Method, network control repeater, and access network node

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method executed by a network controlled repeater (NCR). The method includes receiving, from an access network node, an NCR support indication indicating whether the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node, and transmitting, to the access network node, a device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device if the NCR support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to wireless communication systems and devices that operate according to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) (registered trademark) standard or its equivalents or derivatives. The present disclosure relates to improvements related to network controlled repeaters (NCR) and beamforming signals, although not particularly exclusive.

Background Art

[0002] In the 3GPP standard, NodeB (or "eNB" in LTE and "gNB" in 5G) is a base station through which a communication device (user equipment or "UE") connects to the core network and communicates with other communication devices or remote servers. End-user communication devices are generally referred to as user equipment (UE) and include devices that are operated by humans or automated. Such communication devices are, for example, mobile communication devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, smartwatches, personal digital assistants, laptop / tablet computers, web browsers, e-book readers, connected cars, etc. Such mobile (or generally stationary) devices can also connect Internet of Things (IoT) devices and similar machine type communication (MTC) devices to the network, but are usually operated by a user (therefore, they are often collectively referred to as user equipment (UE)). For simplicity, in this application, the term base station is used to refer to such a base station, and the terms mobile device or UE are used to refer to such communication devices.

[0003] The latest development of the 3GPP standard is the so-called "5G" or "New Radio" (NR) standard, which refers to an evolving communication technology expected to support various applications and services such as MTC, IoT / Industrial IoT (IIoT) communication, vehicle communication and autonomous vehicles, high-resolution video streaming, and smart city services. 3GPP intends to support 5G via the so-called 3GPP Next Generation (NextGen) radio access network (RAN) / radio access technology (RAT) and 3GPP NextGen core (NGC) network. Various details of the 5G network are described, for example, in Non-Patent Document 1.

[0004] In a communication network, a UE may be outside the transmission range of a base station. However, by providing a repeater that receives transmissions from the base station and re-transmits the received signals, the range of the base station can be effectively extended. Thus, the UE can communicate with the base station via the repeater. The repeater provides a flexible alternative for extending the network coverage without deploying additional regular full-stack cells. The repeater may be referred to as a radio frequency repeater (RF repeater). A simple repeater can receive signals from the base station and simply broadcast the received signals omnidirectionally. In other words, the RF repeater can simply amplify and transfer the signals received from the base station to provide an extended coverage area. The RF repeater provides a relatively cost-effective way to extend network coverage. However, when the original transmission from the base station is a beamforming transmission, simple amplification and omnidirectional transfer may not be appropriate. The repeater may be required by the network to transmit the received signals as a beam in a specific direction at a specific time and may need to be configured to receive signals from the UE in a specific direction at a specific time and frequency on the access link. To notify the repeater of the configuration information for transmitting and receiving beamforming signals, the repeater may receive corresponding control information from the base station. Such a repeater is called a "network controlled repeater" (NCR), and the control information received from the base station may be called "side control information".

[0005] NCR 9 includes NCR-Mobile termination (NCR-MT). NCR-MT is an entity that communicates with the gNB via the control link (C-link) and enables the exchange of side control information. The C-link is based on the new radio (NR) Uu interface.

[0006] The authentication method of the UE in the 5G network is described, for example, in Non-Patent Document 2, and the detailed procedure is described in Non-Patent Document 3.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0007]

Non-Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 2

Non-Patent Document 3

Non-Patent Document 4

Non-Patent Document 5

Non-Patent Document 6

Non-Patent Document 7

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] However, in order to facilitate the integration of the NCR into the network, there is a need for new upper layer procedures for communication between the NCR and the gNB. For example, there is a need for improved identification and authorisation procedures for the NCR, improved information exchange between the gNB and the NCR-MT, and improved gNB broadcast signalling.

[0009] The present disclosure aims to provide a method and related apparatus for addressing (at least in part) or at least alleviating the above-mentioned problems.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0010] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method executed by a network controlled repeater (NCR), the method comprising receiving, from an access network node, an NCR support indication indicating whether the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node; and if the NCR support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node, sending an NCR device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device to the access network node.

[0011] The method further comprises, if the support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node, sending a request for setting up a radio resource control (RRC) connection to the access network node; receiving a response to the request for setting up the RRC connection from the access network node; and sending an RRC message including the device indication to the access network node.

[0012] The method may further include sending an indication corresponding to the radio capability information of the NCR to the access network node, and the indication corresponding to the radio capability information of the NCR may include the NCR device indication.

[0013] The NCR device indication may be received from the access network node as part of the system information sent by the access network node.

[0014] The NCR device indication may be received from the access network node in system information block (SIB) information transmitted by the access network node.

[0015] The NCR support indication may be received from the access network node in SIB1. When information of a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) is indicated in the SIB1, the NCR support indication is common to the plurality of PLMNs.

[0016] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method performed by a network controlled repeater (NCR), the method comprising transmitting forwarding capability information indicating the forwarding capability of the NCR to an access network node.

[0017] The forwarding capability information may indicate a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) supported by the NCR.

[0018] The method may further comprise receiving, from the access network node, forwarding control information for controlling forwarding by the NCR.

[0019] The forwarding control information may be received from the access network node by RRC signaling. The forwarding control information may be received from the access network node by an RRC reconfiguration message. The forwarding control information may be received from the access network node by an NCR setup message.

[0020] After receiving the NCR setup message, the method may further include transmitting an NCR setup completion message to the access network node, and activating a transfer between the NCR and a user equipment (UE) based on the transfer control information received from the access network node.

[0021] The transfer control information may include at least one of a set of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) used by the NCR to transfer signals, timing information indicating a time when the NCR transfers signals between the access network node and the user equipment (UE), a frequency used for communication on an access link between the NCR and the UE, or frequency information indicating a frequency used for communication between the NCR and the access network node, or beam direction information indicating a beam direction used for transmission or reception between the NCR and the UE, or a beam direction used for transmission between the NCR and the access network node.

[0022] The method may further include receiving other transfer control information from the access network node, and controlling a transfer between the NCR and a user equipment (UE) based on the other transfer control information.

[0023] The other transfer control information may be received from the access network node in a media access control control element (MAC CE).

[0024] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method performed by an access network node, the method comprising: sending a network controlled repeater (NCR) support indication to the NCR indicating whether the functions of the NCR are supported by the access network node; and receiving, from the NCR, an NCR device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device if the NCR support indication indicates that the functions of the NCR are supported by the access network node.

[0025] The method may further comprise: receiving, from the NCR, a request to set up a radio resource control (RRC) connection if the NCR support indication indicates that the functions of the NCR are supported by the access network node; sending a response to the request to set up the RRC connection to the NCR; and receiving, from the NCR, an RRC message including the NCR device indication.

[0026] The method may further comprise: after the access network node receives the RRC message from the NCR, sending an initial UE message (INITIAL UE MESSAGE) including the NCR device indication to a core network node for mobility management.

[0027] The method may further comprise receiving, from the NCR, an indication corresponding to radio capability information of the NCR, wherein the indication corresponding to the radio capability information of the NCR includes the NCR device indication.

[0028] Sending the NCR support instruction may include sending system information including the NCR support instruction. Sending the NCR support instruction may include sending system information block (SIB) information including the NCR support instruction.

[0029] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a method performed by an access network node, the method comprising receiving, from a network controlled repeater (NCR), forwarding capability information indicating the forwarding capability of the NCR.

[0030] The forwarding capability information may indicate a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) supported by the NCR.

[0031] The method may further comprise, after receiving the forwarding capability information, sending, to the NCR, forwarding control information for controlling the forwarding by the NCR.

[0032] Sending the forwarding control information may include sending RRC signaling including the forwarding control information. Sending the forwarding control information may include sending the forwarding control information in an RRC reconfiguration message. Sending the forwarding control information may include sending the forwarding control information in an NCR setup message.

