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Also, as used in this disclosure, joining a list of conditions with the phrase "based on" should not be interpreted as "based only on" the set of conditions, but rather as "based at least in part on" the set of conditions. For example, a result described as "based on condition A" could be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0221] As used herein, the terms "comprise," "include," or "contain" may be used interchangeably, have the same meaning, and should be construed as inclusive and open-ended. The terms "comprise," "include," or "contain" may be used before a list of elements to indicate that at least all of the recited elements in the list are present, but that other elements not in the list may also be present. For example, if A contains B and C, then both {B, C} and {B, C, D} are within the scope of A.

[0222] The present disclosure describes exemplary configurations in connection with the accompanying drawings, which do not represent every example that may be implemented or every configuration within the scope of the present disclosure. The term "exemplary" should not be interpreted as "preferred over other examples" or "advantageous," but rather as "example, instance, or example." By reading this disclosure, including the description of the embodiments and drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the technology disclosed herein may be implemented using alternative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments, or certain features of the embodiments described herein, may be combined to arrive at yet other embodiments for practicing the technology described in the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for multicast broadcast service (MBS) notification signaling, comprising: determining, by a user equipment (UE), a paging occasion for monitoring a downlink control channel associated with one or more paging messages including one or more MBS-related notifications associated with scheduling information for reception of MBS data; receiving the one or more MBS-related notifications based on monitoring the downlink control channel during one or more first ones of the paging occasions; receiving MBS data based on the one or more MBS-related notifications; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications indicate a start or end time, or an activation or deactivation time, of an MBS session.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS)-related notifications indicate one or more MBS configuration parameters for reception of the MBS data.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration parameters include Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) configuration parameters.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS)-related notifications indicate a change in an MBS configuration.

6. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the change in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration includes one or more of a change in a Multicast Control Channel (MCCH) configuration for MBS data reception or a change in a Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) configuration.

7. the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications include a version number or index associated with the MBS configuration; a change in the MBS configuration is based on a change in the version number or the index; The method of claim 5.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining, by the user equipment (UE), the change in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration based on the version number or the index.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user equipment (UE) is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user equipment (UE) is in a radio resource control (RRC) idle state.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more paging messages result from a paging initiated from a core network (CN).

12. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user equipment (UE) is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the one or more paging messages result from a radio access network (RAN) initiated paging.

14. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a configuration parameter indicating a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI), the downlink control channel being associated with the P-RNTI.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the one or more paging messages is based on group paging.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more paging messages are received by one or more further user equipment (UE), and the one or more further UEs, including the UE, are scheduled to receive Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) data.

17. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the paging occasion is based on a discontinuous reception (DRX) procedure.

18. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the paging occasion is based on a user equipment (UE) identifier.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the user equipment (UE) identifier is a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI).

20. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the paging occasion is based on an offset parameter received via a radio resource control (RRC) message or via a broadcast message.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising initiating a state transition in response to receiving the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications.

22. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the state transition includes transitioning from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state or an RRC idle state to an RRC connected state.

23. 22. The method of claim 21, wherein initiating the state transition is based on one or more channel robustness conditions.

24. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more channel robustness conditions are based on a received signal received power (RSRP) or a received signal received quality (RSRQ) associated with one or more reference signals.

25. 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the state transition is based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection resumption procedure or an RRC connection establishment procedure.

26. the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications include a version number or index of an MBS configuration; the initiation of the state transition is based on the version number or the index; 22. The method of claim 21.

27. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the initiation of the state transition is based on the version number or index changing compared to a current version number or index.

28. 1. A method for receiving Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) data in an inactive state, comprising: determining, by a user equipment (UE), to transition from a radio resource control (RRC) connected state to an RRC inactive state; determining an MBS zone associated with MBS data reception in an RRC inactive state; receiving MBS data using first MBS configuration parameters while the UE is in the MBS zone; A method comprising:

29. 30. The method of claim 28, wherein the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone comprises one or more Radio Access Network (RAN) Notification Areas (RNAs).

30. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein receiving a radio resource control (RRC) release message, and determining to transition from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state is based on the RRC release message.

31. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein the radio resource control (RRC) release message includes one or more information elements (IEs) indicating parameters related to the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

32. 32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the one or more information elements (IEs) indicate identifiers of one or more cells or one or more radio access network (RAN) notification areas (RNAs) associated with the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

33. 29. The method of claim 28, further comprising transitioning from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state in response to reselecting a cell that is not in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

34. 34. The method of claim 33, further comprising receiving second Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration parameters for MBS data reception in response to transitioning from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state.

35. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the transitioning from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state is based on a random access process.

36. 30. The method of claim 28, wherein a first configuration parameter is associated with the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

37. 37. The method of claim 36, further comprising receiving a radio resource control (RRC) release message including the first configuration parameter associated with the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

38. A user equipment (UE), one or more processors; When executed by the one or more processors, the UE determining paging occasions for monitoring a downlink control channel associated with one or more paging messages including one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS)-related notifications associated with scheduling information for reception of MBS data; receiving the one or more MBS-related notifications based on monitoring a downlink control channel during one or more first ones of the paging occasions; and receiving MBS data based on the one or more MBS-related notifications; a memory for storing instructions for performing the A user equipment (UE) comprising:

39. 39. The user equipment (UE) of claim 38, wherein the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications indicate a start or end time, or an activation or deactivation time, of an MBS session.

40. 39. The user equipment (UE) of claim 38, wherein the one or more multicast broadcast service (MBS) related notifications indicate one or more MBS configuration parameters for reception of the MBS data.

41. 41. The user equipment (UE) of claim 40, wherein the one or more multicast broadcast service (MBS) configuration parameters include semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration parameters.

42. 39. The user equipment (UE) of claim 38, wherein the one or more multicast broadcast service (MBS) related notifications indicate a change in an MBS configuration.

43. 43. The user equipment (UE) of claim 42, wherein the change in the multicast broadcast service (MBS) configuration includes one or more of a change in a multicast control channel (MCCH) configuration for MBS data reception or a change in a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration.

44. the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications include a version number or index associated with the MBS configuration; a change in the MBS configuration is based on a change in the version number or the index; 43. A user equipment (UE) according to claim 42.

45. 43. The user equipment (UE) of claim 42, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the UE to determine a change in the multicast broadcast service (MBS) configuration based on a version number or index.

46. 39. The user equipment (UE) of claim 38, wherein the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state.

47. 39. The user equipment (UE) of claim 38, wherein the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) idle state.

48. 48. The user equipment (UE) of claim 47, wherein the one or more paging messages result from paging initiated from a core network (CN).

49. 39. The user equipment (UE) of claim 38, wherein the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state.

50. 50. The user equipment (UE) of claim 49, wherein the one or more paging messages result from paging initiated from a radio access network (RAN).

51. 39. The user equipment of claim 38, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the UE to receive a configuration parameter indicating a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI), the downlink control channel being associated with the P-RNTI.

52. 39. The user equipment (UE) of claim 38, wherein receiving the one or more paging messages is based on group paging.

53. 53. The user equipment (UE) of claim 52, wherein the one or more paging messages are received by one or more further user equipment (UE), and one or more further UEs, including the UE, are scheduled to receive multicast broadcast service (MBS) data.

54. 39. The user equipment (UE) of claim 38, wherein determining the paging occasion is based on a discontinuous reception (DRX) procedure.

55. 55. The user equipment (UE) of claim 54, wherein determining the paging occasion is based on a user equipment (UE) identifier.

56. 56. The user equipment (UE) of claim 55, wherein the UE identifier is a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI).

57. 39. The user equipment (UE) of claim 38, wherein determining the paging occasion is based on an offset parameter received via a radio resource control (RRC) message or via a broadcast message.

58. 39. The user equipment (UE) of claim 38, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the UE to initiate a state transition in response to receiving the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications.

59. 59. The user equipment (UE) of claim 58, wherein the state transition includes transitioning from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state or an RRC idle state to an RRC connected state.

60. 59. The user equipment (UE) of claim 58, wherein initiation of the state transition is based on one or more channel robustness conditions.

61. 61. The user equipment (UE) of claim 60, wherein the one or more channel robustness conditions are based on a received signal received power (RSRP) or a received signal received quality (RSRQ) associated with one or more reference signals.

62. 59. The user equipment (UE) of claim 58, wherein the state transition is based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection resumption procedure or an RRC connection establishment procedure.

