Signal transmission method, device, and storage medium

Abstract

Systems and methods for signal transmission can include a wireless communication device receiving, from a wireless communication node, first information in signaling indicating a pattern of at least one physical random access channel (PRACH) or downlink (DL) signal transmission. The wireless communication device can transmit, to the wireless communication node, a PRACH signal corresponding to a DL signal index at a random access (RA) opportunity determined by the pattern.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communications, including but not limited to systems, devices, methods, and computer-readable media for signal transmission. [Background technology]

[0002] The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®), a standards organization, is currently working on defining not only a new radio interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR), but also the Next Generation Packet Core Network (NG-CN or NGC). 5G NR will have three main components: the 5G Access Network (5G-AN), the 5G Core Network (5GC), and the User Equipment (UE). To facilitate the use of different data services and requirements, the elements of the 5GC, also called network functions, have been simplified, some of which are software-based and some are hardware-based, so that they can be adapted as needed. [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are intended not only to solve problems relating to one or more of the problems presented in the prior art, but also to provide further features which will become readily apparent by referring to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Exemplary systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein according to various embodiments. However, it should be understood that these embodiments are presented as examples and are not limiting, and various modifications to the disclosed embodiments can be made within the scope of the disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art reading this disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. A wireless communication device may receive from a wireless communication node first information in signal transmission indicating a pattern of at least one physical random access channel (PRACH) or downlink (DL) signal transmission. The wireless communication device may transmit to the wireless communication node a PRACH signal corresponding to a DL signal index in a random access (RA) opportunity determined by the pattern.

[0005] The first information includes information for at least one paging opportunity, information for at least one synchronization signal block (SSB), an indication of the number of RA opportunities, an indication of a PRACH configuration period, an indication of an association period, wherein the association period includes an indication of an association period, an indication of an association pattern period, an indication of the effective duration for a number of RACH opportunities, an indication of the configured number of valid or available PRACH configuration periods, an indication of the duration for a configured number of valid or available PRACH configuration periods, an indication of the duration for a configured number of valid or available PRACH configuration periods, an indication of the duration for a configured number of valid or available association periods, an indication of an offset to indicate the starting position of an RA opportunity, or at least one of the indications for the starting position of at least one of the following: effective duration for a number of RACH opportunities, duration for a configured number of valid or available PRACH configuration periods, duration for a configured number of valid or available association periods, a PRACH opportunity, a PRACH configuration period, an association period, or an indication of the starting position of an association pattern period.

[0006] At least a portion of the first information may be used to determine at least one valid or available RA opportunity for the transmission of a PRACH signal. A PRACH configuration period may satisfy at least one of the following: (i) the PRACH configuration period is at most max_x milliseconds (ms) or at least min_x ms in length, where min_x is 10 ms or less or max_x is 160 ms or more; or (ii) the maximum value of the PRACH configuration index formed by upper-layer signal transmission is M or greater and M + α*n or less, where M is a positive integer and n is the number of PRACH configuration periods greater than 160 ms. Parameter α can be a value in the range of 1 to 11, and the PRACH configuration period is configured for at least one of the following preamble formats: 0, 1, 2, 3, A1, A2, A3, B4, C0, or C2, or α can be a value in the range of 1 to 19, and the PRACH configuration period is configured for at least one of the following preamble formats: A1, A2, A3, B1, B4, C0, or C2, A1 / B1, A2 / B2, or A3 / B3.

[0007] At least one of the following may be satisfied: the number of configured PRACH configuration periods is an integer in a defined pair n1 or greater and n2 or less, or the PRACH configuration period (x) in milliseconds (ms) is an integer between min_x and max_x, where min_x is 10 or less, or max_x is 160 or greater, or n1 is 1 or less and n2 is

number

[0008] The association pattern period may include one or more association periods, and the pattern between RA opportunities and SSB index may occur at a maximum of every max_x or min_x*n2, or T SSB It may be decided to repeat each time, T SSBThis is the SSB period, which is greater than the maximum value of the association pattern period, association period, or PRACH configuration period, or greater than 160ms. PRACH opportunities that are not associated with an SSB index after an integer number of association periods may not be used for PRACH transmission.

[0009] An SSB may include one or more synchronization signals and physical broadcast channels (SS / PBCH), an SSB with a large period, or an SSB with a small period. If the PRACH configuration period is greater than 160ms or min_x or max_x is greater than 160ms, it is triggered by at least one of the following events: the wireless communication device is configured to support an SSB different from the SSB in New Radio (NR) Release 17; the wireless communication device is configured to support a release version different from NR Release 17; the wireless communication device is configured to support a PRACH configuration period greater than 160ms; the wireless communication device is configured to support a preamble format; or the wireless communication device is configured to support an RA type.

[0010] Signal transmission may include at least one of the following: cell-specific downlink control information (DCI) signal transmission, group-common DCI, wireless communication device-specific DCI, medium access control element (MAC CE) signal transmission, radio resource control (RRC) signal transmission, or system information block (SIB) signal transmission. Cell-specific DCI may include information for one or more wireless communication devices within the cell used to indicate at least one valid or available RA opportunity for the transmission of a PRACH signal. Group-common DCI may have DCI format 2_7 with cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), or DCI format 1_0 with CRC scrambled by a paging RNTI (P-RNTI), or DCI format 2_6 with CRC scrambled by a power saving RNTI (PS-RNTI), or DCI format 2-0, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, or 2-5, or a defined DCI format, in order to include information for at least one valid or available RA opportunity for the transmission of a PRACH signal. The wireless communication device-specific DCI may have DCI format 0-1, 0-2, 1-1, or 1-2, or a defined DCI format, to include information about at least one valid or available RA opportunity for the transmission of a PRACH signal.

[0011] A wireless communication device may further determine the number of competing base RA preambles per SSB index per active RA opportunity according to the result of dividing the total number of RA preambles by the number of SSB indices, provided that at least one of the following is satisfied: the number of competing base RA preambles per SSB index per active RA opportunity is equal to the result rounded up to the nearest integer or rounded down to the nearest integer; the total number of RA preambles is indicated via downlink control information (DCI) signaling; or the total number of RA preambles is greater than or less than the most recently configured number of SSB indices associated with a single RA opportunity.

[0012] When a new SSB in New Radio (NR) Release 17 or a new SSB for an SSB in NR Release 17 is configured for a wireless communication device, the wireless communication device may determine, for each valid RA opportunity, that the new SSB for the SSB in NR Release 17 is selected with a higher priority than the SSB in NR Release 17, or at least one of at least one defined parameter for PRACH transmission associated with the new SSB for the SSB in NR Release 17. The at least one defined parameter may be configured to indicate a threshold of the synchronization signal reference signal received power (SS-RSRP) associated with the new SSB for the SSB in NR Release 17.

[0013] The wireless communication device may determine, according to the result of dividing the total number of contention-based preambles configured by a defined parameter by the number of contention-based preambles mapped to each extended SSB index, by the extended SSB index. The number of contention-based preambles mapped to each extended SSB index may, as a result, be equal to the result rounded up to the nearest integer, or the result rounded down to the nearest integer, or the result rounded to the nearest integer.

[0014] When an extended SSB is configured, or several extended SSB indexes are configured, or the extended SSB is configured for a two-step RA type, the defined number of SSBs mapped to each RA opportunity and the defined number of contention-based RA preambles mapped to each SSB for the two-step RA type are used for each extended SSB, or the parameters for the extended SSB are configured to indicate the number of SSB indexes mapped to each PRACH opportunity and the number of contention-based RA preambles mapped to each SSB index for the two-step RA type.

[0015] When the PRACH opportunities are shared between 2-step and 4-step RA types, the parameters for the extended SSB can be configured to indicate the number of contention-based RA preambles for the 2-step RA type mapped to each SSB. The wireless communication device can be configured to support an SSB different from the SSB in New Radio (NR) Release 17.

[0016] At least one aspect relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium. The wireless communication node can transmit to the wireless communication device first information in signaling indicating at least one Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) or a pattern of downlink (DL) signal transmission. The wireless communication node can receive from the wireless communication device a PRACH signal corresponding to a DL signal index at a random access (RA) opportunity determined by the pattern.