[0033] The method may further comprise, after sending the NCR setup message, receiving, from the NCR, an NCR setup completion message.

[0034] The transfer control information may include at least one of a set of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) used by the NCR that transfers a signal, timing information indicating the time when the NCR transfers a signal between the access network node and a user equipment (UE), frequency information indicating a frequency used for communication on an access link between the NCR and the UE, or a frequency used for communication between the NCR and the access network node, or beam information indicating a beam direction used for transmission or reception between the NCR and the UE, or a beam direction used for transmission between the NCR and the access network node.

[0035] The method may further include transmitting other transfer control information to the NCR, where the other transfer control information is used by the NCR for controlling the transfer between the NCR and a user equipment (UE).

[0036] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a network controlled repeater (NCR), the NCR comprising means for receiving from an access network node an NCR support indication indicating whether the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node, and means for transmitting, when the NCR support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node, an NCR device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device to the access network node.

[0037] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a network controlled repeater (NCR), the NCR comprising means for transmitting transfer capability information indicating the transfer capability of the NCR to an access network node.

[0038] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an access network node, the access network node comprising means for transmitting to a network controlled repeater (NCR) an NCR support indication indicating whether the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node, and means for receiving from the NCR an NCR device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device when the NCR support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node.

[0039] In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an access network node, the access network node comprising means for receiving from a network controlled repeater (NCR) transfer capability information indicating the transfer capability of the NCR. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be exemplarily described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0041] FIG. 1 schematically shows a mobile (cellular or wireless) communication system 1 to which embodiments of the present disclosure can be applied.

[0042] In this system 1, a user of a mobile device 3 (UE) can communicate with each other and with other users via a base station 5 (and other access network nodes) and a core network 7 using an appropriate 3GPP radio access technology (RAT), for example, Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) and / or a 5G RAT. It will be understood that a number of base stations 5 form a (radio) access network or (R)AN. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, FIG. 1 shows, for illustrative purposes, four mobile devices 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D and two base stations 5A, 5B, but this system, when implemented, will typically include other base stations / (R)AN nodes 5 and mobile devices (UE) 3.

[0043] Each base station 5 controls one or more associated cells 6 (either directly or via other nodes such as home base stations, relays, remote radio heads, distributed units, etc.). In this example, base station 5A has a direct coverage area 6A-1 and an additional coverage area 6A-2 provided by a network control repeater (NCR) 9. A UE 3B within the additional coverage area 6A-2 provided by the NCR 9 can communicate with the base station 5a via the NCR 9.

[0044] A base station 5 that supports next-generation / 5G protocols can be referred to as a "gNB". It will be understood that some base stations 5 can be configured to support both 4G and 5G, and / or other 3GPP or non-3GPP communication protocols. It will be understood that a number of base stations 5 form a (radio) access network or (R)AN.

[0045] The mobile device 3 and its serving base station 5 are connected via an appropriate air interface (such as, for example, the so-called "NR" air interface, "Uu" interface, etc.). Adjacent base stations 5 can be connected to each other via an appropriate inter-base-station interface (such as the so-called "Xn" interface, "X2" interface, etc.). The base station 5 is also connected to core network nodes via appropriate interfaces (such as the so-called "NG-U" interface for the user plane, the so-called "NG-C" interface for the control plane, etc.).

[0046] The core network 7 (e.g., EPC in the case of LTE and NGC in the case of NR / 5G) typically includes logical nodes (or "functions") for supporting communication in the telecommunication system 1, particularly for subscriber management, mobility management, billing, security, and call / session management. For example, the core network 7 of a "next-generation" / 5G system includes user plane entities and control plane entities such as one or more control plane functions (CPF) 8-2 and one or more user plane functions (UPF) 8-3. The core network 7 also includes the so-called Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 8-1 in 5G or the Mobility Management Entity (MME) in 4G, which is responsible for handling the connection and mobility management tasks of the mobile device 3. The Session Management Function (SMF) 8-4 is responsible for handling the communication sessions of the mobile device 3, such as session establishment, modification, and release. The Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) function 8-5 can be implemented in software in one or more 5G CN nodes. The core network 7 is connected to a data network 10 such as the Internet or a similar Internet Protocol (IP)-based network.

[0047] When the UE 3 first establishes an RRC connection with the base station 6 via a cell, it registers with an appropriate AMF 8-1 (or MME). The UE 3 is in a so-called RRC connected state, and the associated UE context is maintained by the network. Even when the UE 3 is in a so-called RRC idle state or RRC inactive state, it needs to select an appropriate cell for camping so that the network can recognize the approximate location of the UE 3 (although not necessarily at the cell level).

[0048] Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the NCR 9 disposed between the base station 5 and the UE 3. The NCR 9 includes an NCR-Mobile termination (NCR-MT) 201 for communication with the base station 5 via a control link (including reception of "side control information" to be described in more detail below). The control link (C-link) is based on the New Radio (NR) Uu interface. Also, the NCR 9 includes an NCR-Forwarding (NCR-Fwd) 202 for communicating with the base station 5 via a backhaul link and communicating with the UE 3 via an access link.

[0049] The NCR 9 receives control information regarding at least one beamforming signal transmitted by the NCR 9 from the gNB 5. This control information may be referred to as side control information. The side control information includes control information for downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL) transmission. The operation of the NCR-Fwd 202 (e.g., one or more configurations of the NCR 9 related to the backhaul link and / or the access link) is controlled based on the side control information received from the gNB 5.

[0050] In the case of DL transmission, the repeater receives the transmission from the gNB 5 via the backhaul link and transmits the corresponding signal to the UE 3 via the access link. The side control information can control the direction, timing, and frequency of the transmission on the access link to the UE 3. In other words, the side control information controls the transfer of the transmission from the gNB 5 to the UE 3 by the NCR 9. The side control information can also indicate the timing at which the signal should be received by the NCR 9 from the gNB via the backhaul. In the case of UL transmission, the NCR 9 receives the transmission from the UE 3 via the access link and transmits the corresponding signal to the gNB 5. The side control information can control the direction in which the NCR 9 receives on the access link at a specific time and / or frequency resource window. The side control information can also indicate the time at which the signal is received from the UE 3 via the access link.

[0051] The side control information can include configuration information for transmitting a beamforming signal and / or uplink / downlink (UL / DL) time division duplex (TDD) configuration information. The UL / DL TDD configuration information can indicate a quasi-static TDD UL / DL configuration of a control link, a backhaul link, and / or an access link. The same TDD UL / DL configuration may be assumed for the backhaul link and the access link. When NCR-MT and NCR-Fwd are in the same frequency band, the same TDD UL / DL configuration can be assumed for the control link, the backhaul link, and the access link. More generally, the control information is used to control the transfer operations for UL and / or DL of NCR 9.

[0052] In the case of downlink signal transfer, the side control information can include, for the access link, information indicating one or more directions in which NCR 9 transmits the signal received from the backhaul link at a predetermined time (e.g., a time window). In the case of uplink signal transfer, the side control information can include, for the access link, information indicating one or more directions in which NCR 9 receives a signal from the UE at a predetermined time (e.g., a time window) and transfers it to the gNB via the backhaul link. The side control information can indicate different directions used at different times. The side control information can include information on a beam refinement procedure of the beam transmitted by NCR 9. The beam refinement procedure can be used, for example, when the state of the radio link between UE 3 and NCR 9 changes. The side control information can include beam information indicating the beam configuration of the access link. The side control information can include the direction for receiving transmissions from UE 3.

