Evaluation period in NR-U networks

Abstract

To determine the maximum number of missed opportunities during the calculation of an evaluation period.SOLUTION: The present disclosure includes a method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for wireless communications for determining, by user equipment (UE), a first time period for an evaluation procedure during communications with a network entity; performing, by the UE, a first set of measurements of a quality of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period; and determining, by the UE, whether to initiate a set of actions associated with the evaluation procedure based on the first set of measurements of the quality of the first set of discovery reference signals.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 911,993, titled "EVALUATION PERIOD IN NR-U NETWORKS," filed on October 7, 2019, and U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 063,486, titled "EVALUATION PERIOD IN NR-U NETWORKS," filed on October 5, 2020, which were assigned to the assignee of this application and are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to communication systems, and more specifically, to determining the maximum number of lost opportunities during the calculation of an evaluation period in a 5G New Radio Unlicensed (NR-U) network.

Background Art

[0003] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunications services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcast. A typical wireless communication system may utilize multiple access techniques that are capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources. Examples of such multiple access techniques include Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) systems, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) systems, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) systems, Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) systems, and Time Division Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) systems.

[0004] These multiple access technologies are being adopted in various telecommunications standards to provide a common protocol that enables different wireless devices to communicate at urban, national, regional, and even global levels. An exemplary telecommunications standard is 5G New Radio (NR). 5G NR is part of the ongoing evolution of mobile broadband published by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®) to meet new requirements associated with latency, reliability, security, scalability (e.g., with the Internet of Things (IoT)), and other requirements. 5G NR includes services associated with Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), and Ultra-High Reliability Low Latency Communications (URLLC). Some aspects of 5G NR may be based on the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard. Further improvements to 5G NR technology are needed. These improvements may also be applicable to other multiple access technologies and the telecommunications standards that employ them.

[0005] The increasing demand for wireless communication necessitates improvements in the efficiency of wireless communication network techniques. [Overview of the project] [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The following provides a simplified overview of one or more embodiments to provide a basic understanding of such embodiments. This overview is not a comprehensive overview of all possible embodiments, nor is it intended to identify the main or important elements of all embodiments, nor to define the scope of any or all embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to more detailed explanations that will be presented later.

[0007] One exemplary implementation includes a wireless communication method which includes the steps of: a user device (UE) determining a first time period for an evaluation procedure between communications with a network entity; the UE performing a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period; the UE determining, based on the first set of quality measurements of the first set of discovery reference signals, whether to initiate one of a set of actions associated with the evaluation procedure; and a node performing at least one of the set of actions.

[0008] Further examples provide a device for wireless communication, comprising a transceiver, a memory configured to store instructions, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory. Embodiments may include a UE determining a first time period for an evaluation procedure during communication with a network entity, a UE performing a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period, a UE determining whether to initiate one of a set of actions associated with the evaluation procedure based on the first set of quality measurements of the first set of discovery reference signals, and one or more processors configured to execute instructions to perform at least one of the set of actions.

[0009] In another embodiment, a device for wireless communication is provided, comprising: a UE for determining a first time period for an evaluation procedure between communications with a network entity; a UE for performing a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period; a UE for determining, based on the first set of quality measurements of the first set of discovery reference signals, whether to initiate one of a set of actions associated with the evaluation procedure; and a node for performing at least one of the set of actions.

[0010] In yet another embodiment, a non-temporary computer-readable medium is provided, comprising one or more processors that execute: a UE for determining a first time period for an evaluation procedure between communications with a network entity; a UE for performing a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery criterion signals during the first time period; a UE for determining, based on the first set of quality measurements of the first set of discovery criterion signals, whether to initiate one of a set of actions associated with the evaluation procedure; and a node for executing at least one of the set of actions.

[0011] Another exemplary implementation includes a wireless communication method, the method comprising: the UE determining a first time period for an evaluation procedure between communications with a network entity; the UE performing a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period; the UE identifying a first available random access channel (RACH) opportunity within the first time period; and the UE transmitting a signal within the first time period based on having identified a first available RACH opportunity and the first set of measurements.

[0012] Further examples provide a device for wireless communication, comprising a transceiver, a memory configured to store instructions, and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory. Embodiments may include, by the UE, determining a first time period for an evaluation procedure between communications with a network entity; by the UE, performing a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period; by the UE, identifying a first available RACH opportunity within the first time period; and by the UE, executing instructions to transmit a signal within the first time period based on the identification of the first available RACH opportunity and the first set of measurements.

[0013] In another embodiment, an apparatus for wireless communication is provided, comprising: means for the UE to determine a first time period for an evaluation procedure between communications with a network entity; means for the UE to perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period; means for the UE to identify a first available RACH opportunity within the first time period; and means for the UE to transmit a signal within the first time period based on the identification of a first available RACH opportunity and the first set of measurements.

[0014] In yet another embodiment, a non-temporary computer-readable medium is provided, which includes one or more processors that execute a code for the UE to determine a first time period for an evaluation procedure between communications with a network entity; a code for the UE to perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period; a code for the UE to identify a first available RACH opportunity within the first time period; and a code for the UE to transmit a signal within the first time period based on the identification of the first available RACH opportunity and the first set of measurements.

[0015] To achieve the above-mentioned and related objectives, one or more embodiments shall have features that are fully described below and, in particular, indicated in the claims. The following description and accompanying drawings detail some exemplary features of one or more embodiments. However, these features represent only a few of the various ways in which the principles of various embodiments may be employed, and this description shall include all such embodiments and their equivalents. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This figure shows examples of wireless communication systems and access networks according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2A]This figure shows an example of a first 5G / NR frame according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2B] This figure shows an example of a DL channel within a 5G / NR subframe according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2C] This figure shows an example of a second 5G / NR frame according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 2D] This figure shows an example of a UL channel within a 5G / NR subframe according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] This figure shows examples of base stations and user equipment (UEs) in an access network according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart of an example wireless communications method for determining the maximum number of downlink opportunities lost during the calculation of an evaluation period in an NR-U network, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart of an example wireless communication method for determining the maximum number of uplink opportunities lost during the calculation of an evaluation period in an NR-U network, according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This block diagram shows an example of a UE according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This block diagram shows an example of a base station according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] The following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings is intended as an explanation of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configuration in which the concepts described in this specification can be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts.