[0017] The systems, devices, methods, and computer-readable media described herein include novel signal transmission / reception techniques. Specifically, the systems, devices, methods, and computer-readable media described herein utilize the impact of downlink (DL) signaling on uplink UL random access procedures to guarantee the initial access performance of the UE and network energy savings without increasing the power of the UE and degrading the UE experience. The present invention further provides, for example, the following: (Item 1) A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication device receives from the wireless communication node first information in signal transmission indicating a pattern of at least one physical random access channel (PRACH) or downlink (DL) signal transmission, The wireless communication device transmits a PRACH signal corresponding to the DL signal index to the wireless communication node in random access (RA) opportunities determined by the pattern. Methods that include... (Item 2) The first piece of information mentioned above is, Information on at least one paging opportunity, <00001​​​​​ An instruction for an association period, wherein the association period includes the number of PRACH configuration periods configured, Instructions for association pattern duration, Instructions for the duration of effectiveness for a certain number of RACH opportunities, Instructions for the number of valid or available PRACH configuration periods, Instructions for the duration of the configured number of valid or available PRACH configuration periods, Instructions for the duration of a certain number of valid or available association periods, An offset indication to show the starting position of the RA opportunity, or The effective duration for the number of RACH opportunities, the duration for the configured number of effective or available PRACH configuration periods, the duration for the configured number of effective or available association periods, and the indication of at least one starting position among the PRACH opportunities, the PRACH configuration periods, the association periods, or the association pattern periods. The method described in item 1, comprising at least one of the following. (Item 3) The method according to item 2, wherein at least a portion of the first information is used to determine at least one valid or available RA opportunity for the transmission of the PRACH signal. (Item 4) The aforementioned PRACH configuration period is, The PRACH configuration period is at most max_x milliseconds (ms) or at least min_x ms in length, and at least one of the following is satisfied: min_x is 10 ms or less or max_x is 160 ms or more, or The maximum value of the PRACH configuration index, which is formed by upper-layer signal transmission, must be greater than or equal to M and less than or equal to M + α*n. Satisfy at least one of the following conditions, M is a positive integer, and n is the number of PRACH configuration periods, each greater than 160ms. α is a value in the range of 1 to 11, and the PRACH configuration period is configured for at least one of the following preamble formats: 0, 1, 2, 3, A1, A2, A3, B4, C0, or C2; or α is a value in the range of 1 to 19, and the PRACH configuration period is configured for at least one of the following preamble formats: A1, A2, A3, B1, B4, C0, or C2, A1 / B1, A2 / B2, or A3 / B3, as described in item 2. (Item 5) The number of configured PRACH configuration periods is an integer in a defined set of n1 or greater and n2 or less; or The PRACH configuration period (x) in milliseconds (ms) is an integer greater than or equal to min_x and less than or equal to max_x, where min_x is 10 or less, or max_x is 160 or greater; or n1 is less than or equal to 1, and n2 is (Number 47) That's all. At least one of the methods described in item 2. (Item 6) The aforementioned association pattern period includes one or more association periods, and the pattern between RA opportunities and SSB index is at most max_x or min_x*n2, or T SSB It is decided to repeat each time, T SSB This is the period of SSB, and the aforementioned T SSB is greater than the maximum value of the association pattern period or the association period or the PRACH configuration period, or greater than 160ms. PRACH opportunities that are not associated with an SSB index after an integer number of association periods are not used for PRACH transmission, as described in item 5. (Item 7) The aforementioned SSB is, One or more synchronization signals and physical broadcast channels (SS / PBCH), SSB with a large period, or Small SSB The method described in item 6, including the method described in item 6. (Item 8) If the PRACH configuration period is greater than 160ms, or if min_x or max_x is greater than 160ms, the following events will occur: The wireless communication device is configured to support an SSB different from the SSB in New Radio (NR) Release 17; or, The wireless communication device is configured to support a release version different from NR Release 17; or, The wireless communication device is configured to support a PRACH configuration period greater than 160ms; or, The wireless communication device is configured to support the preamble format; or, The wireless communication device is configured to support RA type. The methods described in items 4-6, triggered by at least one of the following. (Item 9) The aforementioned signal transmission is Cell-specific downlink control information (DCI) signal transmission, wherein the cell-specific DCI signal transmission includes information for one or more wireless communication devices within a cell, and the information is used to indicate the at least one valid or available RA opportunity for the transmission of the PRACH signal, A group-common DCI, the group-common DCI having DCI format 2_7 having cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), or DCI format 1_0 having CRC scrambled by a paging RNTI (P-RNTI), or DCI format 2_6 having CRC scrambled by a power saving RNTI (PS-RNTI), or DCI format 2-0, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4 or 2-5, or a defined DCI format, the group-common DCI having information on at least one valid or available RA opportunity for the transmission of the PRACH signal, A wireless communication device-specific DCI, wherein the wireless communication device-specific DCI has a DCI format 0-1, 0-2, 1-1 or 1-2, or a defined DCI format, for including information on the at least one valid or available RA opportunity for the transmission of the PRACH signal. Media Access Control Element (MAC CE) signal transmission, Radio Resource Control (RRC) signal transmission, or System Information Block (SIB) signal transmission The method described in item 1, comprising at least one of the following. (Item 10) The wireless communication device includes determining the number of competing base RA preambles per SSB index per effective RA opportunity, according to the result of dividing the total number of RA preambles by the number of SSB indices. At least one of the following: The number of competing base RA preambles per SSB index per effective RA opportunity is the result, or the result rounded up to the nearest integer, or the result rounded down to the nearest integer; The total number of RA preambles is indicated via Downlink Control Information (DCI) signal transmission; or, The method according to item 1, wherein the total number of RA preambles is greater than or less than the most recently configured number of SSB indices associated with one RA opportunity. (Item 11) If a new SSB in New Radio (NR) Release 17, or a new SSB for the SSB in NR Release 17, is configured for the wireless communication device, the method is: The aforementioned wireless communication device, For each effective RA opportunity, the new SSB in NR Release 17 is selected with a higher priority than the SSB in NR Release 17, or For SSBs in NR Release 17, at least one defined parameter for PRACH transmission associated with the SSB. The method described in item 1, which includes determining at least one of the following. (Item 12) The method according to item 11, wherein the at least one defined parameter is configured to indicate a threshold for the synchronous reference signal received power (SS-RSRP) associated with the SSB, which is new to the SSB in NR release 17. (Item 13) The wireless communication device includes determining the number of conflicting base preambles mapped to each extended SSB index. The number of competing base preambles mapped to each extended SSB index is determined according to the result of dividing the total number of competing base preambles configured by the defined parameters by the extended SSB index. The method according to item 1, wherein the number of competing base preambles mapped to each extended SSB index is equal to the result, the result rounded up to the nearest integer, the result truncated to the nearest integer, or the result rounded to the nearest integer. (Item 14) If an extended SSB is configured, or if several extended SSB indices are configured, or if the extended SSB is configured for a two-step RA type, then a defined number of SSBs mapped to each RA opportunity for the two-step RA type and a defined number of competing base RA preambles mapped to each SSB are used for each extended SSB; or, The method according to item 1, wherein the parameters for extended SSB are configured to indicate the number of SSB indices mapped to each PRACH opportunity for a two-step RA type and the number of competing base RA preambles mapped to each SSB index. (Item 15) The parameters for the extended SSB are configured to indicate the number of competing base RA preambles for the 2-step RA type that are mapped to each SSB, as described in item 1, where the PRACH opportunity is shared between the 2-step and 4-step RA types. (Item 16) The method according to item 1, wherein the wireless communication device is configured to support an SSB different from the SSB in New Radio (NR) Release 17. (Item 17) A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication node transmits to the wireless communication device first information in signal transmission indicating a pattern of at least one physical random access channel (PRACH) or downlink (DL) signal transmission, The wireless communication node receives a PRACH signal corresponding to the DL signal index from the wireless communication device in random access (RA) opportunities determined by the pattern. Methods that include... (Item 18) A non-temporary computer-readable medium storing instructions, wherein, when executed by at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to perform the actions described in any one of items 1 to 17. (Item 19) A device comprising at least one processor configured to perform the method described in any one of items 1 through 17. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] Various exemplary embodiments of this solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and merely depict exemplary embodiments of the solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of it. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered to limit the scope, extent, or applicability of the solution. It should be noted that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale in order to make the description clear and easy to understand.

[0019] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an exemplary cellular communication network in which the technology disclosed herein may be implemented according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an exemplary base station and user equipment device according to several embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 3]Figure 3 shows a flowchart illustrating an exemplary signal transmission method performed by a user device or wireless communication device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows a flowchart illustrating an exemplary signal receiving method performed by a base station or wireless communication node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] [Figure 5] Figure 5 illustrates an exemplary scenario in which the number of random access (RA) opportunities (RO) that occur prior to paging opportunities (PO) are available for PRACH signal transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] [Figure 6] Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary scenario in which the number of ROs resulting after PO according to some embodiments of the present disclosure are available for PRACH signal transmission.

[0025] [Figure 7] Figure 7 illustrates an exemplary scenario in which several ROs associated with four SSBs located in front of the PO are available for PRACH signal transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] [Figure 8] Figure 8 illustrates an exemplary scenario in which several ROs associated with three SSBs located in front of the PO are available for PRACH signal transmission according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] [Figure 9] Figure 9 illustrates exemplary mapping relationships from SSB to preamble for RA according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0028] (I. Mobile communication technologies and environment) Figure 1 shows an exemplary wireless communication network and / or system 100 in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and will be referred to herein as “Network 100”. Such exemplary Network 100 includes base stations 102 (hereinafter “BS102” also called wireless communication nodes) and user equipment devices 104 (hereinafter “UE104” also called wireless communication devices) that can communicate with each other via communication links 110 (e.g., wireless communication channels), and clusters of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 overlapping geographical area 101. In Figure 1, BS102 and UE104 are contained within the respective geographical boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating within its allocated bandwidth to provide an appropriate wireless communication effective range to its target users.

[0029] For example, BS102 may operate within a channel transmission bandwidth allocated to provide UE104 with an appropriate communication range. BS102 and UE104 may communicate via downlink radio frames 118 and uplink radio frames 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may contain data symbols 122 / 128. In this disclosure, BS102 and UE104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of “communication nodes” that can generally implement the methods disclosed herein. Such communication nodes may be capable of performing wireless and / or wired communications according to various embodiments of the present solution.

[0030] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to several embodiments of the present solution. The system 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that do not need to be described in detail herein. In one exemplary embodiment, the system 200 can be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment such as the wireless communication environment 100 in Figure 1, as described above.

[0031] System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter, "BS202") and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter, "UE204"). BS202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each module being coupled and interconnected to one another as needed via a data communication bus 220. UE204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each module being coupled and interconnected to one another as needed via a data communication bus 240. BS202 communicates with UE204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for transmitting data as described herein.

[0032] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, System 200 may further include any number of modules other than those shown in Figure 2. Those skilled in the art will understand that various exemplary blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in relation to the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this compatibility and suitability of hardware, firmware, and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described with respect to their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such functionality in a manner suitable for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0033] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may also be referred to herein as an “uplink” transceiver 230, which includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each having a circuit coupled to antenna 232. Alternatively, a duplex switch (not shown) may couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may also be referred to herein as a “downlink” transceiver 210, which includes an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each having a circuit coupled to antenna 212. Alternatively, a downlink duplex switch may couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time-duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be time-coordinated so that the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 at the same time that the uplink receiver circuit is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 can be time-coordinated so that the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 at the same time that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is a cutoff time synchronization with a minimum protection time between changes in duplex direction.

[0034] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via a wireless data communication link 250 and to cooperate with a appropriately configured RF antenna arrangement 212 / 232 capable of supporting specific wireless communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some exemplary embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not necessarily limited to specific standards and associated protocols in its application. Rather, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0035] According to various embodiments, BS202 may be, for example, an evolved node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femto station, or a pico station. In some embodiments, UE204 may be embodied in various types of user devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, laptop computers, and wearable computing devices. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized using general-purpose processors, associative memories, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, any suitable programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Thus, the processor may be realized as a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors working in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0036] Furthermore, steps of methods or algorithms described in relation to embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in software modules executed by processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. Memory modules 216 and 234 may be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, so that processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. In some embodiments, each of memory modules 216 and 234 may include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Each of the memory modules 216 and 234 may also include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0037] The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the base station 202 that enable bidirectional communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communication module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical configuration, but not limited to, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet® interface so that the base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a conventional Ethernet®-based computer network. Thus, the network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). The terms “configured for,” “configured,” and their inflections as used herein in relation to a specified operation or function refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc., that is physically built, programmed, formatted, and / or positioned to perform a specified operation or function.

