Configuration of the random access response timer

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure relates to beam correspondence. A terminal device acquires first and second configurations of an RAR timer during an RA procedure. The terminal device further applies the first configuration of the RAR timer for at least one RAR window during the RA procedure. The terminal device further applies the second configuration of the RAR timer for at least one other RAR window during the RA procedure, the at least one other RAR window including at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given SSB. In this manner, the terminal device can retain its beam pattern when the terminal device is in an idle or inactive mode and maintain the beam pattern thereafter.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to devices, methods, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for configuring random access response (RAR) timers. [Background technology]

[0002] Beam correspondence (BC) requirements ensure that downlink (DL) beams can be reused for uplink (UL) within a power threshold. Currently, BC requirements are only specified in connection modes within 3GPP. BC testing is also required for devices in idle or inactive modes. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0003] Generally, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide solutions for configuring RAR timers. Specifically, solutions are provided for beam correspondence test procedures for idle mode and inactive mode. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In a first embodiment, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device may comprise one or more transceivers and one or more processors communicatively coupled to one or more transceivers, the one or more processors causing the terminal device to: obtain a first configuration and a second configuration of a timer for random access, RA, random access response, RAR, during a procedure; apply a first configuration of a RAR timer for at least one RAR window during an RA procedure; apply a second configuration of a RAR timer for at least one other RAR window during an RA procedure, the at least one other RAR window being configured to include at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronous signal block, SSB.

[0005] In a second embodiment, a network device is provided. The network device may comprise one or more transceivers and one or more processors communicatively coupled to one or more transceivers, the one or more processors causing the network device to determine a first configuration and a second configuration of a timer, the first configuration being applicable to at least one RAR window during the RA procedure, the second configuration being applicable to at least one other RAR window during the RA procedure, the at least one other RAR window including at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block, SSB; and the first configuration and the second configuration being configured to transmit to a terminal device.

[0006] In a third embodiment, a method in a terminal device is provided. The method may include: obtaining a first configuration and a second configuration of a timer for random access, RA, random access response, RAR, during a procedure; applying a first configuration of a RAR timer for at least one RAR window during an RA procedure; and applying a second configuration of a RAR timer for at least one other RAR window during an RA procedure, wherein at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block, SSB.

[0007] In a fourth embodiment, a method in a network device is provided. The method may include determining a first configuration and a second configuration of a random access response (RA) and timer during a random access procedure, wherein the first configuration is applicable to at least one RAR window during the RA procedure, and the second configuration is applicable to at least one other RAR window during the RA procedure, wherein at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block (SSB); and transmitting the first configuration and the second configuration to a terminal device.

[0008] In a fifth embodiment, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include: means for obtaining a first and second configuration of a timer in a terminal device for random access, RA, random access response, RAR, during a procedure; means for applying a first configuration of a RAR timer for at least one RAR window in a terminal device for an RA procedure; and means for applying a second configuration of a RAR timer for at least one other RAR window in a terminal device for an RA procedure, wherein at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window in the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block, SSB.

[0009] In a sixth embodiment, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus may include: means for determining a first configuration and a second configuration of a random access response (RAR) and timer in a random access (RA) procedure, wherein the first configuration is applicable to at least one RAR window in the RA procedure, and the second configuration is applicable to at least one other RAR window in the RA procedure, wherein the at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block (SSB); and means for transmitting the first configuration and the second configuration to a terminal device.

[0010] In a seventh embodiment, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device may comprise at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code cause the terminal device to obtain: a first configuration and a second configuration of a timer during a random access, RA, random access response, RAR, procedure; apply the first configuration of the RAR timer for at least one RAR window during the RA procedure; apply the second configuration of the RAR timer for at least one other RAR window during the RA procedure, the at least one other RAR window being configured to include at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block, SSB.

[0011] In an eighth embodiment, a network device is provided. The network device may comprise at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the network device, using at least one processor, to determine a first configuration and a second configuration of a timer: a random access, RA, random access response, RAR, during a procedure, the first configuration being applicable to at least one RAR window during the RA procedure, the second configuration being applicable to at least one other RAR window during the RA procedure, the at least one other RAR window including at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block, SSB; and to cause the first configuration and the second configuration to transmit to a terminal device.

[0012] In a ninth embodiment, a non-temporary computer-readable medium is provided that includes a program instruction for causing the device to perform at least one of the methods described in the third to fourth embodiments.

[0013] In a tenth embodiment, a computer program is provided, which, when executed by the apparatus, causes the apparatus to: obtain a first configuration and a second configuration of a timer in a terminal device, random access, RA, random access response, RAR during a procedure; apply a first configuration of a RAR timer for at least one RAR window in a terminal device, RA during an RA procedure; apply a second configuration of a RAR timer for at least one other RAR window in a terminal device, RA during an RA procedure, where at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window in the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block, SSB.