[0018] Next, some aspects of a telecommunications system are presented with reference to various devices and methods. These devices and methods are described in the following detailed description and are shown in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, components, circuits, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). These elements can be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or as software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0019] For example, an element, or any part of an element, or any combination of elements, may be implemented as a “processing system” comprising one or more processors. Examples of processors include microprocessors, microcontrollers, graphics processing units (GPUs), central processing units (CPUs), application processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, system-on-chip (SoCs), baseband processors, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gate logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform various functions described throughout this disclosure. One or more processors in a processing system may execute software. Regardless of the names used, such as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, and hardware description language, software may be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software components, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, etc.

[0020] Thus, in one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or encoded as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable storage medium includes a computer storage medium. The storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable storage medium can include random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, other magnetic storage devices, combinations of the aforementioned types of computer-readable storage media, or any other medium that can be used to store computer-executable code in the form of instructions or data structures accessible by a computer.

[0021] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a wireless communication system and access network 100 configured to determine an evaluation period for a multi-panel UE. The wireless communication system (also referred to as a wireless wide area network (WWAN)) includes a base station  102, a UE 104, an evolved packet core (EPC) 160, and another core network 190 (e.g., a 5G core (5GC)).

[0022] In some aspects, the UE 104 may be configured to operate communication component 198 and / or configuration component 240 to determine a first time period for an evaluation procedure during communication with a network entity, perform a first set of measurements of the quality of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period, and determine whether to initiate a set of actions associated with the evaluation procedure based on the first set of measurements of the quality of the first set of discovery reference signals.

[0023] In another embodiment, UE104 may be configured to determine a first time period for an evaluation procedure during communication with a network entity, perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period, identify a first available random access channel (RACH) opportunity within the first time period, and, based on the identification of the first available RACH opportunity and the first set of measurements, operate the communication component 198 and / or configuration component 240 to transmit a signal within the first time period.

[0024] Accordingly, in some embodiments, the network entity 102 (for example, a base station) may be configured to communicate with the UE 104 and / or the communication component 198 to cause the communication component 199 and / or the configuration component 241 to operate in such a manner that they receive a signal within a first time period.

[0025] Base station 102 may include macrocells (high-power cellular base stations) and / or small cells (low-power cellular base stations). Macrocells include base stations. Small cells include femtocells, picocells, and microcells.

[0026] A base station 102 configured for 4G LTE (collectively referred to as Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)) may interface with EPC 160 via a backhaul link 132 (e.g., S1 interface). A base station 102 configured for 5G NR (collectively referred to as Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN)) may interface with the core network 190 via a backhaul link 184. In addition to other functions, the base station 102 may perform one or more of the following functions: user data transfer, radio channel encryption and decryption, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), inter-cell interference coordination, connection setup and release, load balancing, delivery for Non-Access Layer (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, Radio Access Network (RAN) sharing, Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS), subscriber and equipment tracking, RAN Information Management (RIM), paging, positioning, and warning message delivery. The base stations 102 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (for example, through the EPC 160 or core network 190) via a backhaul link 134 (for example, an X2 interface). The backhaul links 132, 134, and 184 may be wired or wireless.

[0027] Base station 102 can communicate wirelessly with UE 104. Each base station 102 can provide communication coverage to its respective geographical coverage area 110. There may be overlapping geographical coverage areas 110. For example, a small cell 102' may have a coverage area 110' that overlaps with the coverage area 110 of one or more macro base stations 102. A network that includes both small cells and macro cells is sometimes called a heterogeneous network. A heterogeneous network may also include Home Evolved Node B (eNB) (HeNB) which can serve a limited group known as a Limited Subscriber Group (CSG). The communication link 120 between base station 102 and UE 104 may include uplink (UL) transmissions from UE 104 to base station 102 (also called a reverse link) and / or downlink (DL) transmissions from base station 102 to UE 104 (also called a forward link). Communication link 120 may use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, including spatial multiplexing, beamforming, and / or transmit diversity. The communication link may be through one or more carriers. Base station 102 / UE104 may use a spectrum with bandwidth up to Y MHz per carrier (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 100, 400 MHz, etc.) allocated in carrier aggregation up to a total of Yx MHz (x component carriers) used for transmission in each direction. Carriers may or may not be adjacent to one another. Carrier allocation may be asymmetric with respect to DL and UL (e.g., more or fewer carriers may be allocated to DL than to UL). Component carriers may include primary component carriers and one or more secondary component carriers. Primary component carriers may be called primary cells (PCells), and secondary component carriers may be called secondary cells (SCells).

[0028] Several UE104s may communicate with each other using a device-to-device (D2D) communication link 158. The D2D communication link 158 may use the DL / UL WWAN spectrum. The D2D communication link 158 may use one or more sidelink channels, such as the Physical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH), Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), Physical Sidelink Sharing Channel (PSSCH), and Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH). D2D communication may also be conducted through various wireless D2D communication systems, such as FlashLinQ, WiMedia, Bluetooth®, ZigBee®, Wi-Fi based on the IEEE 802.11 standard, LTE, or NR.

[0029] The wireless communication system may further include a Wi-Fi access point (AP) 150 communicating with a Wi-Fi station (STA) 152 via a communication link 154 in the 5GHz unlicensed frequency spectrum. When communicating in the unlicensed frequency spectrum, the STA 152 / AP 150 may perform a clear channel assessment (CCA) before communication to determine whether the channel is available.

[0030] Small cell 102' can operate in licensed and / or unlicensed frequency spectrums. When operating in the unlicensed frequency spectrum, small cell 102' can utilize NR and use the same 5GHz unlicensed frequency spectrum used by Wi-Fi AP150. Small cell 102' utilizing NR in the unlicensed frequency spectrum can enhance coverage to the access network and / or increase the capacity of the access network.

[0031] Base station 102 may include an eNB, gNodeB (gNB), or another type of base station, whether it be a small cell 102' or a large cell (e.g., a macro base station). Some base stations, such as gNB180, may communicate with UE104 and operate in the conventional sub-6 GHz spectrum, millimeter wave (mmW) frequencies, and / or quasi-mmW frequencies. When gNB180 operates in mmW or quasi-mmW frequencies, gNB180 is sometimes referred to as an mmW base station. Extremely high frequency (EHF) is a part of RF in the electromagnetic spectrum. EHF has a range from 30 GHz to 300 GHz and wavelengths between 1 millimeter and 10 millimeters. Radio waves in that band are sometimes called millimeter waves. Quasi-mmW can extend downwards to frequencies as low as 3 GHz with wavelengths of 100 millimeters. The very high frequency (SHF) band extends between 3 GHz and 30 GHz and is also called centimeter waves. Communications using mmW / quasi-mmW radio frequency bands (e.g., 3GHz to 300GHz) have extremely high path loss and short distances. To compensate for the extremely high path loss and short distances, the mmW base station 180 may utilize beamforming 182 together with UE 104.