[0038] The Open System Interconnection (OSI) model (hereinafter referred to as the “Open System Interconnection Model”) is a conceptual and logical layout that defines network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is divided into seven subcomponents or layers, each representing a conceptual set of services provided to its upper and lower layers. The OSI model also defines logical networks and effectively describes computer packet forwarding by using different layer protocols. The OSI model is sometimes referred to as the 7-layer OSI model or 7-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be the physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be the medium access control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be the radio link control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be the radio resource control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be the Non-Accessable Service (NAS) layer or the Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer may be any other layer.

[0039] To enable those skilled in the art to fabricate and use the present solution, various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Thus, the present solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and uses described and illustrated herein. In addition, the particular order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an exemplary approach. Based on design preferences, the particular order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Thus, those skilled in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or operations in a sample order, and the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless otherwise specified.

[0040] (II. Systems and methods for signal transmission) In 5G NR, during microsleep TX (transmitter, transmitter, or transmitter) in low-traffic load scenarios, there are some always-on signals that may require power even when these signals are transmitted over long periods, e.g., a maximum period of 160 milliseconds (ms). In actual implementations, the majority of the transmission is unnecessary. Therefore, solutions for signal transmission augmentation are needed to achieve lower power consumption.

[0041] Currently, 5G devices are being deployed extensively, and as a result, the communication range is provided only by the 5G carrier frequency for both DL (downlink) and UL (uplink). The UL communication range of 5G is observed to be smaller than that of 4G systems because the UL carrier frequency of 5G is different from that of 4G. Solutions for enhancing the UL communication range also need to be provided, as efficient UL transmission enhancement can also result in saving potential energy.

[0042] Switching to sleep mode when not needed, or turning off some RF components, is an effective way to reduce network power consumption. For example, when there is no UE access, the carrier can be deactivated. When the traffic load is low, the number of Tx / Rx antennas can be reduced.

[0043] However, this energy-saving method has several problems. First, NR has several common signals and necessary transmissions, such as SSB (Synchronization Signal Block), SIB1 (System Information Block), paging, and PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel) reception. Therefore, the network cannot easily enter a low-power state, such as sleep mode. Second, even if a device is capable of entering a sleep state, waking it up is problematic. If a quasi-static configuration is used, the device can only be woken up after a certain period of sleeping. If there are service requirements while the device is sleeping, it will not be able to meet those requirements, causing significant delays and affecting the user experience.

[0044] In summary, to reduce the power consumption of communication systems, networks must be able to remain in a low-power state for as long as possible. Furthermore, to meet flexible service requirements and minimize the impact on user experience, more dynamic wake-up mechanisms need to be implemented. Clearly, the User Engineer (UE) can be involved in this process to achieve better results.

[0045] Solutions to the influence of DL (downlink) signals on UL (uplink) random access procedures are disclosed to ensure UE initial access performance and network energy savings without increasing UE power consumption or degrading the UE experience. Specifically, embodiments described herein enable base stations to control the number and timing of random access (RA) opportunities (RO) and signal such information to the UE. From the UE's perspective, knowing available or active ROs allows them to more efficiently manage or use sleep mode or low-power consumption mode. Knowing the timing of available or active ROs also allows the UE to perform initial access more reliably.

[0046] Where used herein, the “or” used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items accompanied by a phrase such as “at least one of” or “one or more of”), including in the claims, indicates an inclusive list such that, for example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Furthermore, where used herein, the phrase “based on” should not be construed as a reference to a closed set of conditions. For example, an exemplary step described as “based on condition A” may be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of this disclosure. In other words, where used herein, the phrase “based on” shall be construed in the same manner as the phrase “based at least in part.”

[0047] In this disclosure, base station (BS) may mean a communication node, or a 2G BTS (base station transceiver station), or a 3G NodeB, or a 4G eNB (e-UTRAN NodeB / enhanced NodeB), or a 5G gNB, or a base station for LTE (Long-Term Evolution) or NR (New Radio Access Technology), or a base station for a further generation of communication systems, or a cell in a normal state, or active state, or inactive state or hibernating state, or a cell that provides a basic communication range, or a capacity boost cell, or a small cell, or a primary cell, or a secondary cell.

[0048] SSB represents a DL signal with a new transmission mechanism for NR Rel-17, or an extended DL signal based on existing DL signals in NR Rel-17. SSB includes or means at least one of the following: a reduced number of SSBs in an SSB period; an SSB period greater than the maximum SSB period in NR Rel-17; a small SSB occupying less time and frequency domain resources than a normal SSB in NR Rel-17; or an SSB with a larger period configuration than a normal SSB in NR Rel-17; or PSS or SSS, TRS, CSI-RS, CD-SSB, NCD-SSB (cell-undefined SSB), or an interband SCell without SSB.

[0049] As used herein, a new SSB for SSB in NR Release 17 includes at least one of the following: a smaller-sized SSB that occupies less time and frequency domain resources than a normal SSB in NR Rel-17 compared to an SSB defined in NR Release 17, or an SSB that has a larger period compared to an SSB in NR Release 17. The larger period can be an integer equal to 2β * 10 ms, where β can be greater than 4.

[0050] Referring here to Figure 3, the flowchart illustrates an exemplary signal transmission method 300 performed by a user device or wireless communication device 104 or 204 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The wireless communication device 104 or 204 can receive first information in signal transmission from a wireless communication node 102 or 202 that indicates a pattern of at least one physical random access channel (PRACH) or downlink (DL) signal transmission. The wireless communication device 104 or 204 can transmit to the wireless communication node 102 or 202 a PRACH signal corresponding to a DL signal index in a random access (RA) opportunity determined by the pattern.

[0051] Referring here to Figure 4, a flowchart illustrates an exemplary signal receiving method 400 performed by a wireless communication node 102 or 202 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. The wireless communication node 102 or 202 can transmit to a wireless communication device 104 or 204 first information in signal transmission indicating a pattern of at least one physical random access channel (PRACH) or downlink (DL) signal transmission. The wireless communication node can receive from the wireless communication device 104 or 204 a PRACH signal corresponding to a DL signal index in a random access (RA) opportunity determined by the pattern. Method 400 can be considered similar to Method 300, but performed by a wireless communication node 102 or 202.

[0052] Methods 300 and 400 are described in further detail with respect to (1) patterns of availability of RA opportunities, (2) mapping relationships from SSBs to availability of RA opportunities, (3) mapping relationships from SSBs to preambles for RA, and (4) UE features related to availability of RA opportunities, as described below.

[0053] (Determining the availability or effectiveness of RA opportunities) One issue is how to determine the availability or effectiveness of RA opportunities for the transmission of PRACH signals or other UL signals. Available or effective RA opportunities for the transmission of PRACH signals or other UL signals may follow a predefined or specified pattern. As used herein, the availability or effectiveness of an RA opportunity means that the RA opportunity can be used by wireless communication devices 104 or 204 to transmit PRACH or other uplink signals.

[0054] The patterns of availability or effectiveness of RA opportunities can be defined or determined according to at least one of the following:

[0055] (1) Paging opportunity information: A UE can assume that multiple RA opportunities associated with a paging opportunity are available. The number of RA opportunities can be equal to n. For example, UE104 or 204 can assume that RA opportunities located or occurring after a paging opportunity are available for the transmission of a PRACH signal or other UL signal. UE104 or 204 can assume that RA opportunities not located after a paging opportunity are not available for the transmission of a PRACH signal or other UL signal. By another example, UE104 or 204 can assume that RA opportunities located or occurring before a paging opportunity becomes available are available. UE104 or 204 can assume that RA opportunities not located before a paging opportunity are not available for the transmission of a PRACH signal or other UL signal.

[0056] Figure 5 shows an exemplary scenario in which n RA opportunities (ROs) occurring before a paging opportunity (PO) are available for the transmission of a PRACH signal or other UL signal. Figure 6 shows an exemplary scenario in which n ROs occurring after a paging opportunity are available for the transmission of a PRACH signal or other UL signal. Solid lines represent available or valid ROs, and dashed lines represent unavailable or invalid ROs.

[0057] (2) SSB information: UE104 or 204 may assume that several RA opportunities associated with several SSBs are available for PRACH signal (or other UL signal) transmission. Some SSBs may be located before the paging opportunity. Some RA opportunities may be located after the paging opportunity.

[0058] UE104 or 204 can assume that some RA opportunities associated with some SSBs located before the paging opportunity are available for PRACH signal (or other UL signal) transmission, and some RA opportunities are located after the paging opportunity. UE104 or 204 can assume that RA opportunities not associated with some SSBs located before the paging opportunity are not available for PRACH signal (e.g., RA preamble) or other UL signal transmission, even if the RA opportunity is located after the paging opportunity.

[0059] Figure 7 shows an exemplary scenario in which several ROs associated with four SSBs located before the PO are available or enabled for PRACH signal or other uplink signal transmission. The four SSBs are located before the PO, and the n ROs associated with the four SSBs (shown by solid lines) are located after the PO. The ROs shown by dashed lines are not associated with any of the four SSBs and are therefore unavailable or disabled for PRACH signal transmission.

[0060] Figure 8 illustrates exemplary scenarios in some embodiments of the present disclosure in which several ROs associated with three SSBs located before the PO are available or effective for PRACH signal transmission. The SSBs relevant to the availability or effectiveness of the ROs are the three SSBs shown by solid lines. There are n ROs associated with the three SSBs and available or effective for PRACH signal transmission. The SSBs are located before the PO, and the n ROs associated with the three SSBs (shown by solid lines) are located after the PO. The ROs shown by dashed lines are not associated with any of the three SSBs and are therefore unavailable or ineffective for PRACH signal transmission.

[0061] In some implementations, paging opportunity (PO) information or SSB information used to determine the availability of RA opportunities is shown or used for UEs in idle mode.