[0053] The side control information can include information regarding semi-static and / or dynamic downlink / uplink configurations, adaptive transmitter / receiver spatial beamforming, on-off information (e.g., for more efficient interference management and energy efficiency improvement), power control information (e.g., for improved interference management), or any other suitable control information. The on-off information is for controlling the operation of NCR-Fwd 202 and can include an explicit indication of an on-off state or on-off pattern. The on-off information can include an implicit indication via signaling for other information such as beam information, DL / UL configuration information, or power control information. The on-off information can include a combination of explicit and implicit indications.

[0054] The side control information can include timing information indicating the timing for NCR 9 to amplify and forward signals for the downlink and / or uplink. The timing information may be for setting the DL reception timing of NCR-Fwd in the backhaul link. Also, the timing information may be for setting the UL reception timing of NCR-Fwd in the access link. NCR-Fwd 202 amplifies and forwards the corresponding received signal to UE 3 in the case of the downlink and to gNB 5 in the case of the uplink.

[0055] The side control information can be transmitted from the gNB 5 to the NCR 9 as L1 / L2 control signaling and / or RRC signaling. The NCR 9 can obtain configuration information for receiving L1 / L2 signaling via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. Alternatively, the configuration information for receiving L1 / L2 signaling can be received from an operations administration and maintenance (OAM) entity within the network, or may be pre-configured in the NCR 9. As yet another option, the configuration information for receiving L1 / L2 signaling can be received partially via RRC signaling and partially from an OAM entity within the network. The configuration information for receiving L1 / L2 signaling can include configuration information for receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) and / or a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), configuration information for transmitting a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), configuration information for transmitting a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), configuration information for downlink control information (DCI), configuration information for uplink control information (UCI), and / or configuration information for a medium access control control-element (MAC CE).

[0056] User Equipment (UE) Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the main components of the mobile device (UE) 3 shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the UE 3 includes a transceiver circuit 21 operable to transmit signals to and receive signals from one or more connected nodes via one or more antennas 22. Although not necessarily shown in FIG. 3, the UE 3 naturally has all the normal functions of a conventional mobile device (such as the user interface 24), and these functions can be appropriately provided by any one or any combination of hardware, software, and firmware. The controller 23 controls the operation of the UE 3 according to the software stored in the memory 25. The software may be pre-installed in the memory 25 and / or may be downloaded, for example, via the telecommunications network 1 or from a removable data storage device (RMD). The software includes, among other things, an operating system 26 and a communication control module 27.

[0057] The communication control module 27 is responsible for processing (generating / transmitting / receiving) signaling messages and uplink / downlink data packets between the UE 3 and other nodes including the AN node 6, the NCR 9, and the core network node. The signaling may include control signaling related to the configuration and assistance of cell reselection by the UE 3 (such as RRC signaling).

[0058] UE 3 may receive one or more beamforming signals (e.g., the beamforming signal transmitted by NCR 9) and perform corresponding signal strength measurements. UE 3 may determine to communicate using a specific one of the plurality of beams (e.g., the beam having the strongest signal received by the UE during the measurement period). The beam selected by UE 3 is identified using a corresponding index (e.g., a synchronization signal block (SSB) index, or other suitable index), and can be used for communication directly between the base station 5 and UE 3 or (if the index corresponds to a beam transmitted by NCR 9) via NCR 9.

[0059] Base Station / Gateway (Access Network Node) FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the main components of the gateway / base station 5 (base station (gNB) or similar access network node shown in FIG. 1; the base station does not necessarily have to be a gNB) shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the base station 5 includes a transceiver circuit 41 operable to transmit and receive signals to and from one or more UEs 3 or NCR 9 via one or more antennas 42 and to transmit and receive signals (directly or indirectly) to and from other network nodes via a network interface 43. The network interface 43 typically includes a suitable base station-base station interface (such as X2 / Xn, etc.) and a suitable base station-core network interface (such as S1 / NG-C / NG-U, etc.). The controller 44 controls the operation of the base station 5 according to software stored in the memory 45. The software may be pre-installed in the memory 45, for example, and / or may be downloaded via a telecommunications network or from a removable data storage device (RMD). The software includes, among other things, an operating system 46, a communication control module 47, a control link module 48, and a backhaul module 49.

[0060] The communication control module 47 is responsible for the processing (generation / transmission / reception) of signaling between the base station 5 and other nodes such as the UE 3 and core network nodes. The signaling can include, for example, control signaling related to the configuration and support of cell reselection by the UE 3 (such as RRC signaling).

[0061] The control link module 48 is responsible for the control of communication via the control link with the NCR-MT 201 of the NCR 9. It will be understood that the control link module 48 can be configured to control communication via the control link according to any of the examples described later.

[0062] The backhaul module 49 is responsible for the control of communication via the backhaul with the NCR-Fwd 202 of the NCR 9. It will be understood that the backhaul module 49 can be configured to control communication via the backhaul according to any of the examples described later.

[0063] Network Control Repeater (NCR) Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the main components of the NCR 9 shown in Figure 1. As shown in the figure, the NCR 9 includes a transceiver circuit 31 operable to transmit and receive signals between one or more UEs 3 and the base station 5 via one or more antennas 32. The controller 33 controls the operation of the NCR 9 according to software stored in the memory 34. The software may be pre-installed in the memory 34 and / or may be downloaded, for example, via a telecommunications network or from a removable data storage device (RMD). The software includes, among other things, an operating system 35, a communication control module 36, a control link module 37, and an amplification and transfer module 38.

[0064] The communication control module 36 is responsible for the overall processing (generation / transmission / reception) of signaling between the base station 5 and the UE 3.

[0065] The control link module 37 is responsible for controlling communication via the control link with the base station 5. It should be understood that the control link module 37 may be configured to control communication via the control link according to any of the examples described below. The control link module 37 can be the NCR-MT 201 shown in FIG. 2.

[0066] The amplification and transfer module 38 plays a role in controlling communication with the base station 5 via the backhaul and controlling communication with the UE 3 via the access link. It should be understood that the amplification and transfer module 38 can be configured to control communication via the backhaul and the access link according to any of the embodiments described below. The amplification and transfer module 38 can be the NCR-Fwd 202 shown in FIG. 2.

[0067] The received broadcast signal may be relayed multiple times via the access link by the NCR 9 in different beam directions within a preconfigured time window, thereby achieving the effect (shown in FIG. 6).

[0068] The NCR 9 may be transparent to the UE 3 within the system 1. The NCR 9 may be configured to simultaneously maintain a gNB repeater link (e.g., a backhaul link and / or a control link) and a repeater UE link (an access link).

[0069] Overview of NCR Transfer FIG. 6 shows an example of communication between the gNB 5 and the UE 3F via the NCR 9.

[0070] As shown in FIG. 6, the base station 5 transmits signals over a plurality of beam directions 70a - 70g. Each beam 70a - 70g may have a corresponding index for identifying the beam. In the case of SSB transmission, the index can be the SSB index. In the example shown in FIG. 6, beams 70a to 70d are transmitted by gNB 5. Each of the beams 70a to 70d is transmitted in a different beam direction using different time resources to achieve a beam sweeping effect. Although each of the beams 70a to 70d is generally transmitted in a different direction, as shown in FIG. 6, it will be understood that there may be some spatial overlap between the beams, for example, beam 70b may partially overlap with beams 70a and 70c. In the case of SIB1 / SI / paging transmission, one or more beam sweeping cycles may exist within the SIB1 / SI / paging transmission window / transmission opportunity. gNB 5 also transmits beams 70e to 70g that are beamformed towards NCR 9. These beams are then relayed by NCR 9 as the corresponding beams 70e-1 to 70g-1.