[0032] Base station 180 may transmit beamformed signals to UE 104 in one or more transmission directions 182'. UE 104 may receive beamformed signals from base station 180 in one or more reception directions 182''. UE 104 may also transmit beamformed signals to base station 180 in one or more transmission directions. Base station 180 may receive beamformed signals from UE 104 in one or more reception directions. Base station 180 / UE 104 may perform beam training to determine the best reception and transmission directions for each of base station 180 / UE 104. The transmission and reception directions for base station 180 may be the same or different. The transmission and reception directions for UE 104 may be the same or different.

[0033] EPC160 may include a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 162, another MME 164, a serving gateway 166, a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) gateway 168, a Broadcast Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) 170, and a Packet Data Network (PDN) gateway 172. MME 162 may communicate with a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 174. MME 162 is the control node that handles signaling between UE 104 and EPC160. Generally, MME 162 manages bearers and connections. All user Internet Protocol (IP) packets are forwarded through the serving gateway 166, which itself connects to the PDN gateway 172. The PDN gateway 172 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions. The PDN gateway 172 and BM-SC 170 connect to the IP service 176. The IP service 176 may include the Internet, intranet, IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), PS streaming service, and / or other IP services. The BM-SC 170 may provide functionality for MBMS user service provisioning and distribution. The BM-SC 170 may act as an entry point for content provider MBMS transmissions, may be used to authorize and initiate MBMS bearer services within a public land mobile network (PLMN), and may be used to schedule MBMS transmissions. The MBMS gateway 168 may be used to distribute MBMS traffic to base stations 102 belonging to a multicast broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) area broadcasting specific services, and may be responsible for session management (start / stop) and collecting eMBMS-related billing information.

[0034] The core network 190 may include Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 192, other AMFs 193, Session Management Function (SMF) 194, and User Plane Function (UPF) 195. AMF 192 may communicate with Unified Data Management (UDM) 196. AMF 192 is a control node that handles signaling between UE 104 and the core network 190. Generally, AMF 192 provides QoS flow and session management. All user Internet Protocol (IP) packets are forwarded through UPF 195. UPF 195 provides UE IP address allocation and other functions. UPF 195 connects to IP services 197. IP services 197 may include the Internet, intranet, IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), PS streaming services, and / or other IP services.

[0035] Base stations may also be called gNBs, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), access points, transceiver base stations, radio base stations, radio transceivers, transceiver functions, basic service sets (BSS), extended service sets (ESS), transmit / receive points (TRPs), or any other appropriate term. Base station 102 provides access points to EPC 160 or core network 190 to UE 104. Examples of UE 104 include mobile phones, smartphones, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) phones, laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), satellite radios, global positioning systems, multimedia devices, video devices, digital audio players (e.g., MP3 players), cameras, game consoles, tablets, smart devices, wearable devices, vehicles, electric meters, gas pumps, large or small kitchen appliances, health management devices, implants, sensors / actuators, displays, or any other similar functional devices. Some UE 104s may be called IoT devices (e.g., parking meters, gas pumps, toasters, vehicles, cardiac monitors, etc.). The UE104 may also be referred to as station, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or any other preferred term.

[0036] Figures 2A to 2D include diagrams of exemplary frame structures and resources that may be used in communication between base station 102, UE 104, and / or secondary UE (or sidelink UE) 110 as described in this disclosure. Figure 2A is a figure 200 showing an example of a first subframe in a 5G / NR frame structure. Figure 2B is a figure 230 showing an example of a DL channel in a 5G / NR subframe. Figure 2C is a figure 250 showing an example of a second subframe in a 5G / NR frame structure. Figure 2D is a figure 280 showing an example of a UL channel in a 5G / NR subframe. The 5G / NR frame structure may be an FDD where, for a particular set of subcarriers (carrier system bandwidth), the subframes in the set of subcarriers are dedicated to either DL or UL, or it may be a TDD where, for a particular set of subcarriers (carrier system bandwidth), the subframes in the set of subcarriers are dedicated to both DL and UL. In the example given in Figures 2A and 2C, the 5G / NR frame structure is assumed to be TDD, subframe 4 is configured with slot format 28 (usually with DL), where D is DL, U is UL, and X is flexible for use between DL and UL, and subframe 3 is configured with slot format 34 (usually with UL). Subframes 3 and 4 are shown with slot formats 34 and 28, respectively, but any particular subframe may be configured with any of the various available slot formats 0 to 61. Slot formats 0 and 1 are all DL and UL, respectively. The other slot formats 2 to 61 include DL, UL, and a mix of flexible symbols. The UE is configured with a slot format (dynamically via DL control information (DCI) or semi-statically / statically via radio resource control (RRC) signaling) through the received slot format indicator (SFI). Please note that the following explanation also applies to the TDD 5G / NR frame structure.

[0037] Other wireless communication technologies may have different frame structures and / or different channels. A frame (10 ms) may be divided into 10 equally sized subframes (1 ms). Each subframe may contain one or more time slots. Subframes may also contain minislots that may contain 7, 4, or 2 symbols. Each slot may contain 7 or 14 symbols depending on the slot configuration. In slot configuration 0, each slot may contain 14 symbols, and in slot configuration 1, each slot may contain 7 symbols. Symbols on DL may be cyclic prefix (CP) OFDM (CP-OFDM) symbols. Symbols on UL may be CP-OFDM symbols (for high-throughput scenarios) or discrete Fourier transform (DFT) spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM) symbols (also called single-carrier frequency-division multiple access (SC-FDMA) symbols) (limited to single-stream transmission for power-limited scenarios). The number of slots in a subframe is based on the slot configuration and numerology. In slot configuration 0, different numerologies μ0-5 allow 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 slots per subframe, respectively. In slot configuration 1, different numerologies 0-2 allow 2, 4, and 8 slots per subframe, respectively. Therefore, for slot configuration 0 and numerology μ, there are 14 symbols / slot and 2 μ There are 2 slots / subframes. The subcarrier interval and symbol length / duration depend on the numerology. The subcarrier interval is 2 μ*It may be equal to 15kHz, and μ is numerology 0 to 5. Therefore, numerology μ=0 has a subcarrier interval of 15kHz, and numerology μ=5 has a subcarrier interval of 480kHz. The symbol length / duration has an inverse relationship to the subcarrier interval. Figures 2A-2D give examples of slot configuration 0 with 14 symbols per slot and numerology μ=0 with 1 slot per subframe. The subcarrier interval is 15kHz, and the symbol duration is approximately 66.7μs.