[0014] In an eleventh embodiment, a computer program is provided which, when executed by the device, causes the device to determine, at least: a first configuration and a second configuration of a random access response (RA) and timer in a network device, the first configuration being applicable to at least one RAR window in the RA procedure, the second configuration being applicable to at least one other RAR window in the RA procedure, the at least one other RAR window including at least the last RAR window in the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block (SSB); and instructions causing the device to transmit the first configuration and the second configuration to a terminal device.

[0015] In a twelfth embodiment, a terminal device is provided. The terminal device may comprise: an acquisition circuit configured to acquire a random access, RA, random access response, RAR, first and second configurations of a timer during a procedure; a first application circuit configured to apply a first configuration of a RAR timer for at least one RAR window during an RA procedure; and a second application circuit configured to apply a second configuration of a RAR timer for at least one other RAR window during an RA procedure, wherein the at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronous signal block, SSB.

[0016] In a 13th aspect, a network device is provided. The network device comprises: a determination circuit configured to determine a first configuration and a second configuration of a random access response (RAR) timer during a random access (RA) procedure, the first configuration being applicable to at least one RAR window during the RA procedure, the second configuration being applicable to at least one other RAR window during the RA procedure, and at least one other RAR window including at least a last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block (SSB); and a transmission circuit configured to transmit the first configuration and the second configuration to a terminal device.

[0017] The summary section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become readily apparent through the following description.

[0018] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. **Brief Description of the Drawings**

[0019] [Figure 1A] FIG. illustrates an exemplary network environment in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. [Figure 1B] FIG. is an exemplary schematic diagram of a 4-step RACH according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1C] FIG. is an exemplary schematic diagram of a 2-step RACH according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 1D] FIG. is an exemplary schematic diagram of an RA procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. illustrates an exemplary signaling process for beam correspondence according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. is an exemplary flowchart of a method implemented in a terminal device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] This is an illustrative flowchart of a method implemented in a network device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] This is an exemplary block diagram of a process for power ramping and RAR timer according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] This is an illustrative flowchart of a method implemented in a terminal device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] This is an illustrative schematic diagram of selecting a panel according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] This is an illustrative schematic diagram of beam refinement according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9A] This is an exemplary block diagram of a process for a UE procedure for beam correspondence requirements, according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9B] This is an exemplary block diagram of a process for a UE procedure for beam tolerance according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] This is an exemplary simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] This is an exemplary block diagram of an exemplary computer-readable medium according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] Throughout the drawing, the same or similar reference numbers represent the same or similar elements.

[0021] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to several exemplary embodiments. These embodiments are described solely for illustrative purposes and should be understood as helping those skilled in the art to understand and implement this disclosure without implying any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosures described herein may be implemented in various forms other than those described below.

[0022] In the following descriptions and claims, unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art in which this disclosure pertains.

[0023] References in this disclosure to “one embodiment,” “one example,” “exemplary embodiment,” and similar expressions indicate that the embodiments described may include certain features, structures, or characteristics, but not all embodiments necessarily include those specific features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, such expressions do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments. Moreover, when certain features, structures, or characteristics are described in relation to one embodiment, it is assumed that, whether explicitly described or not, they may affect such features, structures, or characteristics in relation to other embodiments, as is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0024] While terms such as “first” and “second” may be used herein to describe various elements, it should be understood that these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one element from another. Without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, for example, the first element may be called the second element, and similarly, the second element may be called the first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the enumerated items.

[0025] The terms used herein are for the sole purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be an exhaustive limitation of exemplary embodiments. Where used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms “equip,” “equip,” “have,” “have,” “include,” and / or “include,” when used herein, specify the presence of the described features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0026] As used in this application, the term “circuit” may mean one or more or all of the following: (a) Hardware-only circuit implementations (such as implementations using only analog and / or digital circuits), (b) Combinations of hardware circuits and software, for example (where applicable): (i) combinations of analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware, (ii) Any part of a hardware processor with software (including digital signal processors, software, and memory that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions), (c) Hardware circuits and / or processors, such as a microprocessor or a part of a microprocessor, that require software (e.g., firmware) for operation but may not be present when not required for operation.

[0027] Such definitions of "circuit" apply to all use of the term in this application, including within any claim. Further as an example, as used in this application, the term "circuit" also covers simply a hardware circuit or processor (or more processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. The term "circuit" also covers, for example, and, as applicable to a particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0028] As used herein, the term “communication network” refers to a network conforming to any preferred communication standard, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), and Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT). Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices within a communication network may be conducted in accordance with any preferred generating communication protocol, including, but not limited to, fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, future fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, and / or any other protocol currently known or planned for future development. Embodiments of this disclosure may be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid evolution of communications, there will naturally be future types of communication technologies and systems that may embody this disclosure. The scope of this disclosure should not be considered to be limited to the systems described above.

[0029] As used herein, the term “network device” refers to a node in a communication network through which terminal devices access the network and receive services from it. Depending on the terminology and technology applied, a network device may refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), e.g., a node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also known as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio header (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay device, a low-power node, e.g., a femto, pico, etc.