[0062] (3) A certain number of RA opportunities: UE104 or 204 may assume that a certain number of RA opportunities occurring or located within a particular resource are available or valid for PRACH signal or RA preamble transmission. A particular resource may be defined by PRACH transmission parameters, including the PRACH preamble format, time resources, and frequency resources for PRACH transmission.

[0063] (4) PRACH configuration period: The UE may assume that the number of RA opportunities available or valid for PRACH signal (or RA preamble) transmission is determined by the PRACH configuration period. For example, in some implementations, the PRACH configuration period is 320ms or less, or 10ms or more.

[0064] According to the first example, the maximum PRACH configuration period can be greater than 160ms, for example, if the SCS configuration is 15KHz for FR1 or 60KHz for FR2.

[0065] In some implementations of the first example, the maximum value of the PRACH configuration index configured by the upper layer signaling is greater than or equal to M (e.g., 262) and less than or equal to M + α*n, where n is the number of PRACH configuration periods greater than 160ms. M can be an integer in the range of 0 to 262. The parameter α can be any value in the range of 1 to 11. The value of the PRACH configuration period greater than 160ms can be configured for FR1. The value of the PRACH configuration period greater than 160ms can be configured for at least one of the following preamble formats: 0, 1, 2, 3, A1, A2, A3, B4, C0, or C2. The value of the PRACH configuration period greater than 160ms can be 320ms or include it, and the maximum value of the PRACH configuration index configured by the upper layer parameter can be a value in the range of 263 to 273.

[0066] In some implementations of the first example, the maximum value of the PRACH configuration index configured by the upper layer signaling is greater than or equal to M (e.g., 255) and less than or equal to M + α*n, where n is the number of PRACH configuration periods greater than 160ms. M can be an integer in the range of 0 to 255. The parameter α can be any value in the range of 1 to 19. The value of the PRACH configuration period greater than 160ms can be configured for FR2. The value of the PRACH configuration period greater than 160ms can be configured for at least one of the following preamble formats: A1, A2, A3, B1, B4, C0, or C2, A1 / B1, A2 / B2, or A3 / B3. The value of the PRACH configuration period greater than 160ms can be 320ms or include it, and the maximum value of the PRACH configuration index configured by the upper layer parameter can be a value in the range of 255 to 274.

[0067] (5) Association Period: An association period is or represents a certain number of (configured) PRACH configuration periods. The duration of an association period is equal to the PRACH configuration period multiplied by the number of PRACH configuration periods within the association period. The configured value of an association period (or unit of association period) represents the number of PRACH configuration periods within the association period, e.g., 1, 2, 4, 8, 16. The maximum duration of an association period can be a constant value (e.g., 160 milliseconds), thereby determining (or limiting) the association period to the value of the PRACH configuration period. The value of an association period can be determined by dividing the maximum duration of the association period by the PRACH configuration period. The association period starting from frame 0 for mapping an SSB index to a PRACH opportunity is the minimum value in the set determined by the PRACH configuration period.

[0068] According to the first example, if PRACH configuration period = x, the number of PRACH configuration periods during the association period is at least one integer in a predefined set, where n1 is greater than or equal to n2. The value x in ms can be an integer greater than or equal to min_x and less than or equal to max_x, where min_x is 10 or less, or max_x is 160 or greater. In some implementations, n1 is 1 or less, and n2 is

number

[0069] In some implementations, if max_x=320ms, min_x=10ms, and PRACH configuration period=10ms, the candidate values ​​for the association period can be at least one of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32. n1=1, n2=32. In some implementations, if max_x=640ms, min_x=10ms, and PRACH configuration period=20ms, the candidate values ​​for the association period can be at least one of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32. n1=1, n2=64. In some implementations, if max_x=1280ms, min_x=10ms, and PRACH configuration period=40ms, the candidate values ​​for the association period can be at least one of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32. n1=1, n2=128. In some implementations, with max_x=2560ms, min_x=10ms, and PRACH configuration duration=80ms, the candidate values ​​for the association duration can be at least one of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32. n1=1, n2=256. In some implementations, with max_x=640ms, min_x=320ms, and PRACH configuration duration=320ms, the candidate values ​​for the association duration can be 1 or 2. n1=1, n2=2. In some implementations, with max_x=640ms, min_x=320ms, and PRACH configuration duration=640ms, the candidate values ​​for the association duration can be at least one of 1. n1=1, n2=2.

[0070] (6) Association pattern period: The association pattern period may include one or more association periods and may be determined so that the pattern between the PRACH opportunity and the SSB index repeats at a maximum of every max_x or min_x*n2. PRACH opportunities that are not associated with an SSB index after an integer number of association periods are not used for PRACH transmission.

[0071] (7) Effective duration for some RACH opportunities: The UE may assume that RA opportunities during the effective duration are effective or can be used for PRACH transmission.

[0072] (8) A certain number of active / available PRACH configuration periods: UE104 or 204 may assume that during a configured active or available PRACH configuration period, or within a certain number of configured active or available PRACH configuration periods, RA opportunities can be used for PRACH transmission.

[0073] (9) Duration of a certain number of active or available PRACH configuration periods: UE104 or 204 can assume that RA opportunities within the PRACH configuration periods during their duration can be used for PRACH transmission.

[0074] (10) A number of available association periods: UE104 or 204 can assume that RA opportunities during the availability of a number of association periods can be used for PRACH transmission.

[0075] (11) (Duration of availability for a certain number of association periods:) UE104 or 204 may assume that RA opportunities during an association period (or during a configured or predefined duration) can be used for PRACH transmission.

[0076] (12) Offset: UE104 or 204 can assume that several RA opportunities located after the start position determined by the offset are available or valid for PRACH signal transmission.

[0077] (13) Starting position for the duration of a RACH opportunity: UE104 or 204 may assume that several RA opportunities located after the starting position are available or valid for PRACH signal transmission. In some examples, UE104 or 204 may assume that several RA opportunities located after the starting position are available. The starting position can be determined by at least one of the following: the position / SFN / slot index of a paging opportunity; the paging cycle / eDRX cycle in which the paging opportunity is located; the number of SSBs; the mapping of the first RA opportunity to that number of SSBs after the paging opportunity; the duration; the offset; or the SIB or DCI carrying the instruction information associated with the pattern of RA opportunity availability.

[0078] A wireless communication node (or base station) 102 or 202 may transmit instructional information to a wireless communication device (or UE) 104 or 204 regarding the availability or effectiveness of RA opportunities. The instructional information may indicate to the UE 104 or 204 how to identify available or effective RA opportunities for PRACH signal transmission. The instructional information transmitted by base station 102 or 202 and received by UE 104 or 204 may include at least one of items (1) to (13).

[0079] Triggering or signaling indications of available or effective RA opportunities can be achieved in various ways. Indicative information related to the availability (effectiveness) of RA opportunities for PRACH transmission can be indicated by at least one of the following signal transmissions:

[0080] a. Cell-Specific DCI: A DCI carrying information for all UEs within a cell can be used to indicate or signal the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission to the UEs. The CRC of the cell-specific DCI is scrambled by P-RNTI, SI-RNTI, TC-RNTI, or RA-RNTI:

[0081] a) The information field can be designed according to at least one of the following methods:

[0082] i. One information block in DCI may be configured (e.g., by base station 102 or 202) for the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission instructions for a cell or cell group. The number of blocks may be less than or equal to the number of cells or cell groups configured by the higher-layer parameters, or it may be equal to 1. The starting position of a block may be determined by parameters configured by the higher layer of one or more cells or cell groups.

[0083] ii. A bitmap field in DCI can be configured for the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission instructions for one or more cells or groups of cells. The bit width of the bitmap field can be 0 bits if no upper-layer parameters associated with the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission are configured, otherwise it can be an N-bit bitmap determined according to the number of cells or groups of cells provided by the upper-layer parameters. Each bit can correspond to one cell or one group of cells configured by the upper-layer parameters.

[0084] iii. One instruction field in DCI may be configured for the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission instructions in a cell.

[0085] b) A group of cells may consist of base stations 102 or 202. Cells that support the same eDRX parameters or default paging cycle or DRX cycle may be included in the cell group. A cell may be a SCell, an activated SCell, a dormant SCell, or a PCell.

[0086] UE104 or 204 can assume that the SCS configuration for PRACH transmission in a valid RACH opportunity is the same for the group of cells.

[0087] b. Group Common DCI: DCI format 2_7 with CRC scrambled by RNTI, or DCI format 1_0 with CRC scrambled by P-RNTI, or DCI format 2_6 with CRC scrambled by PS-RNTI, or DCI formats 2-0, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5, or Rel-17 DCI format. New DCI formats can be used to carry indication information of the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission. The fields of the indication information can be designed according to at least one of the following:

[0088] a) If the existing Rel-17 DCI format is used to indicate information associated with the availability of RACH opportunities in PRACH transmissions, or if higher-layer parameters associated with PRACH transmissions are configured for a group of UEs, then an existing or new information field is used to indicate information associated with the availability of RACH opportunities in PRACH transmissions. The existing field may include at least one of the following:

[0089] i. A "slot format indicator" or available RB group indicator or COT duration indicator or search space group switching flag in DCI format 2_0 with CRC scrambled by SFI-RNTI.

[0090] ii. Preemption indication in DCI format 2_1 with CRC scrambled by INT-RNTI.

[0091] iii. Fields in DCI format 2_2 having CRC scrambled by TPC-PUSCH-RNTI or TPC-PUCCH-RNTI, or DCI format 2_3 having CRC scrambled by TPC-SRS-RNTI, or DCI format 2_4 having CRC scrambled by CI-RNTI, or DCI format 2_5 having CRC scrambled by AI-RNTI.

[0092] iv. The "Wake-up Indicator" or "SCell Sleep Indicator" field in a DCI format 2_6 block having a CRC scrambled by PS-RNTI.

[0093] A paging instruction field or TRS availability instruction in DCI format 2_7 having a CRC scrambled by v.PEI-RNTI.

[0094] b) A UE group can be determined or defined based on at least one of the following:

[0095] i. The UE identification information of a UE within a group is composed of higher-level parameters.

[0096] ii. The number of UE groups is determined by the higher-level parameters.

[0097] iii. UEs that have active POs in the same PF or several sequential PFs during a DRX cycle or default paging cycle are configured as a UE group.