[0038] A resource grid can be used to represent a frame structure. Each time slot contains a resource block (RB) (also called a physical RB (PRB)) spanning 12 consecutive subcarriers. The resource grid is divided into multiple resource elements (REs). The number of bits carried by each RE depends on the modulation scheme.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2A, some of the REs carry a reference (pilot) signal (RS) for the UE. The RS is used for channel estimation in the UE, and for a particular configuration, it is a demodulated RS (DM-RS) (where 100x is the port number). x Although shown as such, other DM-RS configurations are possible) and may include a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS). RS may also include beam measurement RS (BRS), beam improvement RS (BRRS), and phase tracking RS (PT-RS).

[0040] Figure 2B shows examples of various DL channels within a frame subframe. A physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) carries DCI within one or more control channel elements (CCEs), each CCE containing nine RE groups (REGs), and each REG containing four consecutive REs in the OFDM symbol. A primary synchronization signal (PSS) may be in symbol 2 of a particular subframe of the frame. The PSS is used by UE104 to determine subframe / symbol timing and physical layer identification information. A secondary synchronization signal (SSS) may be in symbol 4 of a particular subframe of the frame. The SSS is used by UE to determine the physical layer cell identification information group number and radio frame timing. Based on the physical layer identification information and physical layer cell identification information group number, UE can determine the physical cell identifier (PCI). Based on the PCI, UE can determine the location of the DM-RS described above. A physical broadcast channel (PBCH) carrying a Master Information Block (MIB) can be logically grouped with PSS and SSS to form a Synchronization Signal (SS) / PBCH block. The MIB provides the number of RBs and the System Frame Number (SFN) within the system bandwidth. The physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) carries user data, broadcast system information not transmitted through the PBCH, such as System Information Blocks (SIBs), and paging messages.

[0041] As shown in Figure 2C, some of the REs carry DM-RS for channel estimation at the base station (shown as R for one particular configuration, but other DM-RS configurations are possible). The UE may transmit DM-RS for the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) and DM-RS for the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). PUSCH DM-RS may be transmitted in the first one or two symbols of the PUSCH. PUCCH DM-RS may be transmitted in different configurations depending on whether a short or long PUCCH is transmitted, and depending on the specific PUCCH format used. Although not shown, the UE may transmit a sounding reference signal (SRS). The SRS may be used by the base station for channel quality estimation to enable frequency-dependent scheduling on the UL.

[0042] Figure 2D shows examples of various UL channels within a frame subframe. In one configuration, the PUCCH may be arranged as shown. The PUCCH carries uplink control information (UCI) such as scheduling requests, channel quality indicators (CQI), precoding matrix indicators (PMI), rank indicators (RI), and HARQ ACK / NACK feedback. The PUCCH may carry data and may be further used to carry buffer status reports (BSR), power headroom reports (PHR), and / or UCI.

[0043] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a base station 310 communicating with a UE350 in the access network, where base station 310 may be an exemplary implementation of base station 102, and UE350 may be an exemplary implementation of UE104. In the DL, IP packets from EPC160 may be provided to the controller / processor 375. The controller / processor 375 implements Layer 3 and Layer 2 functions. Layer 3 includes the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer, and Layer 2 includes the Service Data Adaptive Protocol (SDAP) layer, the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, the Radio Link Control (RLC) layer, and the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. The controller / processor 375 includes RRC layer functions associated with broadcasting system information (e.g., MIB, SIB), RRC connection control (e.g., RRC connection paging, RRC connection establishment, RRC connection correction, and RRC connection release), inter-radio access technology (RAT) mobility, and measurement configuration for UE measurement reporting; PDCP layer functions associated with header compression / decompression, security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification), and handover support functions; RLC layer functions associated with forwarding upper layer packet data units (PDUs), error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC service data units (SDUs), re-segmentation of RLC data PDUs, and reordering of RLC data PDUs; mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing of MAC SDUs onto transport blocks (TBs), and MAC from TBs. It provides SDU demultiplexing, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority processing, and MAC layer functionality associated with logical channel prioritization.

[0044] The transmit (TX) processor 316 and the receive (RX) processor 370 implement Layer 1 functions associated with various signal processing functions. Layer 1, including the physical (PHY) layer, may include error detection on the transport channel, forward error correction (FEC) coding / decoding of the transport channel, interleaving, rate matching, mapping to the physical channel, modulation / demodulation of the physical channel, and MIMO antenna processing. The TX processor 316 handles mapping to signal constellations based on various modulation schemes (e.g., 2-phase shift keying (BPSK), 4-phase shift keying (QPSK), M-phase shift keying (M-PSK), M-phase quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM)). Coded and modulated symbols may then be divided into parallel streams. Each stream is then mapped to an OFDM subcarrier to generate a physical channel that carries a time-domain OFDM symbol stream, multiplexed with a reference signal (e.g., a pilot) in the time-domain and / or frequency-domain, and then possibly synthesized together using an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT). The OFDM streams are spatially precoded to generate multiple spatial streams. Channel estimates from channel estimator 374 may be used to determine the coding and modulation scheme and for spatial processing. Channel estimates may be derived from a reference signal and / or channel state feedback transmitted by UE350. Each spatial stream may then be provided to different antennas 320 via a separate transmitter 318TX. Each transmitter 318TX may modulate an RF carrier using its respective spatial stream for transmission.

[0045] In UE350, each receiver 354RX receives signals through its respective antenna 352. Each receiver 354RX reconstructs the information modulated on the RF carrier and provides this information to the receiver (RX) processor 356. The TX processor 368 and RX processor 356 implement Layer 1 functions associated with various signal processing functions. The RX processor 356 may perform spatial processing on the information to reconstruct any spatial stream directed to UE350. Multiple spatial streams, if directed to UE350, can be combined by the RX processor 356 into a single OFDM symbol stream. The RX processor 356 then uses a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to convert the OFDM symbol stream from the time domain to the frequency domain. The frequency domain signal has a separate OFDM symbol stream for each subcarrier of the OFDM signal. The symbols on each subcarrier, and the reference signal, are reconstructed and demodulated by determining the most likely signal constellation point transmitted by the base station 310. These soft decisions may be based on channel estimates calculated by the channel estimator 358. The soft decisions are then decoded and deinterleaved to reconstruct the data and control signals originally transmitted by the base station 310 on the physical channel. The data and control signals are then provided to the controller / processor 359, which implements Layer 3 and Layer 2 functions.