[0030] The term "terminal device" refers to any end device that may have wireless communication capabilities. For example, a terminal device may also be called a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback devices, vehicle-mounted wireless terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer-premises equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches or other wearables, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in an industrial and / or automated processing chain context), consumer electronic devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, and similar devices. In the following description, the terms “terminal device,” “communication device,” “terminal,” “user equipment,” and “UE” may be used interchangeably.

[0031] As used herein, the terms “resource,” “transmit resource,” “resource block,” “physical resource block” (PRB), “uplink (UL) resource,” or “downlink (DL) resource” may refer to any resource for communication, such as communication between a terminal device and a network device, including resources in the time domain, resources in the frequency domain, resources in the spatial domain, resources in the code domain, resources in a combination of two or more domains, or any other resource that enables communication, and so on. Hereinafter, resources in the time domain (such as subframes) are used as examples of transmit resources to illustrate some exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. It should be noted that the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0032] As used herein, the term “beam” may refer to a communication resource. Different beams may be considered different resources. A beam may also be represented as a spatial filter. The technique for forming a beam may be beamforming technique or other techniques. Beamforming techniques may specifically be digital beamforming technique, analog beamforming technique, or hybrid digital / analog beamforming technique. Communication devices (including terminal devices and network devices) may communicate with other communication devices through one or more beams. A beam may include one or more antenna ports and may be configured for a data channel, control channel, or the like. One or more antenna ports forming a beam may also be considered as a set of antenna ports. A beam may be configured with a set of resources, or a set of resources for measurement, and a beam may be represented, for example, by a reference signal and / or associated resources for the reference signal. A beam may also be represented by a reference cell identifier or resource identifier.

[0033] In millimeter-wave (mmW) (e.g., FR2 and above), both gNBs and UEs have spatial filtering by antenna arraying, which increases gain on each side but affects link reliability when the beam is not aligned. Currently, FR2 is deployed with analog beamforming on the UE, i.e., single beam transmission with temporal and spatial filtering of Tx spherical coverage. Typically, the UE beam covers up to 90 degrees in the azimuthal plane per panel and can be refined to 22 degrees in a 1x4 linear array. Antenna gain variation from front to back in the UE can be up to 10-15 dB, meaning that not using the correct panel can result in the UE being unable to receive or transmit using the gNB.

[0034] In the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 16 (Rel-16), beam correspondence is introduced. BC requirements ensure that DL gNB beams can be reused for UL within the power threshold. However, BC is specified only in Rel-16 for connected mode and in Rel-17. In Release 18 (Rel-18), RAN4 requirements for BC for idle and inactive modes are discussed. Rel-18 focuses on ensuring good random access channel (RACH) performance and UL coverage through UE beam correspondence requirements during radio resource controlled idle (RRC_IDLE) and radio resource controlled inactive (RRC_INACTIVE), possibly including small data transmission (SDT) during random access, which presents significant opportunities for UE power savings and further, improvements in latency and signaling overhead reduction. Therefore, the BC test may also require the UE to be in RRC IDLE / INACTIVE mode.

[0035] In a random access (RA) procedure, after the UE sends the first message (e.g., preamble) to the network, the UE waits for a response from the network. If there is no feedback through the Random Access Response (RAR) window, a second message (e.g., preamble) is sent at a higher power calculated by some formula (e.g., the power ramping step formula). This process continues until the UE receives a response from the network or the maximum number of transmissions is exhausted. If the maximum number of transmissions is exhausted and the UE does not receive a response from the network, a random access failure is declared.

[0036] In idle or inactive mode, the UE may use only the synchronous signal block (SSB) reference signal for measurement. There are currently no specifications regarding how frequently and accurately the UE should perform BC-related measurements. Furthermore, the UE beam-lock function is a test function specified in the specification for frequency range 2 (FR2) UEs to lock the antenna pattern for subsequent testing. This has so far been specified only for connected mode (or state), and there are no arbitrary designated Radio Access Network 4 (RAN4) requirements for BC in inactive and idle modes. Now that 3GPP specifies BC requirements for IDLE and INACTIVE modes, testing for these also needs to be specified. For meaningful measurements during testing, the UE needs to train its beam pattern in a specific direction over an extended period.

[0037] Several issues exist in beam correspondence test problems, such as how to enable the UE to refine its beam in idle or inactive mode for BC requirements. Another exemplary problem might be how to ensure that the UE maintains the same refined beam during idle or inactive BC testing when the beam lock function is only active in connected mode.

[0038] Therefore, this disclosure proposes a solution for UEs in idle and inactive modes so that the UE can maintain its beam pattern for a sufficient length of time to perform subsequent tests for BC.

[0039] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide mechanisms for solving the problems discussed above, in particular, when to enable the sensors of a network device and which areas should be scanned by the sensors of the network device. Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure can improve the resource utilization efficiency of network device sensing and reduce the impact on the communication performance of the network device. The principles of this disclosure and some exemplary embodiments are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] Figure 1A illustrates an example of a network environment 100 in which several exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented. In describing the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the network environment 100 may also be referred to as a communication system 100 (e.g., a part of a communication network). For illustrative purposes only, various aspects of the exemplary embodiments are described in the context of one network device and one terminal device communicating with each other. However, it should be understood that the descriptions herein may be applicable to other types of devices or other similar devices referred to using other technical terms.