[0071] A plurality of SSB beams may be transmitted in the time domain as a group of SSB transmissions called an "SSB burst set". Each SSB within the SSB burst set may be called an "SSB block". For example, an SSB burst set of 5 ms may be used in which SSB beams 70a to 70d are sequentially transmitted by gNB 5 within a period of 5 ms, and as a result, a "beam sweeping" effect is obtained. However, the burst set does not necessarily have to be a period of 5 ms. Depending on the configuration of gNB 5 and the available communication resources, various other transmission configurations within the time domain may be used. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 6, gNB 5 transmits four SSBs, but the number of SSBs does not necessarily have to be four. Also, the number of SSBs may be 3 or less or 5 or more (for example, up to 64 SSB blocks within an SSB burst set).

[0072] In the example of FIG. 6, the first UE 3E is located within the coverage area of the SSB 70c transmitted by the gNB 5. The second UE 3F is located within the coverage area of the SSB 70f-1 transmitted (relayed) by the NCR 9 and can communicate with the gNB 5 via the NCR 9 by communicating with the NCR 9 via the access link (and also by communicating between the NCR 9 and the gNB 5 via the backhaul link).

[0073] The first UE 3E can receive the signal corresponding to the SSB 70c and can also receive the signals corresponding to other SSBs (e.g., adjacent SSBs 70b, 70d). After the UE 3E and the gNB 5 receive any of the beamforming signals transmitted by the gNB 5, they can execute the initial access procedure, and the UE 3E may be configured to transmit the corresponding measurement report to the gNB 5. The UE 3E can perform measurements of, for example, the synchronization signal RSRP (syncronisation signal RSRP: SS-RSRP) or the physical broadcast channel demodulation reference signal (physical broadcast channel demodulation reference signal: PBCH DMRS). The UE 3E may be configured to determine the SSB index corresponding to the beam by decoding the PBCH DMRS. The UE 3E may determine the specific beam (and / or the corresponding time or frequency resource) used for communication with the gNB 5 based on the corresponding signal measurements performed by the UE 3E. Alternatively, the UE 3E may report its measurements to the gNB 5, and the gNB 5 may determine the beam (and / or the corresponding time or frequency resource) used for communication with the UE 3E.

[0074] In this example, since the second UE 3F is located outside the non-expanded range of the gNB 5, the UE 3F is not within the coverage area of the beam directly transmitted by the gNB 5. However, the second UE 3F is within the coverage area of the beam 70f-1 transmitted by the NCR 9.

[0075] NCR 9 receives the signal transmitted by gNB 5 via beam 70e - 70g. NCR-MT 201 determines the reception time window corresponding to the beam (for example, the reception time window for SI, SIB1, and / or paging). The reception time window corresponds to the transmission time window for the determined beamforming signal.

[0076] NCR-MT 201 determines the method and timing for transferring the beamforming signal to UE 3 via the access link. In other words, NCR-MT 201 determines the spatial, frequency, and time resources to be used for transmitting one or more beams to be transferred. The determination of the method and timing for transferring the beam may be based on the side control information received from gNB 5 via the control link.

[0077] Overview of the NCR procedure Referring to FIG. 7 showing the overall procedure from the broadcast of "NCR support" via SIBx to the signal transfer by NCR 9, the overview of the NCR procedure is described.

[0078] In step S701, gNB 5 broadcasts "NCR support" via the system information block x (SIBx). For example, gNB 5 may broadcast NCR support via SIB1. The information element (IE) type of NCR support is "true". In the case of multiple public land mobile networks (PLMNs) shown in SIB1, this field is common to all PLMNs.

[0079] In step S702, the NCR-MT initial access step is executed. At this stage, the access link between NCR 9 and UE 3 is not ready for data transfer. NCR-MT 201 starts the registration / attachment process in the cell that broadcasts "NCR-support" = "true". For NCR-MT 201, cellBarred, cellReservedForOperatorUse, and cellReservedForOtherUse are ignored, and unified access control (UAC) is skipped. The NCR-MT initial access process will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 8.

[0080] In step S703, the NCR-Fwd setup process is executed. As will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the method may include reusing RRCConnectionReconfiguration, or alternatively, using a new "NCR setup" process for initializing NCR-Fwd 202.

[0081] To initialize NCR 9, NCR capabilities may be reported, including the number of SSBs used for beam sweeping within the coverage area of NCR 9. Initial side control information may be transmitted, including a list of SSB-Indices for repeater coverage, or one or both of the initial on / off of Fwd and the corresponding beamforming information in different time windows. NCR-Fwd 202 is activated after the NCR-Fwd setup phase is completed. NCR-Fwd 202 is activated upon "reconfiguration complete" or "NCR setup complete".

[0082] In step S704, the signal transfer step is executed. In this step, NCR 9 may receive additional side control information from gNB 5 and control the NCR-Fwd access link.

[0083] NCR-MT Initial Access Procedure Next, the NCR-MT initial access procedure will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

[0084] The procedure shown in FIG. 8 is based on the initial access and initial connection procedures between the UE 3 and the gNB 5 (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 4), but is modified to advantageously include the NCR support indication in the system information transmitted by the gNB 5 and the NCR indication from the NCR 7.

[0085] In step S800, the gNB 5 transmits system information to the NCR-MT 201. The system information includes an NCR support indication, whereby the NCR-MT 201 can determine whether the gNB 5 supports the NCR 9. The gNB 5 broadcasts "NCR support" via an appropriate system information block (SIB). For example, the gNB 5 may broadcast an NCR support indication (e.g., "NCR-support" information element (IE)) via SIB1. In this example, the NCR support is set to "true" indicating that the NCR 9 is supported by the gNB 5 (or a specific function of the NCR is supported), or the NCR-support may be "false" indicating that the NCR 9 is not supported by the gNB 5. It will be understood that any appropriate (explicit or implicit) indication of NCR support can be used. In the case of multiple public land mobile networks (PLMNs) shown in SIB1, this field is common to all PLMNs.

[0086] In step S801, the switch-on, downlink (DL) synchronization, and reading of the system information received from the gNB 5 are performed. The unified access control (UAC) is skipped and the bar / reserve bits (e.g., bits indicating access / cell barring and / or cell reservation) are ignored.

[0087] In step S802, an RRC setup request message is sent from NCR-MT 201 to gNB 5.

[0088] In step S803, an RRC setup message is sent to NCR-MT 201.

[0089] In step S804, an RRC setup complete message including a registration request and an NCR indication is sent to gNB 5. The NCR indication is preferably used to indicate to gNB 5 that NCR 9 is the NCR.

[0090] In step S805, an INITIAL UE MESSAGE is sent from gNB 5 to AMF 8-1. Also, gNB 5 may send a registration request and an NCR indication to AMF 8-1.

[0091] In step S806, UE NAS ID transfer, authentication, and NAS security processing are performed.

[0092] In step S807, AMF 8-1 sends an INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST and a registration accept to gNB 5.

[0093] In step S808, gNB 5 sends a security mode command to NCR-MT 201.

[0094] In step S809, NCR-MT 201 sends a security mode complete to gNB 5.

[0095] In step S810, gNB 5 sends an INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP RESPONSE to AMF 8-1.

[0096] In any step S811, gNB 5 sends an RRC reconfiguration message to NCR-MT 201.

[0097] In any step S812, NCR-MT 201 sends an RRC reconfiguration complete to gNB 5.

[0098] There are two options for gNB 5 to identify the type of NCR-MT during registration / attach. In the first option, NCR-MT 201 sets the content of the RRC setup complete message to the NCR node indication (e.g., as described above). In the second option, NCR-MT 201 compiles and transfers the NCR node indication associated with its radio UE capability information, for example, when it receives a UE capability query from the gNB.

[0099] For protocol data unit (PDU) session configuration, data radio bearer (DRB) configuration, and the Ng interface, there are two options. In the first option (which may be called the legacy option), the Ng interface is established, and the PDU session and the default DRB / SRB2 are configured. In the second option, gNB 5 stores the UE context, but there is no Ng connection, and there is no PDU session configuration or DRB configuration. In the second option, signaling radio bearer 2 (SRB2) may not be required either.