[0098] c) An information field in DCI can indicate one or more UEs according to at least one of the following processes:

[0099] i. One information block in DCI is configured for UEs within a UE group.

[0100] ii. One information block in DCI is configured for a group of UEs.

[0101] iii. The bits in the bitmap in DCI are configured for one or more groups of UE.

[0102] c.UE-specific DCI: Existing DCI format 0-1 or DCI format 0-2, or DCI format 1-1 or DCI format 1-2, or a new DCI may be used to carry indication information of the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission.

[0103] a) One instruction field in DCI may be configured for the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission instructions for UE.

[0104] i. The indicator field is a bitmap to indicate the availability of one or more effective durations or periods for the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission.

[0105] ii. The indicator field may be an n-bit field for indicating the effective duration or the availability of a RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission, or for indicating the starting SFN / slot / symbol.

[0106] b) Existing information fields may be used to indicate information regarding the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission. Existing information fields may include at least one of the following:

[0107] The fields "Frequency Domain Resource Allocation", "Time Domain Resource Allocation", "Modulation and Encoding Scheme", "New Data Indicator", "Redundancy Version", "HARQ Process Number", or "UL / SUL Indicator" in DCI format 0_0 with CRC scrambled by iC-RNTI, CS-RNTI, or MCS-C-RNTI.

[0108] ii. The CG-DFI in DCI format 0_1 ​​with CRC scrambled by C-RNTI or CS-RNTI or SP-CSI-RNTI or MCS-C-RNTI, the "HARQ-ACK bitmap" or "all remaining bits" used to indicate the "Frequency Domain Resource Allocation", "Time Domain Resource Allocation", "Modulation and Encoding Scheme", "New Data Indicator", "Redundancy Version", "HARQ Process Number", or "UL / SUL Indicator".

[0109] iii. "Frequency Domain Resource Allocation", "Time Domain Resource Allocation", "Modulation and Encoding Scheme", "New Data Indicator", "Redundancy Version", "HARQ Process Number", or "UL / SUL Indicator" in DCI Format 0_2 with CRC scrambled by C-RNTI or CS-RNTI or SP-CSI-RNTI or MCS-C-RNTI.

[0110] iv. "Random Access Preamble Index", "UL / SUL Indicator", "SS / PBCH Index", "PRACH Mask Index", "Reserved Bit", "Time Domain Resource Allocation", "Modulation and Encoding Scheme", "New Data Indicator", "Redundancy Version", "HARQ Process Number", "Downlink Allocation Index", "PUCCH Resource Indicator", "Short Message", or "TRS Availability Indicator" in DCI Format 1_0 with CRC scrambled by C-RNTI, CS-RNTI, or MCS-C-RNTI.

[0111] "Frequency Domain Resource Allocation", "Time Domain Resource Allocation", "Modulation and Encoding Scheme" for Transport Block 1, "New Data Indicator" for Transport Block 1, "Redundancy Version" for Transport Block 1, "HARQ Process Number", "PDSCH Group Index", or "HARQ-ACK Retransmission Indicator", or "SCell Sleep Indicator" in DCI Format 1_1 or DCI Format 1_2 with CRC scrambled by vC-RNTI, CS-RNTI, or MCS-C-RNTI.

[0112] d. MAC CE: MAC CE can be used to indicate directive information. For example, the information may include activation / start of a RACH opportunity, deactivation / stopping of a RACH opportunity, or a change in the availability of a RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission.

[0113] e. RRC signal transmission: The parameters for the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission may include at least one of the following:

[0114] a) Instructional information for the availability of RACH opportunities for the PRACH transmission described above.

[0115] b) Parameters of the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission configured for a cell or group of cells.

[0116] c) Parameters of the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission configured for a UE or group of UEs.

[0117] f. SIB: If the UE is configured to support PRACH transmission, the UE shall acquire SIB information during the valid correction period.

[0118] a) The UE may assume that the modification period for obtaining the SIB is modification period n following modification period n-1 in which the instruction for the SI change was received, or that it is a modification period according to the mechanism specified in NR Rel-17.

[0119] i. The availability of a RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission during the n+1 modification period is available to the UE if the information carried by the SIB indicates the initiation or availability of a RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission. If the SIB obtained by the UE does not carry any indication information for a valid RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission, the UE assumes that the RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission is stopped, not initiated, or unavailable.

[0120] b) The instruction information carried by the SIB may include at least one of the following:

[0121] i.PRACH configuration index.

[0122] ii. Availability of one or more effective durations of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission.

[0123] iii. Availability of one or more RACH opportunities.

[0124] iv. Parameters associated with RACH opportunities.

[0125] v. The number of RB or OFDM symbols occupied by the RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission.

[0126] vi. Period or duration for the RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission.

[0127] vii. Start offset for the effective duration or period of the RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission.

[0128] viii. Starting position or reference point for effective duration or effective RACH opportunity.

[0129] ix. Whether the availability period for a valid RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission is configured / started / stopped.

[0130] x. Is the RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission valid?

[0131] g. BS Exchange: If the UE is configured to support indication of the availability of RACH opportunities, information related to PRACH transmission may be exchanged between the BS and other peer BS or neighboring BS. The exchanged information may include at least one of the following:

[0132] a) Whether or not the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission is supported by the service-providing cell can be communicated between wireless communication nodes via the Xn interface.

[0133] b) Whether the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission is supported by the group of UEs can be communicated between wireless communication nodes via the Xn interface.

[0134] c) The Xn interface supports the exchange of signaling information between two NG-RAN nodes and the transfer of PDUs to their respective tunnel endpoints.

[0135] h. Events: If the UE is configured with the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission, the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission is triggered by an event. The event includes at least one of the following:

[0136] a) A BS-side event that triggers the availability of a RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission includes at least one of the following:

[0137] i.BS receives a request for the availability of a RACH opportunity for a PRACH transmission transmitted by UE.

[0138] ii.BS receives acknowledgment information for the availability of a RACH opportunity for a PRACH transmission configuration by a certain number of UEs, where the number of UEs is 1 or greater, or greater than a threshold; the threshold is equal to a multiple of the number of idle mode UEs or connected mode UEs in the cell, where the multiple is a fraction and greater than 0.

[0139] iii. The service delivery cell consists of DTX.

[0140] iv. The RSRP / RSRQ values ​​reported by one or more UEs are below the threshold.

[0141] v. The load factor is less than the threshold.

[0142] The amount of data in vi.DL or UL is less than the threshold.

[0143] b) The UE-side event that triggers the availability of a RACH opportunity for PRACH transmission may include at least one of the following:

[0144] i.UE reports an acknowledgment for the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission configuration.

[0145] ii.UE DL transmission is limited to service-providing cells.

[0146] iii.UE does not need to perform PDCCH monitoring over its duration.

[0147] iv. Measurement results based on SSB, CSI-RS, TRS, PTRS, or PRS resources are below the threshold.

[0148] The measurement results for v.RSRP / RSRQ are greater than the threshold.

[0149] vi. Associated SSB and CSI-RS resources configured by the upper-level parameters are located in a quasi-identical location for the UE.

[0150] vii. An RRC configuration or reconfiguration that includes instructional information associated with the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission includes at least one of the following:

[0151] 1. Instructional information regarding the availability of RACH opportunities for the PRACH transmission described above.

[0152] 2. Revision period.

[0153] 3. A service provider cell ID or service provider cell group ID to support the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission.

[0154] c) A timer is introduced to make RACH opportunities available for PRACH transmission. When the timer expires, the availability of RACH opportunities for PRACH transmission is stopped or started.

[0155] (Determine the mapping relationship from DL signals to the availability of RA opportunities:) The mapping relationship from DL signals to RA opportunity availability can be determined by the UE or defined by the base station according to at least one of the following:

[0156] (1) The association pattern period may include one or more association periods and may be determined such that the pattern between the PRACH opportunity and the SSB index repeats at a maximum of every max_x or min_x*n2. PRACH opportunities that are not associated with the SSB index after an integer number of association periods are not used for PRACH transmission.

[0157] (2) Period T of SSB SSBIf it is greater than the association pattern period or association period or PRACH configuration period or the maximum value of 160ms,

[0158] 1) The association pattern period can include one or more association periods, and the pattern between PRACH opportunity (or RO) and the SSB index is at most T SSB It is decided to repeat each time. PRACH opportunities that are not associated with an SSB index after an integer number of association periods are not used for PRACH transmission; or,

[0159] 2) The association pattern period may include one or more association periods, and is determined so that the pattern between the PRACH opportunity and the SSB index repeats at a maximum of every max_x or min_x*n2. PRACH opportunities that are not associated with the SSB index after an integer number of association periods are not used for PRACH transmission; or,

[0160] 3) The association pattern period may include one or more association periods, and is determined so that the pattern between the PRACH opportunity and the SSB index repeats at a maximum interval of 160ms. PRACH opportunities that are not associated with an SSB index after an integer number of association periods are not used for PRACH transmission.

[0161] In some embodiments, the SSB can be an SS / PBCH block in NR Rel-17, or a larger or smaller SSB.

[0162] (3) If the base station (BS) or UE is configured for discontinuous transmission (DTX), PRACH opportunities associated with the SSB index during the duration of the DTX state will not be used for PRACH transmission.

[0163] In some implementations, if the PRACH configuration period is greater than 160ms, or if min_x or max_x is greater than 160ms, it can be triggered by at least one of the following events:

[0164] a) The wireless communication device is configured to support a different SSB than the SSB in New Radio (NR) Release 17 through signal transmission; or,

[0165] b) The wireless communication device is configured to support a different release version of NR Release 17 by signal transmission; or

[0166] c) The wireless communication device is configured to support a PRACH configuration period greater than 160 ms by signal transmission; or,

[0167] d) The wireless communication device is configured to support the preamble format by signal transmission; or,

[0168] e) The wireless communication device is configured to support RA type through signal transmission.

[0169] f) Signal transmission can be a higher-layer parameter or UE capability. (Determines the mapping relationship from the DL signal to the preamble for PRACH transmission)

[0170] The mapping relationship from the DL signal to the preamble for the RA can be determined or defined as described below.