[0041] As illustrated in Figure 1A, the communication network 100 may include terminal devices 110 (hereinafter also referred to as user equipment 110 or UE110). The communication network 100 may further include network devices 120 and 130. Each of these network devices may manage one or more cells. For example, cell 140 may be managed by network device 120. In addition, network device 120 is configured with multiple beams that provide coverage for cell 140.

[0042] A terminal device (e.g., UE110) may have several panels, such as panel 111 and panel 112. Each panel may correspond to several beams. The beams may be refined during the RA procedure (e.g., from a wide beam to a narrow beam) to achieve the target transmit power.

[0043] Both network device 120 and UE110 have spatial filtering by antenna arraying, which increases gain on each side but affects link reliability when the beams are not aligned. Currently, FR2 is deployed with analog beamforming on the UE, i.e., single beam transmission with temporal and spatial filtering of Tx spherical coverage.

[0044] Rel-16 and Rel-17 only specify beam correspondence and beam locking functions for UEs in connected mode. However, for UEs in idle or inactive mode, beam correspondence and beam locking functions do not exist. Therefore, the UE needs to provide a solution for maintaining the refined beam in idle or inactive mode.

[0045] It should be understood that the number of network devices and terminal devices is given for illustrative purposes only, without implying any limitation. System 100 may include any suitable number of network devices and / or terminal devices adapted to implement embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that one or more terminal devices may be located within the environment 100, although not shown.

[0046] References are made to Figures 1B and 1C. Figure 1B illustrates an exemplary schematic diagram of a four-step RACH according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1C illustrates an exemplary schematic diagram of a two-step RACH according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0047] It specifies two types of random access procedures: 4-step RACH and 2-step RACH. The main motivation for introducing 2-step RACH in Rel-16 is to reduce overhead signaling and latency (due to round-trip time). Conventional 4-step RACH has four message exchange procedures between UE110 and network device 120. 2-step RACH, as shown in the following diagram, is: - Combine messages 1 and 3 sent by the UE into a single msgA. - Messages 2 and 4 sent by gNodeB into a single msgB combine.

[0048] Msg A in a two-step RACH has a higher payload because PUSCH is sent together with the preamble data.

[0049] In RRC_INACTIVE and IDLE modes, the UE110 can perform a random access procedure. Depending on the UE capabilities and network configuration, the random access procedure may be either a conventional 4-step RACH or a 2-step RACH.

[0050] References are made to Figure 1D, which illustrates an exemplary schematic diagram of an RA procedure according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0051] In a random access procedure, there are specific parameters that the UE uses to determine the target power: namely, the latency for the response from the network (ra-ResponseWindow), the maximum number of retransmissions (preambleTransMax), powerRampingStep, and the target power (preambleReceivedTargetPower), which is circled in red in the current RACH configuration: preambleTransMax: The maximum number of RA preamble transmissions performed before declaring failure. ra-ResponseWindow: The length of the Msg2 (RAR) window in terms of the number of slots. powerRampingStep: The power ramping step for PRACH preambleReceivedTargetPower: The target power level at the network receiver side.

[0052] UE 110 determines the transmission power for the physical random access channel (PRACH) as follows: P PRACH,b,f,c (i) = min{P CMAX,f,c (i), P PRACH,target,f,c + PL b,f,c} where P CMAX,f,c (i) is the configured maximum output power of the UE specified in the 3GPP standard specification for carrier f of serving cell c for transmission occasion i, P PRACH,target,f,c is the PRACH target received power PREAMBLE_RECEIVED_TARGET_POWER provided by the higher layer for the active UL BWP b of the carrier c of the serving cell f [11, TS38.321], and PL b,f,c is the path loss of the active UL BWP b of carrier f based on the DL RS associated with the PRACH transmission on the active DL BWP of serving cell c, calculated by the UE in units of dB as referenceSignalPower - the higher layer filtered RSRP (in dBm), where the RSRP and the higher layer filter configuration are specified in the standard specification.

[0053] In the actual network deployment, PL is applied, but in the proposed beam correspondence test setup conducted in a controlled environment, PL is omitted from the calculation.

[0054] PRACH preamble power ramping is controlled by the MAC layer, which performs the power ramping step (PREAMBLE_POWER_RAMPING_COUNTER) as follows: PRACH,target Update: P PRACH,target (2)=PreambleReceivedTarget+DELTA_PREAMBLE+(PREAMBLE_POWER_RAMPING_COUNTER-1)×PREAMBLE_POWER_RAMPING_STEP Here, PREAMBLE_POWER_RAMPING_COUNTER=2 is the second PRACH transmission.