63. the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications include a version number or index of an MBS configuration; the initiation of the state transition is based on the version number or the index; 59. A user equipment (UE) according to claim 58.

64. 64. The user equipment (UE) of claim 63, wherein the initiation of the state transition is based on the version number or index changing compared to a current version number or index.

65. A user equipment (UE), one or more processors; When executed by the one or more processors, the UE determining to transition from a radio resource control (RRC) connected state to an RRC inactive state; determining an MBS zone associated with MBS data reception in an RRC inactive state; and receiving MBS data using first MBS configuration parameters while the UE is in the MBS zone; a memory for storing instructions for performing the A user equipment (UE) comprising:

66. 66. The user equipment (UE) of claim 65, wherein the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone comprises one or more Radio Access Network (RAN) Notification Areas (RNA).

67. 66. The user equipment (UE) of claim 65, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the UE to receive a radio resource control (RRC) release message, and wherein the determining to transition from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state is based on the RRC release message.

68. 68. The user equipment (UE) of claim 67, wherein the radio resource control (RRC) release message includes one or more information elements (IEs) indicating parameters related to the multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone.

69. 69. The user equipment (UE) of claim 68, wherein the one or more information elements (IEs) indicate identifiers of one or more cells or one or more radio access network (RAN) notification areas (RNAs) associated with the multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone.

70. 66. The user equipment (UE) of claim 65, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further transition the UE from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state in response to reselecting a cell that is not in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

71. 71. The user equipment (UE) of claim 70, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the UE to receive second Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration parameters for MBS data reception in response to transitioning from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state.

72. 71. The user equipment (UE) of claim 70, wherein the transition from the radio resource control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state is based on a random access process.

73. 66. The user equipment (UE) of claim 65, wherein the first configuration parameter relates to a Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

74. 74. The user equipment (UE) of claim 73, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the UE to receive a radio resource control (RRC) release message including the first configuration parameter associated with the multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone.

75. A method for multicast broadcast service (MBS) notification signaling, comprising: Depending on the base station, determining a paging occasion for monitoring a downlink control channel associated with one or more paging messages including one or more MBS-related notifications associated with scheduling information for reception of MBS data; and monitoring the downlink control channel on one or more first ones of the paging occasions; transmitting one or more MBS-related notifications received based on transmitting MBS data based on the one or more MBS-related notifications; A method comprising:

76. 76. The method of claim 75, wherein the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications indicate a start or end time, or an activation or deactivation time, of an MBS session.

77. 76. The method of claim 75, wherein the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS)-related notifications indicate one or more MBS configuration parameters for reception of the MBS data.

78. 78. The method of claim 77, wherein the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration parameters include Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) configuration parameters.

79. 76. The method of claim 75, wherein the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications indicate a change in an MBS configuration.

80. 80. The method of claim 79, wherein the change in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration includes one or more of a change in a Multicast Control Channel (MCCH) configuration for MBS data reception or a change in a Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) configuration.

81. the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications include a version number or index associated with the MBS configuration; a change in the MBS configuration is based on a change in the version number or the index; 80. The method of claim 79.

82. 82. The method of claim 81, wherein a change in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration is determined based on the version number or the index.

83. 76. The method of claim 75, wherein a user equipment (UE) receiving the multicast broadcast service (MBS) related notification is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state.

84. 76. The method of claim 75, wherein a user equipment (UE) receiving the multicast broadcast service (MBS) related notification is in a radio resource control (RRC) idle state.

85. 85. The method of claim 84, wherein the one or more paging messages result from paging initiated from a core network (CN).

86. 76. The method of claim 75, wherein a user equipment (UE) receiving the multicast broadcast service (MBS) related notification is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state.

87. 87. The method of claim 86, wherein the one or more paging messages result from paging initiated from a radio access network (RAN).

88. 76. The method of claim 75, further comprising: transmitting a configuration parameter indicating that a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI) is to be received, the downlink control channel being associated with the P-RNTI.

89. 76. The method of claim 75, wherein the one or more paging messages are based on group paging.

90. 90. The method of claim 89, wherein the one or more paging messages are received by one or more further user equipment (UE), and the one or more further UEs are scheduled to receive multicast broadcast service (MBS) data.