[0046] The controller / processor 359 may be associated with memory 360, which stores program code and data. Memory 360 is sometimes referred to as a computer-readable storage medium. In UL, the controller / processor 359 reconstructs IP packets from the EPC160 by performing demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, decoding, header decompression, and control signal processing. The controller / processor 359 is also responsible for error detection using the ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operation.

[0047] Similar to the functions described for DL ​​transmission by base station 310, the controller / processor 359 provides RRC layer functions associated with system information (e.g., MIB, SIB) collection, RRC connectivity, and measurement reporting; PDCP layer functions associated with header compression / decompression and security (encryption, decryption, integrity protection, integrity verification); RLC layer functions associated with the transfer of upper layer PDUs, error correction via ARQ, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly of RLC SDUs, resegmentation of RLC data PDUs, and sorting of RLC data PDUs; and MAC layer functions associated with mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing MAC SDUs onto TB, demultiplexing MAC SDUs from TB, scheduling information reporting, error correction via HARQ, priority processing, and logical channel prioritization.

[0048] The channel estimate derived by the channel estimator 358 from a reference signal or feedback transmitted by the base station 310 may be used by the TX processor 368 to select an appropriate coding and modulation scheme to facilitate spatial processing. The spatial stream generated by the TX processor 368 may be provided to different antennas 352 via separate transmitters 354TX. Each transmitter 354TX may modulate the RF carrier in its respective spatial stream for transmission.

[0049] UL transmission is processed at base station 310 in a manner similar to that described for receiver functions in UE350. Each receiver 318RX receives the signal through its respective antenna 320. Each receiver 318RX reconstructs the information modulated on the RF carrier and provides this information to RX processor 370.

[0050] The controller / processor 375 may be associated with memory 376 that stores program code and data. Memory 376 is sometimes referred to as a computer-readable storage medium. In UL, the controller / processor 375 reconstructs IP packets from the UE350 by performing demultiplexing between transport and logical channels, packet reassembly, decoding, header decompression, and control signal processing. IP packets from the controller / processor 375 may be served to the EPC160. The controller / processor 375 is also responsible for error detection using the ACK and / or NACK protocols to support HARQ operation.

[0051] At least one of the TX processor 368, RX processor 356, and controller / processor 359 may be configured to perform an action related to the communication component 198 in Figure 1.

[0052] At least one of the TX processor 316, RX processor 370, and controller / processor 375 may be configured to perform an action related to the communication component 199 in Figure 1.

[0053] Referring to Figures 4-7, the features described generally relate to the maximum number of missed opportunities during the calculation of the evaluation period in an NR-U network. For example, after an evaluation or interruption period, the UE is required to perform a set of actions, such as handing over to a neighboring cell, detecting beam faults, and monitoring the radio link. In an NR unlicensed (NR-U) network, the network or UE may have to back off during these periods due to listen-before-talk requirements. Therefore, the evaluation / interruption period is extended by the number of times the network and / or UE back off. The number of times backoffs occur is usually limited to a certain maximum amount; otherwise, in an NR-U network, the evaluation period can be extended indefinitely. In an LTE license-assisted (LA) network, the period of the reference signal (e.g., synchronous signal block (SSB)) is fixed, and the maximum number of missed DL / UL opportunities does not depend on the reference signal. However, in an NR-U network, the reference signal may have a different period, and the maximum number of missed DL / UL opportunities may depend on the reference signal.

[0054] In some embodiments, the maximum number of lost DL / UL opportunities during the calculation of the evaluation / interruption period may depend on the following factors: the period of the reference signal, the period of the SSB-RACH association period, UE mobility, and / or UE capability. For example, the period of the reference signal may vary from 5 ms to 160 ms. The SSB-RACH association period may vary from 10 ms to 160 ms. If the same number of lost DL / UL opportunities are comprised of these periods, the overall evaluation period may become too large for longer periods of the reference signal and SSB-RO association period.

[0055] Furthermore, in some cases, the evaluation / interruption period consists of two or more periods. The UE may utilize the evaluation during the first period to perform some actions during the second period. If the first and second evaluation periods are too long, the intervals between actions in these two periods may become too long, and the evaluation during the first period may not be suitable for actions in the second period. For example, the interruption time during a handover consists of a search period, a precise time tracking period, and the time required to find the first available PRACH opportunity. The UE shall detect neighboring cells during the search period, track timing during the precise time tracking period, and transmit a RACH during the third period. The UE uses the timing of the cells detected by the UE during the search period as a coarse reference for fine-tuning the timing during the "precise time tracking period". If network backoff reaches a threshold amount before transmitting the reference signal during the precise time tracking period, the UE may not be able to utilize the coarse timing of the detected cells as a reference for fine-tuning. The maximum number of backoffs that can be tolerated may depend on the following factors: Firstly, the period of the reference signal. The longer the period, the greater the interval between actions between two periods for a given number of backoffs. Secondly, there is the mobility of the UE. The higher the mobility, the greater the impact of a given number of backoffs on the interval between actions between two periods. Thirdly, there is the UE capability. For example, the length of time that a UE can use as a reference for future precise time tracking may depend on the timing drift capability of the UE.

[0056] For example, in one embodiment, the Disclosure includes a method, apparatus, and non-temporary computer-readable medium for wireless communications, for the UE to determine a first time period for an evaluation procedure between communications with a network entity; for the UE to perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period; and for the UE to determine, based on the first set of quality measurements of the first set of discovery reference signals, whether to initiate a set of actions associated with the evaluation procedure.

[0057] In a further example, in one aspect, the Disclosure includes a method, apparatus, and non-transient computer-readable medium for wireless communications, for the UE to determine a first time period for an evaluation procedure between communications with a network entity, for the UE to perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period, for the UE to identify a first available random access channel (RACH) opportunity within the first time period, and for the UE to transmit a signal within the first time period based on the identification of the first available RACH opportunity and the first set of measurements.

[0058] Figure 4 is a flowchart 400 of a wireless communication method. The method can be performed by a UE (for example, UE104, device 350, controller / processor 359, which may include memory 360, processor 612, memory 616, modem 640, the entire UE104, or components of UE104 such as TX processor 368, RX processor 356, and / or transceiver 802) in combination with communication component 198 / configuration component 240.