[0055] After sending the first message, UE110 waits for a response from the network. If there is no feedback from the ra-Responsewindow, a second message is sent at a higher power than calculated by the formula above. This process continues until either the UE receives a response from the network or the maximum number of transmissions is exhausted. If the maximum number of transmissions is exhausted and the UE does not receive a response from the network, a random access failure is declared, or the UE may restart the RA process on the same or a different beam. The gNB constitutes the maximum number of preambles that the UE can send during the RACH process, and if the UE does not receive msg2 for a sent RACH preamble, the UE waits for the random access response timer to expire and triggers RACH again. If there is no response after "n" attempts, the UE may declare a RACH failure or start the RACH process gain. If the UE does not detect msg2 by the RA-RNTI before the RAR timer expires, it may declare a msg2 reception failure.

[0056] References are made to Figure 2 illustrating exemplary signaling processes for beam correspondence according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. In Figure 2, UE110 is given as an example to illustrate an exemplary process, but is for illustrative purposes only and does not limit the present disclosure in any way.

[0057] In block 202, the network device 120 determines a first configuration and a second configuration of the RAR timer during the RA procedure, the first configuration being applicable to at least one RAR window during the RA procedure, and the second configuration being applicable to at least one other RAR window during the RA procedure, the at least one other RAR window including at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given SSB.

[0058] In some exemplary embodiments, the first and second configurations may each include a parameter indicating the length of time for the RAR window. In some exemplary embodiments, the second configuration may indicate a longer time for the RAR window than the first configuration. In some exemplary embodiments, the second configuration may be applicable only to the last RAR window of the RA procedure. In some exemplary embodiments, the second configuration is not applicable to all RAR windows.

[0059] For example, network device 120 determines the fields ra-ResponseWindow as the first configuration. Network device 120 also determines the fields ra-ResponseWindow-test as the second configuration. One example configuration table is shown below in Table 1 (ra-ResponseWindow-test is in bold). All numbers are examples.

[0060] [Table 1]

[0061] In one embodiment, the RAR timer configured by ra-ResponseWindow-test is valid only for the last preamble transmission. Keeping this RAR timer at a sufficiently large value ensures that the UE holds its beam while waiting for a RAR response from the network over a long period of time, allowing it to perform beam correspondence tests or other tests in idle and inactive modes without the BEAMLOCK function. Thus, extending the last RAR window in idle / inactive states (by using a second configuration) emulates the beamlock function in connected states.

[0062] In block 204, the network device 120 transmits the first configuration and the second configuration to the terminal device 110 (220). On the other side of the transmission, the UE 110 receives the first configuration and the second configuration (230).

[0063] In block 206, UE110 obtains a first configuration and a second configuration of the RAR timer during the RA procedure. In block 208, UE110 applies the first configuration of the RAR timer for at least one RAR window during the RA procedure. In block 210, UE110 applies the second configuration of the RAR timer for at least one other RAR window during the RA procedure, where at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given SSB. For example, UE uses an extended timer length for the last RAR window based on the second configuration.

[0064] For example, suppose there is a certain number of preamble transmissions (up to preamleTransMax=N), and between each of these transmissions, the UE110 must wait for RAR between RAR windows. The first configuration applies to N-1 transmitted preambles, and the second configuration applies to the last transmitted preamble. In other words, instead of a RAR timer associated with a RAR window for the entire RA procedure, there are two RAR windows associated with different preamble transmissions.

[0065] Using such proposed solutions as those described herein, it is possible to enable a terminal device to retain its beam pattern and maintain it for subsequent steps when the terminal device is in idle or inactive mode, without delaying any step of the RA procedure.

[0066] In some embodiments, the UE110 may maintain the beam pattern of the terminal device in a certain direction within the final RAR window, and the transmit power associated with the final RAR window is determined based on at least one power ramping step during the RA procedure. In some embodiments, the RA procedure may be performed for the purpose of beam correspondence testing. In some embodiments, the UE110 may maintain the beam pattern within the final RAR window for at least one subsequent test.

[0067] In some embodiments, the subsequent test may be one or more of the following: Within the last RAR window, and with the maximum ramped-up power: Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) and Spherical Coverage for UE Conformance Testing; Equivalent Isotropic Sensitivity (EIS) for DL; and EIRP for UL Measure one or more of the following.

[0068] In some embodiments, the UE conformance test may include minimum peak EIRP, EIRP spherical coverage, EIS spherical coverage, Refsens, and beam correspondence tolerance.

[0069] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may be subjected to beam tolerance testing which includes one or more of the following: transmitting the last preamble before the last RAR window; transitioning from idle or inactive mode to connected mode; and performing an uplink beam sweep.

[0070] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may further perform at least one of the following: performing an EIS spherical coverage test during the last RAR window; performing an EIRP test during the last transmitted preamble of the RA; and performing an EIRP spherical coverage test during the last transmitted preamble of the RA.

[0071] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may further: determine a first uplink power while the terminal device is in idle or inactive mode, the first uplink power being based on the last preamble sent by the terminal device before the last RAR window timer was triggered; transition the terminal device to connection mode; determine a second received uplink power while the terminal device is in connection mode, the second received uplink power being based on the highest received power while the terminal device is performing beam sweep in connection mode; and perform beam tolerance testing by comparing the first uplink power with the second uplink power.