[0171] The first technical challenge concerning the mapping relationship from SSB to preamble for RA can be disclosed as follows: Assume the following: The total number of competing base (CB) preambles given by -totalNumberOfRA-Preambles or msgA-TotalNumberOfRA-Preamble is

number

number

[0172] therefore,

number

number

number

number

number

number

number

[0173] The second issue is the number of SS / PBCH block indices associated with a single PRACH opportunity.

number

number

[0174] The solution for the mapping relationship between the contention-based preamble for SSB and RA can be described as follows:

[0175] (1) The number of contention-based random access preambles per SS / PBCH block index per valid PRACH opportunity can be determined by at least one of the following methods:

[0176] 1) The number N of SSB indices during the SSB period SSB indicated by DCI or the last recently configured number of SS / PBCH block indices associated with one PRACH opportunity

Number

Number

Number

Number

[0177] a. Have consecutive indices associated with the SSB index n (0≦n≦N SSB -1) per valid PRACH opportunity

Number

Number

Number

[0178] b. In some embodiments, the last recently configured number of SS / PBCH block indexes associated with one PRACH opportunity

Number

[0179] 2) The number N of SSB indexes during the SSB period SSB is indicated by DCI or the last configured number of SS / PBCH block indexes associated with one PRACH opportunity

Number

[0180] FIG. 9 shows an illustrative mapping relationship from SSB to preamble for RA according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0181] The second technical problem 2 regarding the mapping relationship from SSB to preamble for RA can be described as follows:

[0182] If an SSB with a smaller or larger period is configured for NR Rel-17, or for NR Rel-18, the selected type / kind of SSB associated with the PRACH opportunity should be determined to eliminate ambiguity in the use of the SSB associated with the PRACH opportunity between the BS and the UE.

[0183] The solution for parameters related to SSB type, excluding SSBs, in NR Rel-17 for the PRACH procedure can be described as follows:

[0184] (1) If an SSB in NR Rel-17, or an SSB with a smaller period, or an SSB with a larger period is configured for the UE, the UE may assume the following:

[0185] 1) SSBs with smaller or larger periods are selected with higher priority than SSBs in NR Rel-17 per effective PRACH opportunity; or,

[0186] 2) A new parameter for PRACH transmission associated with the selected SSB type (excluding SSB in NR Rel-17) is introduced, where:

[0187] a. For example, the new parameter indicates the number of new SSBs (e.g., small SSBs or SSBs with larger periods) in NR Rel-17 associated with a valid PRACH opportunity.

[0188] b. For example, the new parameter represents the number of competition-based random access preambles associated with a new SSB in NR Rel-17 per valid PRACH opportunity.

[0189] c. For example, a new parameter for RA procedure initialization associated with a new SSB in NR Rel-17.

[0190] d. For example, the new parameter indicates the threshold of SS-RSRP associated with a new SSB for SSB in NR Rel-17. In some embodiments, if a new SSB for SSB in NR Rel-17 is configured, the rsrp threshold used for the RACH procedure associated with the new SSB for SSB in NR Rel-17 is determined based on the following: if rsrp-ThresholdEnhancedSSB is configured by RRC, rsrp-ThresholdEnhancedSSB is used as the rsrp threshold; otherwise, if rsrp-ThresholdSSB for 4-step RA or msgA-RSRP-ThresholdSSB for 2-step RA is configured by RRC, rsrp-ThresholdSSB or msgA-RSRP-ThresholdSSB is used as the rsrp-threshold for the 4-step or 2-step RACH procedure, respectively; otherwise, the extended SSB cannot be selected for the RACH procedure.

[0191] e. In some embodiments, the new parameter is used for NR Rel-18; or,

[0192] 3) Assume that the current RACH procedure is ignored or cancelled under the following conditions.

[0193] a. When at least one of the following conditions is met: the cell switches from DTX active time to outside DTX active time, or the cell switches from the normal state to the ES state, and the current RACH procedure is in progress.

[0194] b. When at least one of the following conditions is met: the cell switches from DTX active time to outside DTX active time, or the cell switches from the normal state to the ES state, and the current RACH procedure is in progress except for at least one of the following conditions:

[0195] a) PREAMBLE_TRANSMISSION_COUNTER is greater than 0; or

[0196] b) No LBT failure indication is received from a lower layer for this random access preamble transmission or for this MSGA RA preamble transmission; or

[0197] c) This is the first MSGA transmission in this random access procedure; or,

[0198] d) A random access preamble or MSGA RA preamble is transmitted.

[0199] c. In some embodiments, the current RACH procedure performs RA preamble transmission.

[0200] 4) When a random access preamble is transmitted, regardless of the possibility of a measurement gap occurring, if the cell has switched from DTX active time to outside DTX active time, or if the cell has switched from a normal state to an ES state, and the current RACH procedure is in progress, the current RACH procedure shall be ignored or canceled, except under at least one of the following conditions:

[0201] a. A non-conflict random access preamble for a beam fault recovery request was transmitted by the MAC entity; or,

[0202] b. While the ra-Response window is running, the MAC entity monitors the SpCell's PDCCH for random access responses identified by RA-RNTI; or, while the msgB-ResponseWindow is running, the MAC entity monitors the SpCell's PDCCH for random access responses identified by MSGB-RNTI or C-RNTI; or,

[0203] c. The ra-ResponseWindow configured in BeamFailureRecoveryConfig during the PDCCH opportunity is being executed; or

[0204] Notification of the reception of a PDCCH transmission in the search space indicated by d.recoverySearchSpaceId is received from a lower layer of the service-providing cell from which the preamble was transmitted; or notification of the reception of a PDCCH transmission in a SpCell is received from a lower layer; or,

[0205] The ra-ResponseWindow configured in e.BeamFailureRecoveryConfig has expired, and the PDCCH transmission in the search space indicated by the recoverySearchSpaceId addressed to C-RNTI has not been received in the service-providing cell from which the preamble was transmitted; or

[0206] f. The ra-ResponseWindow configured in RACH-ConfigCommon has expired, and no random access response containing a random access preamble identifier matching the transmitted PREAMBLE_INDEX has been received; or,

[0207] g. A valid downlink assignment was received in the PDCCH for MSGB-RNTI, and the received TB was successfully decoded.

[0208] Embodiments of methods 1) and 2) are disclosed as follows:

[0209] 1. The parameters ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB or msgA-SSB-PerRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB are used for SSBs new to SSBs in NR Rel-17. Below, SSBs other than those in NR Rel-17, or SSBs new to them, are represented as extended SS / PBCH blocks or extended SSBs.

[0210] a. Composed of any of the parameters

number

[0211] b. Composed of any of the parameters

number

number

number

[0212] c. Composed of any of the parameters

number

number

number

number

[0213] d. Composed of any of the parameters

number

number

number

number

[0214] e. Composed of any of the parameters

number

number

number

[0215] f. Consists of any of the parameters

number

number

number

number

[0216] Composed of any of the parameters

number

number

number

number

number

[0217] 2. If an extended SSB is configured, new parameters are introduced to indicate the number of extended SSBs mapped to each PRACH opportunity and the number of competition-based random access preambles mapped to each SSB, and these parameters are used for the extended SSB.

[0218] a. ssb-perRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB: Defines the number of SSBs mapped to each PRACH opportunity for a 4-step RA type and the number of competition-based random access preambles mapped to each SSB; or, if extended SSBs are configured and the number of extended SSBs is less than the number of SSBs, the defined number of SSBs mapped to each PRACH opportunity for a 4-step RA type is equal to the number of extended SSBs, and the number of competition-based random access preambles mapped to each SSB can be used for each extended SSB, or each extended SSB The number of competition-based random access preambles mapped to is equal to the value of function(number of SSBs configured by the parameter * number of competition-based random access preambles mapped to each SSB configured by the parameter / number of extended SSBs), where function represents rounding the input value up, down, or to the nearest integer; or introduce specific parameters for extended SSBs to define the number of extended SSBs mapped to each PRACH opportunity for a 4-step RA type, and the number of competition-based random access preambles mapped to each extended SSB.

[0219] b.msgA-SSB-PerRACH-OccasionAndCB-PreamblesPerSSB: Defines the number of SSBs mapped to each PRACH opportunity for a 2-step RA type and the number of competition-based random access preambles mapped to each SSB; or, if extended SSBs are configured, or the number of extended SSBs is less than the number of SSBs, or if extended SSBs are configured for a 2-step RA type, the defined number of SSBs mapped to each PRACH opportunity for a 2-step RA type and the defined number of competition-based random access preambles mapped to each SSB are used for each extended SSB; or, introduce specific parameters for extended SSBs to define the number of SSBs mapped to each PRACH opportunity for a 2-step RA type and the number of competition-based random access preambles mapped to each SSB.

[0220] 3. When a random access procedure is initiated in a service-providing cell, at least one of the following parameters should be introduced for RA procedure initialization associated with the extended SSB:

[0221] a. Random access procedures are initiated by the PDCCH sequence, by the MAC entity itself, or by the RRC of an event, in accordance with the NR Rel-17 specification.

[0222] b. rsrp-ThresholdEnhancedSSB: RSRP threshold for selecting an enhanced SSB for a 4-step RA type. When a random access procedure is initiated for beam failure recovery, the rsrp-ThresholdEnhancedSSB used for selecting the enhanced SSB in candidateBeamRSList refers to the rsrp-ThresholdEnhancedSSB in BeamFailureRecoveryConfig IE.

[0223] c.rsrp-ThresholdCSI-RS: RSRP threshold for selecting CSI-RS for 4-step RA type. If a random access procedure is initiated for beam failure recovery and an enhanced SSB is configured, rsrp-ThresholdCSI-RS is equal to rsrp-ThresholdEnhancedSSB in BeamFailureRecoveryConfig IE; otherwise, rsrp-ThresholdCSI-RS is equal to rsrp-ThresholdSSB in BeamFailureRecoveryConfig IE.

[0224] d.msgA-RSRP-ThresholdEnhancedSSB: RSRP threshold for selecting an enhanced SSB for 2-step RA types.

[0225] e.rsrp-ThresholdEnhancedSSB-SUL: RSRP threshold for selecting between NUL and SUL carriers when enhanced SSB is configured.

[0226] f.offset is defined for msgA-RSRP-Threshold or rsrp-ThresholdMsg3 if the extended SSB is configured; otherwise, offset is not configured or is equal to 0.