[0059] In 402, method 400 includes the step of the UE determining a first time period for an evaluation procedure during communication with a network entity. In one embodiment, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240 may be configured to determine a first time period for an evaluation procedure during communication with a network entity. Thus, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240, together with a controller / processor 359, which may include, for example, memory 360, processor 612, or memory 616, modem 640, TX processor 368, and transceiver 602, may define means for the UE to determine a first time period for an evaluation procedure during communication with a network entity.

[0060] In 404, method 400 includes the step of having the UE perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during a first time period. In some embodiments, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240 may be configured to perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during a first time period. Thus, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240, together with a controller / processor 359, which may include, for example, memory 360, processor 612, memory 616, modem 640, RX processor 356, and transceiver 602, may define means for the UE to perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during a first time period.

[0061] In 406, method 400 includes the step of determining whether the UE initiates a set of actions associated with an evaluation procedure based on a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals. In one embodiment, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240 may be configured to determine whether to initiate a set of actions associated with an evaluation procedure based on a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals. Thus, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240, together with a controller / processor 359, which may include, for example, memory 360, processor 612, memory 616, modem 640, RX processor 356, and transceiver 602, may define means for the UE to determine whether to initiate a set of actions associated with an evaluation procedure based on a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals.

[0062] In some implementations of Method 400, the first time period is based on the number of times the discovery reference signal is unavailable.

[0063] In some implementations of Method 400, the number of times the detection reference signal is unavailable is limited by a maximum unavailable threshold.

[0064] In some implementations of Method 400, the maximum unavailability threshold is based on one or more of the following: the period of the reference signal, UE mobility, and UE capability.

[0065] In some implementations of Method 400, the UE104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240 may be configured to determine whether a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals meets a quality threshold, and to transmit a second signal based on the determination that a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals meets a quality threshold.

[0066] In some implementations of Method 400, the second signal corresponds to one or more combinations of beam fault recovery signals or random access channel (RACH) signals.

[0067] In some implementations of Method 400, a second signal is transmitted to the network entity to inform it of a new beam or a new reference signal index.

[0068] In some implementations of Method 400, a downlink signal is received from a network entity in response to the transmission of a second signal.

[0069] In some implementations of Method 400, a first set of quality measurements of a first set of detection reference signals is determined to meet a quality threshold, and based on the determination that the first set of quality measurements of the first set of detection reference signals does not meet the quality threshold, a second set of quality measurements of a second set of detection reference signals is performed.

[0070] In some implementations of Method 400, it is evaluated whether the quality of a second set of detection reference signals exceeds a threshold.

[0071] Some implementations of Method 400 may further include a UE104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240 configured to transmit an uplink signal to the network and, if the quality of the reference signal exceeds a threshold, to inform the network entity of the index of the new reference signal in a second set of discovered reference signals.

[0072] In some implementations of Method 400, the set of actions corresponds to at least one of the following: a handover procedure to a neighboring cell, a beam fault detection procedure, a radio link monitoring procedure, a serving cell or neighboring cell measurement procedure, and a beam candidate detection procedure.

[0073] In some implementations of Method 400, the first set of discovery reference signals corresponds to at least one of the synchronization signal block (SSB) and channel status information reference signals (CSI-RS).

[0074] Figure 5 is a flowchart 500 of a wireless communication method. The method can be performed by a UE (for example, UE104, device 350, controller / processor 359, which may include memory 360, processor 612, memory 616, modem 640, the entire UE104, or components of UE104 such as TX processor 368, RX processor 356, and / or transceiver 802) in combination with communication component 198 / configuration component 240.

[0075] In 502, method 500 includes the step of the UE determining a first time period for an evaluation procedure during communication with a network entity. In one embodiment, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240 may be configured to determine a first time period for an evaluation procedure during communication with a network entity. Thus, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240, together with a controller / processor 359, which may include, for example, memory 360, processor 612, or memory 616, modem 640, TX processor 368, and transceiver 602, may define means for the UE to determine a first time period for an evaluation procedure during communication with a network entity.

[0076] In 504, method 500 includes the step of having the UE perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during a first time period. In some embodiments, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240 may be configured to perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during a first time period. Thus, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240, together with a controller / processor 359, which may include, for example, memory 360, processor 612, memory 616, modem 640, TX processor 368, and transceiver 602, may define means for the UE to perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during a first time period.

[0077] In 506, method 500 includes the step of having the UE identify a first available random access channel (RACH) opportunity within a first time period. In some embodiments, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240 may be configured to identify a first available RACH opportunity within a first time period. Thus, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240, together with a controller / processor 359, which may include, for example, memory 360, processor 612, or memory 616, modem 640, TX processor 368, and transceiver 602, may define means for the UE to identify a first available random access channel (RACH) opportunity within a first time period.

[0078] In 508, method 500 includes the step of the UE transmitting a signal within a first time period based on the identification of a first available RACH opportunity and a first set of measurements. In one embodiment, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240 may be configured to transmit a signal within a first time period based on the identification of a first available RACH opportunity and a first set of measurements. Thus, the UE 104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240, together with a controller / processor 359, which may include, for example, memory 360, processor 612, or memory 616, modem 640, TX processor 368, and transceiver 602, may define means for the UE to transmit a signal within a first time period based on the identification of a first available RACH opportunity and a first set of measurements.

[0079] In some implementations of Method 500, the first time period is based on the number of times the RACH opportunity is unavailable and the number of times the first set of discovery criterion signals is unavailable.

[0080] In some implementations of Method 500, the number of times a RACH opportunity is unavailable and the number of times a discovery criterion signal is unavailable are limited by a maximum unavailable threshold.

[0081] In some implementations of Method 500, the maximum unavailability threshold is based on one or more of the following: the period of the reference signal, the period of the SSB-RACH association period, UE mobility, and UE capability.

[0082] In some implementations of Method 500, the discovery reference signal includes one or more combinations of SSB and CSI-RS.

[0083] In some implementations of Method 500, the signal corresponds to the RACH signal.

[0084] In some implementations of Method 500, the UE104 and / or communication component 198 / configuration component 240 are configured to receive a downlink signal from a network entity in response to having sent a RACH signal.

[0085] In some implementations of Method 500, the set of actions corresponds to at least one of the following: a handover procedure to a neighboring cell, an RRC connection release procedure, and an RRC connection re-establishment procedure.