[0072] In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may determine a first SSB parameter indicating the SSB period and apply the indicated SSB period to align the receiving and transmitting beams. In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may determine a second SSB parameter indicating the number of SSBs per synchronous signal burst, SS burst, and apply the indicated number of SSBs to align the receiving and transmitting beams. In some embodiments, the indicated number of SSBs per SS burst is greater than two, and each SSB is associated with a dedicated index. In some embodiments, the terminal device 120 may determine the number of beams to be tested based on the number of SSBs.

[0073] For example, network device 120 determines the fields for the SSB period and the number of SSBs per SS burst. Network device 120 also determines the fields for the SS / PBCH block index and the number of symbols containing the SSBs. One example configuration table is shown below in Table 2. All numbers are examples.

[0074] [Table 2]

[0075] To the best of our knowledge, SSB is the only reference signal available to inactive and idle UEs, and therefore requires the introduction of SSB-based testing for beam correspondence for random access. The values ​​listed in the table above are indicative, and the actual values ​​and detailed test procedures must be determined in RAN4 / 5. In one example, the SSB period is set to 5ms. In another example, the SS / PBCH block index has four possible values: 0, 1, 2, and 3. In yet another example, the number of SSBs per SS burst is set to 4.

[0076] In some embodiments, the UE110 may determine the number of SSBs to determine the number of beams to be tested.

[0077] In some embodiments, the UE110 may acquire a second configuration by receiving radio resource control, RRC, and messages from a network device, including the second configuration. In some embodiments, the UE110 may be in idle mode or inactive mode.

[0078] References are made to Figure 3 illustrating an exemplary flowchart of Method 300 implemented in a terminal device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Note that Method 300 may be performed in combination with or in addition to the signaling flow 200. Method 300 provides a solution for enabling beam correspondence in a terminal device.

[0079] In block 302, the terminal device acquires a first configuration and a second configuration of the RAR timer during the RA procedure. In block 304, the terminal device applies the first configuration of the RAR timer for at least one RAR window during the RA procedure. In block 306, the terminal device applies the second configuration of the RAR timer for at least one other RAR window during the RA procedure, where at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given SSB.

[0080] Through method 300, when a terminal device is in idle or inactive mode, the terminal device may retain its beam pattern and maintain the beam pattern thereafter.

[0081] References are made to Figure 4 illustrating an exemplary flowchart of Method 400 implemented in a network device according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Note that Method 400 may be performed in combination with or in addition to the signaling flow 200. Method 400 provides a solution for enabling beam correspondence in a network device.

[0082] In block 402, the network device determines a first configuration and a second configuration of a RAR timer during an RA procedure, the first configuration being applicable to at least one RAR window during the RA procedure, and the second configuration being applicable to at least one other RAR window during the RA procedure, the at least one other RAR window including at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given SSB.

[0083] In 404, the network device sends the first configuration and the second configuration to the terminal device.

[0084] Through method 400, when a terminal device is in idle or inactive mode, the terminal device may be able to retain its beam pattern and maintain the beam pattern for later use.

[0085] References are made to Figure 5 illustrating an exemplary block diagram of process 500 for power ramping and RAR timer according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Process 500 is illustrated with reference to Figures 1A through 5. During process 500, UE110 is in an inactive or idle mode.

[0086] In 502, UE110 initiates RA. In 504, UE110 sends an RA message. In one example, for a 4-step RACH, UE110 sends message 1. In another example, for a 2-step RACH, UE110 sends message A. In some embodiments, this disclosure proposes solutions for beam correspondence requirements, which will be described hereafter with reference to Figures 6 to 8.

[0087] In 506, PREAMBLE_POWER_RAMPING_COUNTER is set to 1. UE110 starts the RAR timer. The length of the RAR timer is determined by the ra-ResponseWindow. UE110 waits until the RAR timer expires. In 508, it is determined that the UE has not received a RAR. In 510, PREAMBLE_POWER_RAMPING_COUNTER is incremented by 1. In 512, UE110 sends an RA MSG again. UE110 starts the RAR timer. The length of the RAR timer is still determined by the ra-ResponseWindow. UE110 waits until the RAR timer expires. In 514, it is determined that the UE has still not received a RAR. In 516, the UE checks what the counter value related to the preamble TransMax number (referred to as N) is. If the counter value is less than N-1, process 500 proceeds to 510. If the counter value is N-1, the process proceeds to 518. At 518, UE110 sends the RA message again. UE110 starts the RAR timer. The length of the RAR timer is determined by ra-ResponseWindow-test (i.e., based on the second configuration that defines ra-ResponseWindow-test). At 520, EIRP, spherical coverage is tested. At 522, UE110 receives the RAR. At 524, UE110 tests the EIS. At 526, process 500 terminates.

[0088] Throughout process 500, the final RAR window can be configured with a sufficiently large value, allowing the terminal device to maintain its beam while waiting for RAR over a long period of time, which enables subsequent beam correspondence tests or other tests to be performed in idle or inactive mode without a beam lock function.