91. 76. The method of claim 75, wherein determining the paging occasion is based on a discontinuous reception (DRX) procedure.

92. 92. The method of claim 91, wherein determining the paging occasion is based on a user equipment (UE) identifier.

93. 93. The method of claim 92, wherein the user equipment (UE) identifier is a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI).

94. 76. The method of claim 75, wherein determining the paging occasion is based on an offset parameter that is a radio resource control (RRC) parameter or a broadcast parameter.

95. 76. The method of claim 75, wherein a state transition is initiated in response to transmission of the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications.

96. 96. The method of claim 95, wherein the state transition includes transitioning from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state or an RRC idle state to an RRC connected state.

97. 96. The method of claim 95, wherein initiation of the state transition is based on one or more channel robustness conditions.

98. 98. The method of claim 97, wherein the one or more channel robustness conditions are based on received signal received power (RSRP) or received signal received quality (RSRQ) associated with one or more reference signals.

99. 97. The method of claim 96, wherein the state transition is based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection resumption procedure or an RRC connection establishment procedure.

100. the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications include a version number or index of an MBS configuration; the initiation of the state transition is based on the version number or the index; 96. The method of claim 95.

101. 101. The method of claim 100, wherein the initiation of the state transition is based on the version number or index changing compared to a current version number or index.

102. 1. A method for transmitting Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) data in an inactive state, comprising: Depending on the base station, a user equipment (UE) in an MBS zone; the MBS zone associated with MBS data reception in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state; and Transition from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state transmitting MBS data using the first MBS configuration parameters based on A method comprising:

103. 103. The method of claim 102, wherein the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone comprises one or more Radio Access Network (RAN) Notification Areas (RNAs).

104. A radio resource control (RRC) release message is received; transitioning from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state is based on the RRC release message. The method of claim 102.

105. 105. The method of claim 104, wherein the radio resource control (RRC) release message includes one or more information elements (IEs) indicating parameters related to the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

106. 106. The method of claim 105, wherein the one or more information elements (IEs) indicate identifiers of one or more cells or one or more radio access network (RAN) notification areas (RNAs) associated with the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

107. 103. The method of claim 102, wherein transitioning from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state is in response to reselecting a cell that is not in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

108. 108. The method of claim 107, wherein second Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration parameters for MBS data reception are received in response to transitioning from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state.

109. 108. The method of claim 107, wherein the transitioning from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state is based on a random access process.

110. 103. The method of claim 102, wherein the first configuration parameter is associated with a Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

111. 111. The method of claim 110, wherein a radio resource control (RRC) release message is received that includes the first configuration parameters associated with the multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone.

112. A base station, one or more processors; When executed by the one or more processors, the base station determining a paging occasion for monitoring a downlink control channel associated with one or more paging messages including one or more MBS-related notifications associated with scheduling information for reception of MBS data; monitoring the downlink control channel during one or more first ones of the paging occasions; transmitting one or more MBS-related notifications received based on Transmitting MBS data based on the one or more MBS-related notifications. a memory for storing instructions for performing the A base station comprising:

113. 113. The base station of claim 112, wherein the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications indicate a start or end time or an activation or deactivation time of an MBS session.

114. 113. The base station of claim 112, wherein the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS)-related notifications indicate one or more MBS configuration parameters for reception of the MBS data.

115. 115. The base station of claim 114, wherein the one or more multicast broadcast service (MBS) configuration parameters include semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) configuration parameters.

116. 113. The base station of claim 112, wherein the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications indicate a change in an MBS configuration.

117. 117. The base station of claim 116, wherein the change in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration includes one or more of a change in a Multicast Control Channel (MCCH) configuration for MBS data reception or a change in a Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) configuration.

118. the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications include a version number or index associated with the MBS configuration; a change in the MBS configuration is based on a change in the version number or the index; 117. The base station of claim 116.

119. 119. The base station of claim 118, wherein a change in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration is determined based on the version number or the index.

120. 113. The base station of claim 112, wherein a user equipment (UE) receiving the MBS-related notification is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state.

121. 113. The base station of claim 112, wherein a user equipment (UE) receiving the MBS-related notification is in a radio resource control (RRC) idle state.