[0086] Referring to Figure 6, one example of an implementation of UE104 may include various components, some of which have already been described above and are described further here, including components such as one or more processors 612 and memory 616 and transceiver 602 communicating over one or more buses 644, which may work in conjunction with model 640 and / or CC / BWP group communication component 198 for determining the maximum number of missed opportunities during the calculation of the evaluation period in the NR-U network.

[0087] In some embodiments, one or more processors 612 may include a modem 640 and / or be part of a modem 640 that uses one or more modem processors. Thus, various functions related to the communication component 198 may be included in the modem 640 and / or processors 612, and in some embodiments, may be performed by a single processor, while in other embodiments, different functions of the functions may be performed by a combination of two or more different processors. For example, in some embodiments, one or more processors 612 may include any one or any combination of a modem processor, or a baseband processor, or a digital signal processor, or a transmit processor, or a receiver processor, or a transceiver processor associated with a transceiver 602. In other embodiments, some of the features of one or more processors 612 and / or modem 640 associated with the communication component 198 may be performed by the transceiver 602.

[0088] Furthermore, memory 616 may be configured to store data used herein and / or a local version of application 675, or one or more of its subordinate components executed by communication component 642 and / or at least one processor 612. Memory 616 may include any type of computer-readable medium available to the computer or at least one processor 612, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), tape, magnetic disk, optical disk, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, and any combination thereof. In one embodiment, for example, when UE 104 is operating at least one processor 612 to execute communication component 198 and / or one or more of its subordinate components, memory 616 may be a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium storing one or more computer-executable codes that define communication component 198 and / or one or more of its subordinate components, and / or data associated therewith.

[0089] The transceiver 602 may include at least one receiver 606 and at least one transmitter 608. The receiver 606 may include hardware and / or software executable by a processor for receiving data, the code comprising instructions and stored in memory (e.g., a computer-readable medium). The receiver 606 may be, for example, a radio frequency (RF) receiver. In some embodiments, the receiver 606 may receive signals transmitted by at least one base station 102. In addition, the receiver 606 may process such received signals and obtain, but are not limited to, measurements of the signal such as Ec / Io, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), reference signal received power (RSRP), and received signal strength indicator (RSSI). The transmitter 608 may include hardware and / or software executable by a processor for transmitting data, the code comprising instructions and stored in memory (e.g., a computer-readable medium). A suitable example of the transmitter 608 may include, but is not limited to, an RF transmitter.

[0090] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the UE 104 may include an RF front end 688 that can communicate with one or more antennas 665, and a transceiver 602 for receiving and transmitting wireless transmissions, such as wireless communications transmitted by at least one base station 102 or wireless transmissions transmitted by the UE 104. The RF front end 688 may be connected to one or more antennas 665 and may include one or more low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) 690, one or more switches 692, one or more power amplifiers (PAs) 698, and one or more filters 696 for transmitting and receiving RF signals.

[0091] In one embodiment, the LNA 690 can amplify the received signal to a desired output level. In one embodiment, each LNA 690 may have a specified minimum and maximum gain value. In one embodiment, the RF front end 688 may use one or more switches 692 to select a specific LNA 690 and its specified gain value based on a desired gain value for a particular application.

[0092] Furthermore, for example, one or more PA698s may be used by the RF front-end 688 to amplify the RF output signal to a desired output power level. In some embodiments, each PA698 may have a specified minimum and maximum gain value. In some embodiments, the RF front-end 688 may use one or more switches 692 to select a particular PA698 and its specified gain value based on a desired gain value for a particular application.

[0093] Furthermore, for example, one or more filters 696 may be used by the RF front-end 688 to filter the received signal to obtain an input RF signal. Similarly, in some embodiments, for example, each filter 696 may be used to filter the output from each PA 698 to generate an output signal for transmission. In some embodiments, each filter 696 may be connected to a specific LNA 690 and / or PA 698. In some embodiments, the RF front-end 688 may use one or more switches 692 to select a transmit or receive path using a specified filter 696, LNA 690, and / or PA 698 based on a configuration specified by the transceiver 602 and / or processor 612.

[0094] Therefore, the transceiver 602 may be configured to transmit and receive wireless signals through one or more antennas 665 via the RF front end 688. In one embodiment, the transceiver may be tuned to operate at a specified frequency so that the UE 104 can communicate with, for example, one or more base stations 102, or one or more cells associated with one or more base stations 102. In one embodiment, for example, the modem 640 may configure the transceiver 602 to operate at a specified frequency and power level based on the UE configuration of the UE 104 and the communication protocol used by the modem 640.

[0095] In one embodiment, modem 640 may be a multiband multimode modem capable of processing digital data and communicating with transceiver 602 so that digital data is transmitted and received using transceiver 602. In another embodiment, modem 640 may be multiband and configured to support multiple frequency bands for a particular communication protocol. In another embodiment, modem 640 may be multimode and configured to support multiple operating networks and communication protocols. In one embodiment, modem 640 may control one or more components of UE 104 (e.g., RF front-end 688, transceiver 602) to enable transmission and / or reception of signals from the network based on a given modem configuration. In one embodiment, the modem configuration may be based on the modem's mode and the frequency band in use. In another embodiment, the modem configuration may be based on UE configuration information associated with UE 104, such as that provided by the network during cell selection and / or cell re-selection.

[0096] In some embodiments, the communication component 642 may optionally include a mode determination component 652. For example, upon receiving an anchor signal from the network entity 102 in the initial bandwidth portion to trigger an initial access procedure for the UE 104, the mode determination component 652 may, in response to receiving the anchor signal, determine whether to operate in broadband OFDM mode or broadband SC-FDM mode. The communication component 642 may then send a capability report message to the network entity 102 based on the determination by the mode determination component 652 regarding whether to operate in broadband OFDM mode or broadband SC-FDM mode.

[0097] In one embodiment, processor 612 may correspond to one or more of the processors described with respect to the UE in Figure 3. Similarly, memory 616 may correspond to the memory described with respect to the UE in Figure 3.

[0098] Referring to Figure 7, an example of an implementation of base station 102 (for example, base station 102 as described above) may include various components, some of which have already been described above, such as one or more processors 712, memory 716, and transceivers 702 communicating over one or more buses 744, and these components may work in conjunction with a modem 740 and a communication component 199 for communicating reference signals.