[0089] References hereto are made to Figure 6 illustrating exemplary flowcharts of methods implemented in terminal devices according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 600 relates to the relationship between random access type and beam correspondence requirement level.

[0090] Different beam correspondence requirements may be introduced depending on the RA type to ensure that the UE can successfully perform RA in RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE. The RAN4 requirements set the precision of the UE beam direction for each random access type. For example, a 2-step RACH must have stricter requirements than a 4-step RACH because it has a higher payload, i.e., PUSCH is included in Msg A.

[0091] In another embodiment, Small Data Transmission (SDT) is a procedure that enables data and / or signaling transmission while remaining in the RRC_INACTIVE state (i.e., without transitioning to the RRC_CONNECTED state). SDT is enabled on a radio bearer basis and is initiated by the UE only if less than a configured amount of UL data is waiting to be transmitted through all radio bearers for which SDT is enabled, the DL RSRP exceeds a configured threshold, and a valid SDT resource is available.

[0092] SDT can be used, for example, to transmit information to a network regarding positioning. Specific examples of small, infrequent data traffic include the following use cases: • Smartphone application: ○ Traffic from instant messaging services ○ Heartbeat / keep-alive traffic from IM / email clients and other apps ○ Push notifications from various applications Applications other than smartphones: ○ Traffic from wearables (such as periodic positioning information) ○ Sensors (such as industrial wireless sensor networks that transmit temperature and pressure readings periodically or triggered by events) ○Smart meters and smart meter networks that transmit periodic meter readings. Please understand that block 602 corresponds to block 302. Block 604 corresponds to block 304. Block 606 corresponds to block 306. For the sake of simplification, similar blocks are not described in detail.

[0093] In block 608, UE110 receives from the network device one of the following: a first indication of beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure, or a second indication of beam correspondence requirements for a four-step RA procedure, where the beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure are different from those for a four-step RA procedure. In block 610, UE110 determines whether the RA procedure to be applied is a two-step RA procedure or a four-step RA procedure. In block 612, UE110 applies the corresponding beam correspondence requirements for the RA procedure.

[0094] For example, if the UE plans to perform a two-step RA procedure, the UE will apply the BC requirement of the two-step RA procedure during the RA procedure.

[0095] In one implementation example shown in Figure 6, the UE receives all configurations for RA and BC. The UE then determines which power control parameters, RAR window parameters / configurations to apply, and which BC requirements to apply. Subsequently, the UE performs either a two-step or four-step RA to satisfy the BC requirements. That is, the order of the steps in Figure 6 may vary depending on the implementation.

[0096] In some embodiments, the beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure are stricter than those for a four-step RA procedure, and the requirements differ in at least one of the following: the time required by the terminal device to measure the downlink beam and estimate the uplink beam, or the uplink transmit power required to transmit at least one RA message during the RA procedure.

[0097] For example, message A in a two-step RACH is known to have a higher payload because the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) is sent along with the preamble data. Therefore, the advantages of two-step RACH over four-step RACH include one or more of the following: Instead of two round-trip cycles between sending Msg1 and receiving Msg4, there is one round-trip cycle between sending Msg A and receiving Msg B; Reduced latency; and Reduce signaling overhead.

[0098] To achieve beam correspondence, when a UE must perform RA in idle mode or inactive mode for small data transmission (SDT), the following options may be available: Option 1: Measure the DL Rx beam and mitigate the time used by the UE to estimate the UL Tx beam. Option 2: Increase the UE Tx power at UL to compensate for UE beam misalignment.

[0099] Alternatively, a combination of both Option 1 and Option 2 may be performed in either of the RACH procedures (i.e., 4-step or 2-step). The Rel-18 UE FR2 beam correspondence requirements for RACH in RRC_INACTIVE and RRC_IDLE may be defined based on metrics (EIRP, spherical coverage), but with extensions to accommodate different requirements for different types of RA procedures. UE behavior is applicable to RACH for RRC_INACTIVE and RRC_IDLE. Thus, embodiments introduce a new level of granularity in BC requirements that distinguishes between 2-step and 4-step RACH procedures for RRC_INACTIVE and RRC_IDLE.

[0100] In some embodiments, Method 600 is applicable to different BC levels for one or more of the following use cases, or combinations thereof: • 4-step RA for connection from idle • Two-step RA for connection from idle • 4-step RA in inactive state for SDT • Two-step RA in inactive state for SDT • 4-step RA from inactive to connected • Two-step RA from inactive to connected

[0101] In the current Rel-18, SSB is the only measurement method for UE in IDLE and INACTIVE; therefore, SSB-based L1-RSRP measurement conditions are no longer secondary conditions applied based on specific criteria. Instead, they are primary conditions that must be satisfied in INACTIVE and IDLE.

[0102] In some embodiments, Method 600 proposes relaxing the minimum SSB_RP (SSB reference point) for beam correspondence requirements by 6 dB for 4-step random access in IDLE or INACTIVE mode compared to CONNECTED mode. In some embodiments, Method 600 proposes relaxing the minimum SSB_RP for beam correspondence requirements by 3 dB for 2-step random access in IDLE or INACTIVE mode compared to CONNECTED mode.