[0100] NCR-Fwd Setup Procedure NCR forwarding is set up using the NCR-Fwd setup procedure described with reference to FIG. 9.

[0101] In the NCR-Fwd setup procedure, RRC signaling is beneficial for initial side control information because this information is semi-persistent / static and related to the always-on / common channels of the cell. At least a part of the RRC side control information may be implicitly indicated by a list of SSB indexes. Alternatively or additionally, at least a part of the RRC side control information may be explicitly indicated, for example, by indicating one or more indexes, a timing information field, and / or a beam information field. The index may be provided to further update the configuration. For example, update the beam information due to the movement of the UE and maintain the same time / frequency information or release the configuration. The timing (frequency) information field may indicate the time when the repeater relays the signal between the gNB 5 and the UE 3. The timing information may correspond to a repeatable pattern. The beam information field may indicate the beam direction used for transmission and reception on the access link. The beam direction information may be used in combination with the time / frequency indicated by the timing information field.

[0102] First, the NCR 9 notifies the gNB 5 that the NCR 9 is an NCR and additionally (or alternatively) how many SSBs / beams are available for repeater coverage sweeping. This information may be indicated in the "NCR indication" shown in step S804 of FIG. 8. The NCR indication may also include other appropriate information about the NCR 9 (e.g., information about the capabilities of the NCR 9).

[0103] In step S900, after NCR-MT finishes the NCR-MT initial access procedure shown in FIG. 8, it is connected to gNB 5.

[0104] In step S901, NCR-MT 201 transmits (all or further) NCR-Fwd capability information to gNB 5. Advantageously, NCR-Fwd may indicate the number of SSBs (e.g., the number of SSBs supported by NCR 9) and / or the antenna information of NCR 9. Advantageously, based on the received NCR0Fwd capability information, gNB 5 can configure NCR 9 more efficiently and effectively.

[0105] In step S902a, gNB 5 transmits an RRC reconfiguration message including (initial) side control information to NCR-MT 201.

[0106] In step S903a, NCR-MT 201 transmits an RRCReconfigurationComplete message to gNB 5.

[0107] In any step S904, gNB 5 may transmit further side control information to NCR-MT 201.

[0108] In step S905, a receive and forward procedure is executed. In the receive and forward procedure, the NCR 9 receives the transmission from the gNB 5 on the backhaul link and forwards the transmission to the UE 3 on the access link. Similarly, the NCR 9 receives the transmission from the UE 3 on the access link and forwards the transmission to the gNB 5 via the backhaul link. In step S905, the NCR 9 may receive and forward the downlink SSB (e.g., SSB#a / b / c), SIB1, system information (SI), and / or paging information during the paging occasions (POs) in the downlink. On the uplink, the NCR 9 may receive and forward the uplink information during a plurality of POs (e.g., SSB#a / b / c) corresponding to the SSB.

[0109] An alternative NCR-Fwd setup procedure is shown in FIG. 10. In the example of FIG. 10, steps S902a, S903a are replaced by steps S902b, S903b. The remaining steps shown in FIG. 10 are the same as the corresponding steps shown in FIG. 9.

[0110] In step S902b, the gNB 5 transmits a new NCR setup message including side control information to the NCR-MT 201 for the initialization of the NCR-Fwd 202.

[0111] In step S903b, the NCR-MT transmits an NCR setup completion message indicating that the initialization of the NCR-Fwd 202 is completed to the gNB 5. Thus, advantageously, by exchanging the new NCR setup message and the NCR setup completion message, the gNB 5 and the NCR 9 can more efficiently exchange information regarding the NCR 9.

[0112] In both examples shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, messages 902a / b, 903a / b are for determining the time and frequency information of a common channel received and relayed by NCR 9.

[0113] After completion of the NCR-Fwd setup phase, NCR-Fwd is activated. That is, NCR-Fwd is activated when RRC reconfiguration complete (RRCReconfigurationComplete) or "NCR setup complete" is received.

[0114] Side control information addition / update / release procedure Referring to FIG. 11, a side control information update procedure that occurs as a result of access / release of UE 3 via NCR will be described.

[0115] In the method shown in FIG. 11, side control information is transmitted to configure the timing at which NCR-Fwd relays a signal and also to indicate the direction for relaying (beamforming information) or receiving in the uplink. For example, the beamforming information may indicate a direction corresponding to the position of a specific UE 3.

[0116] For transmission of side control information, it is advantageous to use media access control (MAC) signaling. MAC signaling is advantageous because side control information is exchanged relatively frequently, is related to scheduling and beamforming, and the number of bits of side control information is not too small.

[0117] The MAC control element (MAC CE) may include an index indicating a further update to the configuration. For example, it is to update the beam information due to the movement of the UE while maintaining the same time / frequency information, or to release its configuration. The timing (frequency) information field may indicate the time when the repeater relays signals between the gNB 5 and the UE 3. The timing information may correspond to a repeatable pattern or a periodic pattern. The timing information may correspond to downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) subframes, slots and / or symbols. The beam information field may indicate the beam direction used for transmission and reception on the access link. The beam direction information may be used in combination with the time / frequency indicated by the timing information field.

[0118] In step S110, based on the previously received side control information, the reception and transfer procedures are executed by NCR-Fwd. In the reception and transfer stage, NCR 9 receives the transmission from the gNB 5 on the backhaul link and transfers the transmission to the UE 3 on the access link. Similarly, NCR 9 receives the transmission from the UE 3 on the access link and transfers the transmission to the gNB 5 via the backhaul link. The reception and transfer procedures may receive and transfer, for example, downlink SSBs (e.g., SSB#a / b / c), SIB1, system information (SI), and / or paging information, between multiple paging opportunities (POs) on the downlink link. On the uplink, NCR 9 may receive and transfer uplink information between multiple POs (e.g., SSB#a / b / c) corresponding to the SSB.

[0119] In step S111, a preamble is transmitted from the UE 3 to the gNB 5 via NCR-Fwd 202.

[0120] In step S112, gNB 5 determines (e.g., based on the preamble) that UE 3 is located in the coverage area of NCR 9. When the PRACH occasion (PRACH opportunity) for receiving the preamble corresponds to the SSB (e.g., SSBs 70e-1 to 70g-1 shown in FIG. 6) used for the coverage of NCR 9, gNB 5 can determine, based on the PRACH occasion, that UE 3 is within the coverage of NCR 9.

[0121] In step S113, gNB 5 transmits MAC side control information (Add) for instructing the additional time for which the NCR should relay signals in the uplink or downlink to NCR-MT 201. In the case of downlink relay, the MAC side control information may instruct in which beam direction NCR-Fwd should relay the received signal within the above additional time. In the case of uplink relay, the MAC side control information may instruct the beam direction in which NCR-Fwd should receive the signal and transfer it to the gNB within the above additional time. Thereby, NCR relay signaling becomes possible.

[0122] In step S114, gNB 5 transmits a random access response (RAR) to UE 3.

[0123] In step S115, UE 3 transmits an RRC setup request (RRCSetupRequest) to gNB 5.

[0124] In step S116, gNB 5 transmits an RRC setup (RRCSetup) message to UE 3.

[0125] In step S117, gNB 5 executes a beam reconfiguration procedure. The UE beam is reconfigured based on the measurement configuration / report.

[0126] In step S118, the gNB 5 transmits MAC side control information (Modify) to the NCR-MT 201 in order to change the beam direction configured in, for example, S113.

[0127] In step S119, the gNB 5 transmits an RRC release (RRCRelease) message to the UE 3.

[0128] In step S120, the gNB 5 transmits a MAC side control information (Release) message to the NCR-MT 201 in order to release the side control information configured in, for example, S113 and S118.