[0227] g.candidateBeamRSList: A list of reference signals (CSI-RS and / or SSB and / or Extended SSB) that identify candidate beams for recovery and their associated random access parameters.

[0228] h.ra-ehancedSsb-OccasionMaskIndex: Defines PRACH opportunities associated with enhanced SSBs where MAC entities can transmit random access preambles.

[0229] i.msgA-CB-PreamblesPerSSB-PerSharedRO: Defines the number of competition-based random access preambles for each 2-step RA type mapped to each SSB when a PRACH opportunity is shared between 2-step and 4-step RA types; or, if extended SSBs are configured or the number of extended SSBs is less than the number of SSBs, the number of competition-based random access preambles for each 2-step RA type mapped to each SSB is also used to map to each extended SSB; or, if extended SSBs are configured or the number of extended SSBs is less than the number of SSBs, the number of competition-based random access preambles for each 2-step RA type mapped to each SSB is equal to 0 when a PRACH opportunity is shared between 2-step and 4-step RA types; or, if a PRACH opportunity is shared between 2-step and 4-step RA types, introduces a specific parameter for extended SSBs to define the number of competition-based random access preambles for each 2-step RA type mapped to each SSB.

[0230] If j.groupBconfigured is configured, random access preamble group B is configured for 4-step RA types. If an extended SSB is configured, the first numberOfRA-PreamblesGroupA among the competition-based random access preambles associated with the extended SSB that is included in the groupBconfigured random access preamble belongs to random access preamble group A. The remaining random access preambles associated with the extended SSB belong to random access preamble group B (if configured).

[0231] If k.groupB-ConfiguredTwoStepRA is configured, random access preamble group B is configured for two-step RA types. If an extended SSB is configured, of the competition-based random access preambles for two-step RA types associated with the extended SSB, the first numberOfRA-PreamblesGroupA included in the GroupB-ConfiguredTwoStepRA random access preamble belongs to random access preamble group A. The remaining random access preambles associated with the extended SSB belong to random access preamble group B (if configured).

[0232] l. If Random Access Preamble Group B is supported by a cell and an Extended SSB is configured, Random Access Preamble Group B is included for each SSB or each Extended SSB.

[0233] m. If Random Access Preamble Group B is configured for 4-step RA types and extended SSBs are configured, define the number of random access preambles in Random Access Preamble Group A for each SSB or each extended SSB included in numberOfRA-PreamblesGroupA:groupBconfigured.

[0234] n. If random access preamble group B is configured for a two-step RA type and an extended SSB is configured, define the number of random access preambles in random access preamble group A for each SSB or each extended SSB included in configuredTwoStepRA.

[0235] o. If an extended SSB is configured, a specific set of parameters for ra-ResponseWindow, ra-ContentionResolutionTimer, msgB-ResponseWindow, or ta-Report is configured by the upper layer.

[0236] p. If an extended SSB is configured or selected for the RA procedure, at least one of the following UE variables will be used for the RA procedure:

[0237] a) PREAMBLE_INDEX for extended SSB.

[0238] b) REAMBLE_TRANSMISSION_COUNTER for extended SSB.

[0239] c) PREAMBLE_POWER_RAMPING_COUNTER for extended SSB.

[0240] d) PREAMBLE_POWER_RAMPING_STEP for extended SSB.

[0241] e) PREAMBLE_RECEIVED_TARGET_POWER for extended SSB.

[0242] f) PREAMBLE_BACKOFF for extended SSB.

[0243] g) PCMAX for extended SSB.

[0244] h) SCALING_FACTOR_BI for extended SSB.

[0245] i) RA_TYPE for extended SSB.

[0246] j) POWER_OFFSET_2STEP_RA for extended SSB.

[0247] k) MSGA_PREAMBLE_POWER_RAMPING_STEP for extended SSB.

[0248] q. If Enhanced SSB is configured, the network configures the same value for rsrp-ThresholdEnhancedSSB-SUL on all BWPs. Therefore, the UE can obtain this parameter from any random access configuration.

[0249] 4. When a random access procedure is initiated on a service delivery cell, if an extended SS is configured,

[0250] a. If the BWP selected for the RA procedure consists of a two-step RA type RA resource, or if the random access procedure is initiated for reconfiguration by sync, and a conflict-free random access resource for a two-step RA type is explicitly provided in rach-ConfigDedicated for the BWP selected for the random access procedure, the MAC entity shall set RA_TYPE to two-step RA.

[0251] b. If the BWP selected for the RA procedure consists only of 4-step RA type RA resources, the MAC entity shall set RA_TYPE to 4-step RA. Extended SSBs shall not be selected for the RA procedure.

[0252] 5. If a DTX or ES state is configured, rsrp-ThresholdMsg3 is updated or adjusted based on instructions via L1 signaling. Here, L1 signaling is also used to indicate information associated with the DTX or ES state.

[0253] 6. If no conflict-free random access resources are provided for this random access procedure, and one or more features including extended SSB, DTX, or ES states are applicable for the RA procedure,

[0254] a. If no set of random access resources is available for the current random access procedure, the MAC entity shall select a set of RA resources that are not associated with any feature instruction; or,

[0255] b. If there is one or more sets of available random access resources, and one of these sets of random access resources can be used to represent all the features that trigger this random access procedure, the MAC entity shall select a set of available random access resources for this random access procedure; or,

[0256] c. In other cases (i.e., there exists one or more sets of available random access resources consisting of instructions for some of all features that trigger the RACH procedure), the MAC entity shall select a set of random access resources from the available sets of random access resources based on the priority indicated in the system information for this random access procedure.

[0257] 7.4 With respect to each set of configured random access resources for a step RA type and each set of configured random access resources for a step RA type: If an extended SSB or DTX or ES status indicator feature is configured for a set of RA resources, the MAC entity shall consider the set of random access resources unavailable for RACH procedures that are not triggered for an extended SSB or DTX or ES status, or if an extended SSB or DTX or ES status indicator is not applicable.

[0258] 8. If a set of available random access resources consisting of an extended SSB, DTX, or ES state indicator is identified, the MAC entity shall select one set of RA resources from among one or more sets of RA resources consisting of features applicable to the current RACH procedure. One set of RA resources may consist of an extended SSB, or a set of RA resources may consist of a DTX, or a set of RA resources may consist of the current ES state or a target ES state.

[0259] 9. If an enhanced SSB is configured, the rsrp threshold used for the RACH procedure associated with the enhanced SSB is determined based on the following: If an rsrp-ThresholdEnhancedSSB is configured by the RRC, the rsrp-ThresholdEnhancedSSB is used as the rsrp threshold; otherwise, if an rsrp-ThresholdSSB for a 4-step RA or an msgA-RSRP-ThresholdSSB for a 2-step RA is configured by the RRC, the rsrp-ThresholdSSB or the msgA-RSRP-ThresholdSSB is used as the rsrp-threshold for the 4-step or 2-step RACH procedure, respectively; otherwise, the enhanced SSB cannot be selected for the RACH procedure. For example,

[0260] a. If the selected RA_TYPE is set to 4-step RA, if a random access procedure has been initiated for SpCell beam fault recovery; and beamFailureRecoveryTimer is running or not configured; and if RRC explicitly provides a non-conflicting random access resource for a beam fault recovery request associated with any of the extended SSBs; and if at least one of the extended SSBs in candidateBeamRSList that has an SS-RSRP exceeding the rsrp threshold is available, the MAC entity shall select the extended SSB in candidateBeamRSList that has an SS-RSRP exceeding the rsrp threshold.

[0261] b.4 With respect to the RACH procedure, if ra-PreambleIndex is not 0b000000, and a non-conflicting random access resource associated with the extended SSB is explicitly provided by the RRC, and at least one of the associated extended SSBs has an SS-RSRP greater than the rsrp-threshold, the MAC entity shall select the extended SSB with an SS-RSRP greater than the rsrp-threshold from among the associated extended SSBs and set PREAMBLE_INDEX to the ra-PreambleIndex corresponding to the selected extended SSB.

[0262] c. If a non-conflicting 2-step RA type resource associated with an extended SSB is explicitly provided by the upper-level parameters, and at least one extended SSB among the associated SSBs has an SS-RSRP exceeding the rsrp-threshold, the MAC entity shall select the extended SSB among the associated extended SSBs that has an SS-RSRP exceeding the rsrp-threshold and set PREAMBLE_INDEX to the ra-PreambleIndex corresponding to the selected extended SSB.

[0263] With respect to the 10.4 step RACH procedure, if the ra-PreambleIndex is not 0b000000 and an extended SSB is configured, the MAC entity shall select the extended SSB signaled by the PDCCH. If the extended SSB is not signaled by the PDCCH, the MAC entity shall select the SSB signaled by the PDCCH.

[0264] 11. If an enhanced SSB or SSB is configured, the enhanced SSB shall be selected if at least one enhanced SSB having an SS-RSRP greater than the rsrp-ThresholdSSB for a 4-step RACH and at least one SSB having an SS-RSRP greater than the msgA-RSRP-ThresholdSSB for a 2-step RACH are available; or, if at least one enhanced SSB having an SS-RSRP greater than the rsrp-threshold is available, the enhanced SSB having an SS-RSRP greater than the rsrp-threshold shall be selected; or, if there is no enhanced SSB greater than the rsrp-threshold and no SSB having an SS-RSRP greater than the rsrp-ThresholdSSB for a 4-step RACH or greater than the msgA-RSRP-ThresholdSSB for a 2-step RACH, the MAC entity shall select any SSB. For example,

[0265] a.4 With respect to step RACH, if random access resources for the SI request are explicitly provided by RRC, and at least one of the extended SSBs with SS-RSRP exceeding the rsrp-threshold and the SSBs with SS-RSRP exceeding the rsrp-threshold SSB is available, the MAC entity shall select the extended SSB with SS-RSRP exceeding the rsrp-threshold.

[0266] b. With regard to competition-based random access preamble selection, if at least one of the extended SSBs having an SS-RSRP above the rsrp-threshold is available, the MAC entity shall select the extended SSB having an SS-RSRP above the rsrp-threshold.

[0267] With respect to step 12.4 RACH, in the association period given by ra-AssociationPeriodIndex in si-RequestPeriod, the enhanced SSB shall be selected if the enhanced SSB and SSB are permitted by the restrictions given by ra-enhancedSsb-OccasionMaskIndex or ra-ssb-OccasionMaskIndex (if configured).