122. 122. The base station of claim 121, wherein the one or more paging messages result from paging initiated from a core network (CN).

123. 123. The base station of claim 122, wherein a user equipment (UE) receiving the MBS-related notification is in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state.

124. 124. The base station of claim 123, wherein the one or more paging messages result from paging initiated from a radio access network (RAN).

125. 113. The base station of claim 112, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processes, further cause the base station to transmit a configuration parameter indicating that a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI) is to be received, and the downlink control channel is associated with the P-RNTI.

126. 113. The base station of claim 112, wherein the one or more paging messages are based on group paging.

127. 127. The base station of claim 126, wherein the one or more paging messages are received by one or more additional user equipment (UE), and the one or more additional UEs are scheduled to receive multicast broadcast service (MBS) data.

128. 113. The base station of claim 112, wherein determining the paging occasion is based on a discontinuous reception (DRX) procedure.

129. 129. The base station of claim 128, wherein determining the paging occasion is based on a user equipment (UE) identifier.

130. 120. The base station of claim 119, wherein the user equipment (UE) identifier is a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI).

131. 113. The base station of claim 112, wherein determining the paging occasion is based on an offset parameter that is a radio resource control (RRC) parameter or a broadcast parameter.

132. 113. The base station of claim 112, wherein a state transition is initiated in response to transmission of the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications.

133. 133. The base station of claim 132, wherein the state transition includes transitioning from a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state or an RRC idle state to an RRC connected state.

134. 133. The base station of claim 132, wherein initiation of the state transition is based on one or more channel robustness conditions.

135. 135. The base station of claim 134, wherein the one or more channel robustness conditions are based on a received signal received power (RSRP) or a received signal received quality (RSRQ) associated with one or more reference signals.

136. 134. The base station of claim 133, wherein the state transition is based on a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection resumption procedure or an RRC connection establishment procedure.

137. the one or more Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) related notifications include a version number or index of an MBS configuration; the initiation of the state transition is based on the version number or the index; 133. The base station of claim 132.

138. 138. The base station of claim 137, wherein initiation of the state transition is based on the version number or index changing compared to a current version number or index.

139. one or more processes; When executed by one or more processors, the base station a user equipment (UE) in an MBS zone; the MBS zone associated with MBS data reception in a Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state; and Transition from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state transmitting MBS data using the first MBS configuration parameters based on a memory for storing instructions for performing the A base station comprising:

140. 140. The base station of claim 139, wherein the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone comprises one or more Radio Access Network (RAN) Notification Areas (RNAs).

141. A radio resource control (RRC) release message is received; transitioning from the RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state is based on the RRC release message.

140. The base station of claim 139.

142. 142. The base station of claim 141, wherein the radio resource control (RRC) release message includes one or more information elements (IEs) indicating parameters related to the multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone.

143. 143. The base station of claim 142, wherein the one or more information elements (IEs) indicate identifiers of one or more cells or one or more radio access network (RAN) notification areas (RNAs) associated with the multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone.

144. 140. The base station of claim 139, wherein the transitioning from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state is in response to reselecting a cell that is not in the Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

145. 135. The base station of claim 134, wherein second Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) configuration parameters for MBS data reception are received in response to transitioning from the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state.

146. 145. The base station of claim 144, wherein the transitioning from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) inactive state to the RRC connected state is based on a random access process.

147. 140. The base station of claim 139, wherein the first configuration parameter is associated with a Multicast Broadcast Service (MBS) zone.

148. 148. The base station of claim 147, wherein a radio resource control (RRC) release message is received that includes the first configuration parameters associated with the multicast broadcast service (MBS) zone.

149. A base station; A user equipment (UE), one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the UE to: determine a paging occasion for monitoring a downlink control channel associated with one or more paging messages including one or more MBS-related notifications associated with scheduling information for reception of MBS data; receive the one or more MBS-related notifications based on monitoring the downlink control channel at a first one or more of the paging occasions; and receive MBS data based on the one or more MBS-related notifications. a user device comprising: A system comprising:

150. A base station; A user equipment (UE), one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the UE to: determine a transition from a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state to an RRC inactive state; determine an MBS zone associated with MBS data reception in the RRC inactive state; and receive MBS data using first MBS configuration parameters while the UE is in the MBS zone. a user device comprising: A system comprising:

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