[0129] Steps S113, S118, and S120 can be executed at any time during the NCR data transfer stage, and it should be noted that the above series of method steps is an example when the reconfiguration / updating of side control information is triggered by UE access, movement, and release.

[0130] Timing information Next, an example of the information shown in the above-described timing information (for example, the MAC CE described with reference to FIG. 11, or the RRC signaling described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10) will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14.

[0131] FIG. 12 shows an example of a time window between time t1 and time t2 that can be indicated by timing information for use by the NCR 9 (for example, for ON / OFF control of the transmission and reception of relay signals between the UE 3 and the gNB 5).

[0132] FIG. 13 shows an example of a periodic time window for use by the NCR 9 (for example, for ON / OFF control of the transmission and reception of relay signals between the UE 3 and the gNB 5), and this periodic time window has a duration D and a periodicity P that can be indicated by timing information (similar to discontinuous reception (DRX)).

[0133] FIG. 14 shows an example of an iterable bitmap that can be used to indicate an on / off pattern (e.g., for on / off control of relay signal transmission and reception between UE 3 and gNB 5) for use by NCR 9. In this example, the value “1” corresponds to “ON” and the value “0” corresponds to “OFF”. In this example, NCR 9 receives information indicating the character string “11010100001” corresponding to a sequence of “ON” periods and “OFF” periods.

[0134] The granularity of each example shown in FIGS. 12 to 14 can be at the symbol, slot, or subframe level. These options are not mutually exclusive, and each option can be useful in a particular scenario.

[0135] Changes and Alternatives Detailed example embodiments have been described above. As those skilled in the art will understand, some modifications and alternatives can be made to the above embodiments while still benefiting from the present disclosure embodied in the above embodiments. By way of example only, some of these alternative and modified examples will be described here.

[0136] Base stations in a 5G / NR communication system are generally referred to as new radio base stations (“NR-BS”) or “gNBs”, although it is understood that these may also be referred to using the term “eNB” (or 5G / NR eNB) associated with long term evolution (LTE) base stations (which are also generally referred to as “4G” base stations). Non-Patent Document 5 and Non-Patent Document 6 define, inter alia, the following nodes.

[0137] gNB: A node that provides protocol termination of the NR user plane and control plane towards the UE and is connected to the 5G core network (5GC) via the NG interface. ng-eNB: A node that provides protocol termination for the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) user plane and control plane towards the UE and is connected to the 5GC via the NG interface. En-gNB: A node that provides protocol termination for the NR user plane and control plane towards the UE and functions as a secondary node in E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC). NG-RAN node: Either a gNB or an ng-eNB.

[0138] It will be understood that the above embodiments are applicable to both 5G New Radio and LTE systems (E-UTRAN). A base station (gateway) that supports the E-UTRA / 4G protocol can be called an "eNB", and a base station that supports the NextGeneration / 5G protocol can be called a "gNB". It will be understood that some base stations can be configured to support both the 4G protocol and the 5G protocol, and / or other 3GPP communication protocols or non-3GPP communication protocols.

[0139] Each cell has a related "NR Cell Global Identifier" (NCGI) for globally identifying the cell. The NCGI is constructed from the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) identity (PLMN ID) to which the cell belongs and the NR Cell Identity (NCI) of the cell. The PLMN ID included in the NCGI is the first PLMN ID within the set of PLMN IDs associated with the NR cell identity of System Information Block Type 1 (SIB1). The "gNB identifier" (gNB ID) is used to identify a specific gNB within the PLMN. The gNB ID is included within the NCI of its cell. The "Global gNB ID" is used to globally identify the gNB and is composed of the PLMN identity to which the gNB belongs and the gNB ID. The Mobile Country Code (MCC) and the Mobile Network Code (MNC) are the same as those included in the NCGI.

[0140] In the above description, the UE 3, the access network node (base station 5), and the NCR 9 are described as having several individual modules (such as a communication control module) for ease of understanding. These modules may be provided in this way, for example, for a specific application in which an existing system is modified to implement the present disclosure. However, in other applications, such as a system designed from the beginning with the features of the invention in mind, these modules may be incorporated into the overall operating system or code, and thus, these modules may not need to be identified as individual entities. Also, these modules may be implemented in software, hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof.

[0141] Each controller may include a processing circuit in any suitable form, and this processing circuit in any suitable form may include, for example (but not limited to), one or more hardware-implemented computer processors; microprocessors; central processing units (CPUs); arithmetic logic units (ALUs); input / output (IO) circuits; internal memory / cache (programs and / or data); processing registers; communication buses (e.g., control buses, data buses, and / or address buses); direct memory access (DMA) functions; hardware- or software-implemented counters, pointers, and / or timers; and / or the like.

[0142] In the above embodiments, a plurality of software modules have been described. As can be understood by those skilled in the art, the software modules may be provided in a compiled or uncompiled form, and may be supplied to the UE 3, NCR 9, or base station 5 as signals via a computer network or on a recording medium. Furthermore, the functions executed by some or all of this software may be executed using one or more dedicated hardware circuits. However, the use of software modules is preferred because it facilitates updates for updating the functions of the UE 3, NCR 9, or base station 5.

[0143] The above embodiments are also applicable to the user equipment 3 that is "non-mobile" or normally fixed. The mobile device (UE) 3 described above may include MTC / IoT devices, power-saving UEs, and / or the like.

[0144] The user equipment 3 (referred to as "UE", "mobile station", "mobile device", or "wireless device") in the present disclosure is an entity connected to a network via a wireless interface.

[0145] Note that the present disclosure is not limited to dedicated communication devices and is applicable to any device having a communication function, as described in the following paragraphs.

[0146] (This term is used by 3GPP) The terms "user equipment" or "UE", "mobile station", "mobile device", and "radio device" are generally intended to be synonymous with each other and include terminals, cell phones, smartphones, tablets, cellular IoT devices, IoT devices, and stand-alone mobile stations such as machines. It should be understood that the terms "mobile station" and "mobile device" also include devices that remain stationary for a long time.

[0147] The UE may be, for example, equipment items for production or manufacturing and / or energy-related machinery items (e.g., boilers; engines; turbines; solar panels; wind turbines; hydroelectric generators; thermal power generators; nuclear power generators; batteries; nuclear systems and / or related equipment; heavy electrical equipment; pumps including vacuum pumps; compressors; fans; blowers; hydraulic equipment; pneumatic equipment; metalworking machines; manipulators; robots and / or their application systems; tools; molds or dies; rolls; conveying equipment; lifting equipment; material handling equipment; textile machines; sewing machines; printing and / or related machinery; paper industry machines; chemical machines; mining and / or construction machinery and / or related facilities; machinery and / or appliances for agriculture, forestry, and / or fisheries; safety and / or environmental protection equipment; tractors; precision bearings; chains; gears; power transmission equipment; lubrication equipment; valves; pipe fittings; and / or application systems for any of the aforementioned equipment or machinery, etc.).

[0148] The UE may be, for example, transportation equipment items (e.g., railway vehicles; automobiles; motorcycles; bicycles; trains; buses; carts; rickshaws; ships and other vessels; airplanes; rockets; satellites; drones; balloons, etc.).

[0149] The UE may be, for example, an information and communication equipment item (for example, information and communication equipment such as electronic computers and related equipment; communication and related equipment; electronic components, etc.).

[0150] The UE may be, for example, a refrigerator, a refrigerator application product, a commodity and / or a service industry equipment item, a vending machine, an automatic service machine, an office equipment, a consumer electronic device and an electric appliance (for example, consumer electric appliances such as audio equipment; video equipment; speakers; radios; televisions; microwave ovens; rice cookers; coffee machines; dishwashers; washing machines; dryers; electric fans or related appliances; vacuum cleaners, etc.).