[0268] 13.2 With respect to step RACH, to determine whether there is an enhanced SSB with an SS-RSRP exceeding msgA-RSRP-ThresholdSSB or msgA-RSRP-ThresholdEnhancedSSB, the UE uses the latest unfiltered L1-RSRP measurement.

[0269] 14. If a DTX or ES state is configured and no BWP is associated with any SSB during the duration of the external DTX active time or while the ES state is maintained in the service delivery cell, the SS-RSRP measurement is performed based on the SSB associated with the BWP of another service delivery cell, as indicated by the higher-tier parameters. (UE features:)

[0270] UE104 or 204 may include features related to the availability of RA opportunities. UE104 or 204 may include features related to support for PRACH transmission associated with new SSBs in NR Rel-17.

[0271] In the case of idle and low resource utilization, common signal transmissions, such as SSB or SIB, occupy a large portion of the time domain. According to system-level simulations, if SSB or SIB transmission can be restricted, the BS can benefit from energy savings. When a new SSB is configured for an SSB in NR Rel-17, the UE can perform PRACH transmission during the effective RACH opportunity associated with the new SSB in NR Rel-17.

[0272] While various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented only as examples and not as limitations. Similarly, various figures may depict exemplary architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand the exemplary features and functions of the present solution. However, such those skilled in the art will understand that the present solution is not limited to the exemplary architectures or configurations described and can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, one or more features of one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments described above.

[0273] It should be understood that any reference to elements in this specification using designations such as "first," "second," etc., does not generally limit the number or order of those elements. Rather, these designations can be used in this specification as a convenient means of distinguishing two or more elements or examples of elements. Thus, references to first and second elements do not mean that only two elements can be used, nor that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0274] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of the various different techniques and methods. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be mentioned in the above description can be represented by voltage, electric current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0275] Those skilled in the art will further understand that any of the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in relation to the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of both), firmware, various forms of programs or design code incorporating instructions (which may be referred to herein as “software” or “software modules” for convenience), or any combination of these techniques. To clearly illustrate this compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described above in general terms with respect to their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or as a combination of these techniques, depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art will understand that the described functionality can be implemented in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions will not result in a departure from the scope of this disclosure.

[0276] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented or carried out within an integrated circuit (IC) which may include 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, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include antennas and / or transceivers for communicating with various components within a network or device. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors working with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for carrying out the functions described herein.

[0277] When implemented in software, the functionality can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media, which include any media that can enable the transfer of computer programs or code from one location to another. Storage media can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. Such computer-readable media, but not limited to examples, may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer.

[0278] In this specification, the term “module” as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination thereof for performing the relevant functions described herein. Furthermore, although various modules are described as separate modules for the purposes of consideration, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the relevant functions according to embodiments of this solution.

[0279] Furthermore, communication components, as well as memory or other storage, may also be used in embodiments of this solution. For clarity, it should be understood that the above description refers to embodiments of this solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it should be clear that any appropriate distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains may be used without impairing the solution. For example, functionality exemplified as being performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Thus, references to specific functional units are not to indicate a strict logical or physical structure or organization, but merely to appropriate means of providing the described functionality.

[0280] Various modifications to the embodiments described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be given the broadest scope that coincides with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication device receives from the wireless communication node first information in signal transmission indicating a pattern of at least one physical random access channel (PRACH) or downlink (DL) signal transmission, The wireless communication device transmits a PRACH signal corresponding to the DL signal index to the wireless communication node in random access (RA) opportunities determined by the pattern. Includes, The aforementioned method, The wireless communication device determines that for each effective RA opportunity, a new synchronous signal block (SSB) type SSB is selected with higher priority than a legacy SSB type SSB, wherein the new SSB type SSB has an extended SSB index, and the legacy SSB type SSB has an SSB index. The wireless communication device determines the number of conflicting base preambles mapped to the extended SSB index according to the result of dividing the total number of conflicting base preambles configured by defined parameters by the extended SSB index. It further includes, The number of the conflict base preamble mapped to the extended SSB index is equal to the result, the result rounded up to the nearest integer, the result rounded down to the nearest integer, or the result rounded to the nearest integer, in a method.

2. A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication node transmits to the wireless communication device first information in signal transmission indicating a pattern of at least one physical random access channel (PRACH) or downlink (DL) signal transmission, The wireless communication node receives a PRACH signal corresponding to the DL signal index from the wireless communication device in random access (RA) opportunities determined by the pattern. Includes, The PRACH signal corresponds to a new SSB type SSB having an extended synchronous signal block (SSB) index, and the new SSB type SSB is selected by the wireless communication device with higher priority than legacy SSB type SSBs having an SSB index for each valid RA opportunity. The PRACH signal is transmitted using preambles from the competing base preambles mapped to each extended SSB index, the number of which is obtained by dividing the total number of competing base preambles, configured by defined parameters, by the extended SSB index. The number of the conflict base preamble mapped to the extended SSB index is equal to the result, the result rounded up to the nearest integer, the result rounded down to the nearest integer, or the result rounded to the nearest integer, in a method.

3. The first information mentioned above is, Information on at least one paging opportunity, Information from at least one synchronization signal block (SSB), Instructions for the number of RA opportunities, Instructions for the PRACH configuration period, An instruction for an association period, wherein the association period includes the number of PRACH constituent periods, Instructions for association pattern duration, Instructions for the duration of effectiveness for a certain number of RACH opportunities, Instructions for the number of valid or available PRACH configuration periods, Instructions for the duration of the configured number of effective or available PRACH configuration periods, Instructions for the duration of a certain number of valid or available association periods, An offset indication to show the starting position of the RA opportunity, or The effective duration for the number of RACH opportunities, the duration for the configured number of effective or available PRACH configuration periods, the duration for the configured number of effective or available association periods, and the indication of at least one starting position among the PRACH opportunities, the PRACH configuration periods, the association periods, or the association pattern periods. The method according to claim 1 or 2, comprising at least one of the following.

4. The aforementioned PRACH configuration period is The PRACH configuration period is at most max_x milliseconds (ms) or at least min_xms in length, and at least one of the following is satisfied: min_x is 10 or less or max_x is 160 or more, or The maximum value of the PRACH configuration index, which is formed by upper-layer signal transmission, must be greater than or equal to M and less than or equal to M + α * n. Satisfying at least one of the following conditions, M is a positive integer, and n is the number of PRACH constituent periods, each greater than 160 ms. α is a first value in the range of 1 to 11, and the PRACH configuration period is configured for at least one of the following preamble formats: 0, 1, 2, 3, A1, A2, A3, B4, C0 or C2; or, The method according to claim 3, wherein α is a second value in the range of 1 to 19, and the PRACH configuration period is configured for at least one of the following preamble formats: A1, A2, A3, B1, B4, C0, or C2, A1 / B1, A2 / B2, or A3 / B3.

5. i) At least a portion of the first information is used to determine at least one valid or available RA opportunity for the transmission of the PRACH signal, or ii) At least one of the following: The number of the configured PRACH configuration period is an integer in a defined set of n1 or more and n2 or less; or, The PRACH configuration period (x) in milliseconds (ms) is an integer greater than or equal to min_x and less than or equal to max_x, where min_x is 10 or less, or max_x is 160 or more; or n1 is less than or equal to 1, and n2 is [Math 1] The method according to claim 3.

6. The aforementioned association pattern period includes one or more association periods, and the pattern between RA opportunities and SSB index is at most max_x or min_x * n2, or T ＳＳＢ It is decided to repeat each time, T ＳＳＢ This is the period of the SSB, and the aforementioned T ＳＳＢ is greater than the maximum value of the association pattern period or the association period or the PRACH configuration period, or greater than 160 ms. The method according to claim 5, wherein PRACH opportunities that are not associated with an SSB index after an integer number of association periods are not used for PRACH transmission.

7. If the PRACH configuration period is greater than 160 ms, or if min_x or max_x is greater than 160 ms, the following events will occur: The wireless communication device is configured to support the new SSB type of the SSB; or, The wireless communication device is configured to support a release version different from NR Release 17; or, The wireless communication device is configured to support a PRACH configuration period greater than 160 ms; or, The wireless communication device is configured to support the preamble format; or, The wireless communication device is configured to support the RA type. The method according to claim 4, which is triggered by at least one of the following.

8. The aforementioned signal transmission is Cell-specific downlink control information (DCI) signal transmission, wherein the cell-specific DCI signal transmission includes information for one or more wireless communication devices within the cell, and the information for the one or more wireless communication devices within the cell is used to indicate at least one valid or available RA opportunity for the transmission of the PRACH signal, A group-common DCI, the group-common DCI having a DCI format 2_7 with cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), or a DCI format 1_0 with a CRC scrambled by a paging RNTI (P-RNTI), or a DCI format 2_6 with a CRC scrambled by a power saving RNTI (PS-RNTI), or a DCI format 2-0, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4 or 2-5, or a defined DCI format, the group-common DCI having information on the at least one valid or available RA opportunity for the transmission of the PRACH signal, A wireless communication device-specific DCI, wherein the wireless communication device-specific DCI has a DCI format 0-1, 0-2, 1-1 or 1-2, or a defined DCI format, for including information on the at least one valid or available RA opportunity for the transmission of the PRACH signal. Media Access Control Element (MAC CE) signal transmission, Radio Resource Control (RRC) signal transmission, or System Information Block (SIB) signal transmission The method according to claim 1, comprising at least one of the following.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the defined parameters for the PRACH transmission associated with the new SSB type SSB.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the defined parameter is configured to indicate a threshold for the synchronous reference signal received power (SS-RSRP) associated with the new SSB type SSB.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the SSB of the new SSB type is configured, or when several extended SSB indexes are configured, or when the SSB is configured for a two-step RA type, a defined number of SSBs mapped to each RA opportunity for the two-step RA type and a defined number of competing base RA preambles mapped to each SSB are used for each extended SSB.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parameters for the new SSB type of the SSB are configured to indicate the number of competing base RA preambles for the two-step RA type that are mapped to each SSB when a PRACH opportunity is shared between the two-step RA type and the four-step RA type.

13. An apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 8-12.

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