[0099] The transceiver 702, receiver 706, transmitter 708, one or more processors 712, memory 716, application 775, bus 744, RF front end 788, LNA 790, switch 792, filter 796, PA 798, and one or more antennas 765 may be the same as or similar to the corresponding components of the UE104 as described above, but may be configured for base station operation rather than UE operation, or may be programmed in other ways.

[0100] In one embodiment, processor 712 may correspond to one or more of the processors described in relation to the base station in Figure 3. Similarly, memory 716 may correspond to the memory described in relation to the base station in Figure 3.

[0101] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the disclosed process / flowchart is illustrative of the method. It should also be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of blocks in the process / flowchart may be rearranged based on design preferences. Furthermore, some blocks may be combined or omitted. The attached method claims present various block elements in an illustrative order and are not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.

[0102] The foregoing descriptions are provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various embodiments described herein. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may apply to other embodiments. Accordingly, the claims should not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be given the maximum scope that is not inconsistent with the claim language, and references to singular elements mean "one or more" and not "unique" unless otherwise specified. The term "exemplary" is used herein to mean "to serve as an example, case, or illustration." Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" should not necessarily be construed as being preferable or advantageous to other embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, the term "several" refers to one or more. Combinations such as "at least one of A, B, or C", "one or more of A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", "one or more of A, B, and C", and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof" include any combination of A, B, and / or C, and may include multiple A's, multiple B's, or multiple C's. Specifically, combinations such as "at least one of A, B, or C", "one or more of A, B, or C", "at least one of A, B, and C", "one or more of A, B, and C", and "A, B, C, or any combination thereof" may be A only, B only, C only, A and B, A and C, B and C, or A and B and C, and any such combination may include one or more members of A, B, or C. All structural and functional equivalents of elements of various aspects described throughout this disclosure, whether known to those skilled in the art or to be known thereafter, are expressly incorporated herein by reference and intended to be encompassed by the claims. Furthermore, nothing disclosed herein is made public, whether such disclosure is expressly enumerated in the claims or not.Words such as "module," "mechanism," "element," and "device" are not always substitutes for the word "means." Therefore, no claim element should be interpreted as means plus function unless it is explicitly described using the phrase "means for." [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 102 Base station 104 UE 110 Geographic Coverage Areas 120 Communication Links 132 Backhaul Link 134 Backhaul Link 150 Wi-Fi access points 152 Wi-Fi stations 154 Communication Links 158 Inter-device communication links 160 EPC 162 MME 164 Other MMEs 166 Serving Gateways 168 MBMS GW 170 BM-SC 172 PDN Gateway 174 HSS 176 IP Services 180 gNB 182 Beamforming 184 Backhaul Link 190 Core Network 192 AMF 193 Other AMF 194 SMF 195 UPF 196 UDM 197 IP Services 198 Communication Components 199 Communication Components 240 component parts 241 component components 310 base station 316 TX processors 318RX Receiver 318TX Transmitter 320 Antenna 350 UE 352 Antenna 354RX Receiver 354TX Transmitter 356 RX processors 358-channel estimator 359 Controllers / Processors 360 memory 368 TX processors 370 RX processor 374 channel estimator 375 Controllers / Processors 376 memory 602 Transceiver 606 Receiver 608 Transmitter 612 processors 616 memory 640 Modem 644 Bus 660 LNA 666 filter 668 PA 675 applications 688 RF Frontend 690 LNA 692 Switch 696 filters 698 PA 975 Applications

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication in user equipment (UE), A step of determining a first time period for evaluation procedures during communication with a network entity, The steps include performing a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period, A step of identifying a first available random access channel (RACH) opportunity within a first time period, wherein the first time period is based on the number of times the RACH opportunity is unavailable and the number of times the first set of discovery criterion signals is unavailable. The steps include: identifying the first available RACH opportunity and transmitting a signal within the first time period based on the first set of measurements; A method that includes [a certain feature].

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the number of times the RACH opportunity is unavailable and the number of times the detection criterion signal is unavailable are limited by a maximum unavailable threshold.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the maximum unavailability threshold is based on one or more of the period of a reference signal, the period of the synchronous signal block (SSB)-RACH association period, UE mobility, and UE capability.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the discovery reference signal includes one or more combinations of a synchronization signal block (SSB) and a channel status information reference signal (CSI-RS).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal transmitted within the first time period corresponds to the RACH signal.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of receiving a downlink signal from the network entity in response to transmitting the RACH signal.

7. A device for wireless communication in user equipment (UE), Transceiver and, Memory configured to store instructions, One or more processors communicably coupled to the transceiver and the memory. The system includes, and the one or more processors Determine a first time period for the evaluation procedure during communication with the network entity. During the first time period, perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals. Identify a first available random access channel (RACH) opportunity within the first time period, and determine the first time period based on the number of times the RACH opportunity is unavailable and the number of times the first set of discovery criterion signals is unavailable. Based on the identification of the first available RACH opportunity and the first set of measurements, transmit a signal within the first time period. A device configured in such a way.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the number of times the RACH opportunity is unavailable and the number of times the detection criterion signal is unavailable are limited by a maximum unavailable threshold.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the maximum unavailability threshold is based on one or more of the period of the reference signal, the period of the synchronization signal block (SSB)-RACH association period, UE mobility, and UE capability.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the discovery reference signal includes one or more combinations of a synchronization signal block (SSB) and a channel status information reference signal (CSI-RS).

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the signal transmitted within the first time period corresponds to a RACH signal.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein one or more processors are further configured to receive a downlink signal from the network entity in response to transmitting the RACH signal.

13. A device for wireless communication in user equipment (UE), Means for determining a first time period for an evaluation procedure during communication with a network entity, Means for performing a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals during the first time period, Means for identifying a first available random access channel (RACH) opportunity within a first time period, wherein the first time period is based on the number of times the RACH opportunity is unavailable and the number of times the first set of discovery criterion signals is unavailable, Based on having identified the first available RACH opportunity and the first set of measurements, means for transmitting a signal within the first time period and A device equipped with the following features.

14. One or more processors Determine a first time period for the evaluation procedure during communication with the network entity. During the first time period, perform a first set of quality measurements of a first set of discovery reference signals. Identify a first available random access channel (RACH) opportunity within the first time period, and determine the first time period based on the number of times the RACH opportunity is unavailable and the number of times the first set of discovery criterion signals is unavailable. Based on the identification of the first available RACH opportunity and the first set of measurements, transmit a signal within the first time period. A non-temporary computer-readable recording medium in a user device (UE) that contains executable code.

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