[0151] The UE may be, for example, an electric application system or equipment (for example, an electric application system or equipment such as an X-ray system; a particle accelerator; a radioisotope equipment; a sound wave equipment; an electromagnetic application equipment; an electric power application equipment, etc.).

[0152] The UE may be, for example, an electronic lamp, a lighting fixture, a measuring device, an analyzer, a tester, or a surveying or sensing device (for example, a surveying or sensing device such as a smoke detector; a human sensor; a motion sensor; a wireless tag, etc.), a wristwatch or a clock, an inspection device, an optical device, a medical device and / or system, a weapon, a cutlery product, a hand tool, etc.

[0153] The UE may be, for example, a personal digital assistant or related equipment of wireless equipment (such as a wireless card or module designed to be attached to or inserted into another electronic device (for example, a personal computer, an electric measuring instrument)).

[0154] The UE may be a part of a device or system that uses various wired and / or wireless communication technologies to provide the applications, services, and solutions described later regarding the "Internet of Things (IoT)".

[0155] Internet of Things devices (or "things") may be equipped with appropriate electronic devices, software, sensors, network connections, etc. that enable these devices to collect and exchange data with each other and with other communication devices. IoT devices may include automated devices that follow software instructions stored in internal memory. IoT devices may operate without the need for human supervision or interaction. IoT devices may also remain stationary and / or inactive for long periods of time. IoT devices may be implemented (generally) as part of a fixed installation. IoT devices may also be incorporated into non-fixed devices (e.g., vehicles) or attached to animals or people to be monitored / tracked.

[0156] It will be understood that IoT technology can be implemented on any communication device that can be connected to a communication network to send / receive data, whether or not such communication devices are controlled by human input or software instructions stored in memory.

[0157] It will be understood that IoT devices are sometimes also referred to as Machine-Type Communication (MTC) devices or Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication devices. It will be understood that a UE may support one or more IoT or MTC applications. Some examples of MTC applications are listed in the following table (source: Non-Patent Document 7, Annex B, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference). This list is not exhaustive and is intended to show some examples of machine-type communication applications.

[0158] TIFF2025525082000002.tif226150

[0159] The uses, services, and solutions may be Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) services, emergency wireless communication systems, Private Branch eXchange (PBX) systems, PHS / digital cordless telecommunications systems, Point of sale (POS) systems, advertising call systems, Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Service (MBMS), Vehicle to Everything (V2X) systems, train wireless systems, location-related services, disaster / emergency wireless communication services, community services, video streaming services, femtocell application services, Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services, charging services, wireless on-demand services, roaming services, activity monitoring services, telecommunications carrier / communication NW selection services, function-limited services, Proof of Concept (PoC) services, personal information management services, ad hoc network / Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) services, etc.

[0160] Furthermore, the UE categories described above are only examples of the application of the technical ideas and exemplary embodiments described in this document. Needless to say, these technical ideas and embodiments are not limited to the UEs described above and various modifications are possible.

[0161] Various other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and will not be described in further detail here.

[0162] The present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to its exemplary embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to these exemplary embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that various changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure defined by the claims. And each exemplary embodiment can be appropriately combined with at least one exemplary embodiment.

[0163] The drawings are merely illustrative for explaining one or more embodiments. Each drawing may be associated with not only one particular embodiment but also one or more other embodiments. As can be understood by those skilled in the art, various features or steps described with reference to any one drawing can be combined with features or steps shown in one or more other drawings to create, for example, embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. Not all of the features or steps shown in any one drawing for explaining exemplary embodiments are necessarily essential, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of the steps described in any drawing may be changed as appropriate.

[0164] Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as follows, but are not limited thereto. (Appendix 1) A method executed by a network controlled repeater (NCR), receiving, from an access network node, an NCR support indication indicating whether the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node; when the NCR support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node, sending an NCR device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device to the access network node; A method comprising the above. (Appendix 2) when the support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node, sending a request for setting up a radio resource control (RRC) connection to the access network node; receiving a response to the request for setting up the RRC connection from the access network node; Transmitting an RRC message including the device instruction to the access network node; The method according to Appendix 1, further comprising: (Appendix 3) Further comprising transmitting an instruction corresponding to the radio capability information of the NCR to the access network node; The instruction corresponding to the radio capability information of the NCR includes the NCR device instruction; The method according to Appendix 1 or 2. (Appendix 4) The NCR device instruction is received from the access network node as part of system information transmitted by the access network node; The method according to any one of Appendices 1 to 3. (Appendix 5) The NCR device instruction is received from the access network node in system information block (SIB) information transmitted by the access network node; The method according to any one of Appendices 1 to 4. (Appendix 6) [[ID=2,6]]The NCR support instruction is received from the access network node in SIB1; When information of a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) is indicated in the SIB1, the NCR support instruction is common to the plurality of PLMNs; The method according to Appendix 5. (Appendix 7) A method executed by a network controlled repeater (NCR), comprising: Transmitting forwarding capability information indicating the forwarding capability of the NCR to an access network node. (Appendix 8) The transfer capability information indicates a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) supported by the NCR. The method according to Appendix 7. (Appendix 9) The method according to Appendix 7 or 8, further comprising receiving, from the access network node, transfer control information for controlling the transfer by the NCR. (Appendix 10) The transfer control information is received from the access network node by RRC signaling. The method according to Appendix 9. (Appendix 11) The transfer control information is received from the access network node by an RRC reconfiguration message. The method according to Appendix 10. (Appendix 12) The transfer control information is received from the access network node by an NCR setup message. The method according to any one of Appendices 7 to 9. (Appendix 13) After receiving the NCR setup message, sending an NCR setup completion message to the access network node; Activating the transfer between the NCR and the user equipment (UE) based on the transfer control information received from the access network node; The method according to Appendix 12, further comprising. (Appendix 14) The transfer control information includes A set of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) used by the NCR for transferring signals, Timing information indicating the time when the NCR transfers signals between the access network node and the user equipment (UE), Frequency information indicating a frequency used for communication on an access link between the NCR and the UE, or a frequency used for communication between the NCR and the access network node, and Beam information indicating a beam direction used for transmission or reception between the NCR and the UE, or a beam direction used for transmission between the NCR and the access network node including at least one of The method according to any one of Appendices 9 to 13. (Appendix 15) Receiving other transfer control information from the access network node, Controlling the transfer between the NCR and the user equipment (UE) based on the other transfer control information, The method according to any one of Appendices 9 to 14, further comprising. (Appendix 16) The other transfer control information is received from the access network node by a media access control control element (MAC CE). The method according to Appendix 15. (Appendix 17) A method executed by an access network node, comprising Sending an NCR support indication to a network controlled repeater (NCR) indicating whether the functions of the NCR are supported by the access network node, Receiving an NCR device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device from the NCR when the NCR support indication indicates that the functions of the NCR are supported by the access network node, A method comprising. (Appendix 18) receiving a request from the NCR to set up a radio resource control (RRC) connection if the NCR support indication indicates that the NCR functionality is supported by the access network node; sending a response to the request to set up the RRC connection to the NCR; receiving an RRC message from the NCR that includes the NCR device indication; 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: (Appendix 19) 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising: after the access network node receives the RRC message from the NCR, sending an INITIAL UE MESSAGE to a core network node for mobility management, the INITIAL UE MESSAGE including the NCR device indication. (Appendix 20) receiving an indication from the NCR corresponding to radio capability information of the NCR; The instruction corresponding to the wireless capability information of the NCR includes the NCR device instruction. The method described in Appendix 17. (Appendix 21) transmitting the NCR support indication comprises transmitting system information including the NCR support indication. 21. The method of any one of appendices 17 to 20. (Appendix 22) transmitting the NCR support indication comprises transmitting system information block (SIB) information including the NCR support indication. 22. The method of any one of appendices 17 to 21. (Appendix 23) A method comprising receiving, from a network controlled repeater (NCR), forwarding capability information indicating the forwarding capability of the NCR. (Appendix 24) The forwarding capability information indicates a plurality of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) supported by the NCR. The method according to Appendix 23. (Appendix 25) The method according to Appendix 23 or 24, further comprising transmitting, to the NCR, transfer control information for controlling the transfer by the NCR after receiving the forwarding capability information. (Appendix 26) Transmitting the transfer control information comprises transmitting RRC signaling including the transfer control information. The method according to Appendix 25. (Appendix 27) Transmitting the transfer control information comprises transmitting the transfer control information in an RRC reconfiguration message. The method according to Appendix 26. (Appendix 28) Transmitting the transfer control information comprises transmitting the transfer control information in an NCR setup message. The method according to any one of Appendices 23 to 25. (Appendix 29) The method according to Appendix 28, further comprising receiving, from the NCR, an NCR setup completion message after transmitting the NCR setup message. (Appendix 30) The transfer control information is A set of synchronization signal blocks (syncronisation signal blocks: SSBs) used by the NCR for transferring signals, Timing information indicating the time when the NCR transfers signals between the access network node and the user equipment (UE). Frequency information indicating a frequency used for communication on an access link between the NCR and the UE, or a frequency used for communication between the NCR and the access network node, and Beam information indicating a beam direction used for transmission or reception between the NCR and the UE, or a beam direction used for transmission between the NCR and the access network node including at least one of The method according to any one of Appendices 25 to 29. (Appendix 31) further comprising transmitting other transfer control information to the NCR, wherein the other transfer control information is used by the NCR for controlling transfer between the NCR and a user equipment (UE). The method according to any one of Appendices 25 to 30. (Appendix 32) A network controlled repeater (NCR), means for receiving from an access network node an NCR support indication indicating whether the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node; means for transmitting, when the NCR support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node, an NCR device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device to the access network node; An NCR comprising the above. (Appendix 33) A network controlled repeater (NCR), An NCR comprising means for transmitting transfer capability information indicating the transfer capability of the NCR to an access network node. (Appendix 34) An access network node, means for transmitting an NCR support indication to a network controlled repeater (NCR) indicating whether the functions of the NCR are supported by the access network node; means for receiving, from the NCR, an NCR device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device when the NCR support indication indicates that the functions of the NCR are supported by the access network node; An access network node comprising: (Appendix 35) An access network node comprising means for receiving, from a network controlled repeater (NCR), transfer capability information indicating the transfer capability of the NCR.

[0165] This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority of UK Patent Application No. 2211653.7, filed on Aug. 9, 2022, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Explanation of Signs

[0166] 1 Mobile (cellular or wireless) communication system 3 Mobile device 5 Base station 6 Cell 7 Core network 8-1 Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 8-2 Control Plane Function (CPF) 8-3 User Plane Function (UPF) 8-4 Session Management Function (SMF) 8-5 Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OAM) Function 9 Network Controlled Repeater (NCR) 10 Data network 21 Transceiver circuit 22 Antenna 23 Controller 24 User interface 25 Memory 26 Operating System 27 Communication Control Module 31 Transceiver Circuit 32 Antenna 33 Controller 34 Memory 35 Operating System 36 Communication Control Module 37 Control Link Module 38 Amplification and Transfer Module 41 Transceiver Circuit 42 Antenna 43 Network Interface 44 Controller 45 Memory 46 Operating System 47 Communication Control Module 48 Control Link Module 49 Backhaul Module 201 NCR-MT 202 NCR-Fwd

Claims

1. A method performed by a network controlled repeater (NCR), comprising: receiving, from an access network node, a support indication indicating whether the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node; when the support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node, transmitting, to the access network node, a device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device; A method as described above.

2. when the support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node, transmitting, to the access network node, a request for setting up a radio resource control (RRC) connection; receiving, from the access network node, a response to the request for setting up the RRC connection; transmitting, to the access network node, an RRC message including the device indication; The method according to claim 1, including the above steps.

3. when the support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node, ignoring cellBarred, cellReservedForOperatorUse, cellReservedForOtherUse, and Unified Access Control provided by the access network node; The method according to claim 1 or 2, including the above steps.

4. The device indication includes information indicating at least a synchronization signal block (SSB) index. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The device indication includes: at least one SSB for the NCR that transmits a signal; timing information indicating the time when the NCR transmits a signal between the access network node and a user equipment (UE). Frequency information indicating the frequency used for communication on the access link between the NCR and the UE, or the frequency used for communication between the NCR and the access network node, and Beam information indicating the beam direction used for transmission or reception between the NCR and the UE, or the beam direction used for transmission between the NCR and the access network node including at least one of the information of The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. further comprising transmitting radio capability information of the NCR to the access network node, the radio capability information of the NCR includes the device instruction, The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the support instruction is included in the system information, The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the support instruction is included in a system information block (SIB), The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. the support instruction is included in SIB1, when information of a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) is indicated in the SIB1, the support instruction is common to the plurality of PLMNs, The method according to claim 8.

10. further comprising transmitting information indicating the forwarding capability of the NCR to the access network node, the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. the information indicating the forwarding capability of the NCR indicates a plurality of SSBs supported by the NCR, The method according to claim 10.

12. further comprising receiving control information for controlling the forwarding by the NCR from the access network node, the method according to claim 10 or 11.

13. the control information is received by RRC signaling, The method according to claim 12.

14. the control information is received by an RRC reconfiguration message, The method according to claim 13.

15. the control information is received by an NCR setup message, The method according to any one of claims 10 to 12.

16. After receiving the NCR setup message, sending an NCR setup completion message to the access network node; Activating transfer between the NCR and a user equipment (UE) based on the control information; The method according to claim 15, further comprising.

17. The control information includes: At least one synchronization signal block (SSB) for the NCR that transfers signals; Timing information indicating the time when the NCR transfers signals between the access network node and a user equipment (UE); Frequency information indicating a frequency used for communication on an access link between the NCR and the UE, or a frequency used for communication between the NCR and the access network node, or Beam information indicating a resource, beam, or beam direction used for transmission or reception between the NCR and the UE, or a resource, beam, or beam direction used for transmission between the NCR and the access network node including at least one of; The method according to any one of claims 12 to 16.

18. Receiving other control information in a media access control control element (MAC CE) from the access network node; Controlling transfer between the NCR and a user equipment (UE) based on the other control information; The method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, further comprising.

19. The other control information includes: At least one synchronization signal block (SSB) for the NCR that transfers signals; Timing information indicating the time when the NCR transfers signals between the access network node and a user equipment (UE); Frequency information indicating a frequency used for communication on an access link between the NCR and the UE, or a frequency used for communication between the NCR and the access network node, or Beam information indicating a resource, beam, or beam direction used for transmission or reception between the NCR and the UE, or a resource, beam, or beam direction used for transmission between the NCR and the access network node including at least one of The method according to claim 18

20. The timing information is a time window, a period for each time window to repeat, or a bitmap indicating a timing pattern indicating at least one of The method according to any one of claims 5, 17, and 19

21. A method performed by an access network node, comprising: sending a support indication to a network controlled repeater (NCR) indicating whether the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node; receiving, from the NCR, a device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device when the support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node; A method comprising

22. A network controlled repeater (NCR), comprising: means for receiving, from an access network node, a support indication indicating whether the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node; means for sending, to the access network node, a device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device when the support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node; An NCR comprising

23. An access network node, comprising: means for sending a support indication to a network controlled repeater (NCR) indicating whether the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node; means for receiving, from the NCR, a device indication indicating that the NCR is an NCR device when the support indication indicates that the function of the NCR is supported by the access network node; An access network node comprising

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