[0103] In some embodiments, Table 3 shows an exemplary configuration table for a 4-step RA for specifications where the following exemplary values ​​are shown in bold. All figures are examples.

[0104] [Table 3]

[0105] In some embodiments, Table 4 shows an exemplary configuration table for a two-step RA for a specification where the following hypothetical values ​​are shown in bold. All numbers are examples.

[0106] [Table 4]

[0107] In the RRC_INACTIVE and RRC_IDLE scenarios, the beam correspondence tolerance cannot be based on the UL received power difference between when the UE sweeps its Tx beam and when the UE autonomously discovers its best Tx beam, since there is no UE Tx beam sweep in idle and inactive modes. Therefore, Method 600 proposes a novel beam correspondence tolerance specification based on the difference between the peak EIRP in connected mode and the peak EIRP in idle or inactive mode.

[0108] In some embodiments, the beam correspondence tolerance requirement ΔEIRP for RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE in the case of power class 3UE BC_INACTIVE This is ΔEIRP for link angles across a subset of spherical coverage grid points. BC_INACTIVE =Determined based on the percentiles of the EIRP2-EIRP1 distribution, and as a result: - EIRP1 is the sum of EIRP in units dBm calculated based on beam correspondence, based on the beam (corresponding beam) that the UE autonomously selects to transmit in the direction of the incoming DL signal, in idle or inactive mode and independent of UL beam sweep. - EIRP2 is the sum of EIRP in units dBm, calculated based on beam correspondence, where the UE autonomously selects a beam (corresponding beam) to transmit in the direction of the incoming DL signal, depending on the UL beam sweep in connected mode. - The link angle corresponds to the top N percentile of the EIRP2 measurement relative to the entire sphere, where the value of N follows the test point of the EIRP spherical coverage requirement for power class 3, i.e., N=50.

[0109] In some embodiments, for power class 3UE, the requirements are satisfied if the corresponding UL beam of the UE meets the maximum limits in Tables 5 and 6.

[0110] Table 5 is proposed for UE beam correspondence tolerances for PC3 in the case of a 4-step RA.

[0111] [Table 5]

[0112] Table 6 is proposed for UE beam correspondence tolerances for PC3 in the case of a two-step RA.

[0113] [Table 6]

[0114] In some embodiments, two-step and four-step random access procedures from an idle or inactive state are applicable to the following scenarios in FR2: • 4-step random access for transitioning from idle to connected mode • Two-step random access for transitioning from idle to connected mode • 4-step random access in inactive mode for small data transmission • Two-step random access in inactive mode for small data transmission • Four-step random access for transitioning from inactive to connected mode • Two-step random access for transitioning from inactive to connected mode

[0115] In some embodiments, the requirements can be reduced to a finer granularity, for example, by grouping the use cases listed above into the following four categories: a. Two-step RA for SDT b. 4-Step RA for SDT c.2 Step RA (for connecting from idle and connecting from inactive) d.4 step RA (for connecting from idle and connecting from inactive)

[0116] The above categorization of requirements enumerates groups from those requiring best beam correspondence (a.) to those accepting maximum relaxation (d.). This proposed prioritization is based on the results of problematic UL transmissions in each of those categories. That is, a. A two-step RA for SDT is used, for example, to send UE positioning data, with the payload sent together with the preamble in Msg A. The UE then returns to inactive. Thus, the absence of Msg A means that the corresponding data is not received. This thus justifies stricter requirements in such cases. Consequently, the BC requirement is stricter for RA procedures that transmit SDT than for RA procedures without SDT. This SDT-related requirement may override or be combined with a stricter embodiment where the BC requirement is stricter for a two-step RA procedure than for a four-step RA procedure.

[0117] Figure 7 illustrates an exemplary schematic diagram of panel selection according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 8 illustrates an exemplary schematic diagram of beam refinement according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Figures 7 and 8 are combined to illustrate the processes that a UE may take to satisfy beam correspondence requirements.

[0118] In some embodiments, the SS burst may have a different period (e.g., 5 ms as described above), but a default period of 20 ms is used in this example for illustrative purposes. In some embodiments, the UE may satisfy the beam correspondence requirement in one of the following ways: 1. Use a gyroscope to predict the rotation of the UE during sleep mode and to predict the correct panel to use at startup. 2. To ensure that the correct direction is also covered, the UE RF architecture includes splitters to all panels so that transmission can be performed simultaneously on all panels. 3. Monitor SS bursts on all panels during sleep mode.

[0119] In some embodiments, some details about the UE behavior with respect to option 3 above are provided. Basically, there may be three steps that the UE can take. RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE are essentially power-saving states, but in order to ensure accurate beam correspondence, the UE may need to perform measurements periodically, or at least before the next scheduled UL.

[0120] Step 1. As shown in Figure 7, the UE110 measures the SS bursts in each of its panels and determines the best panel based on the L1 RSRP measurement. The UE best panel may be the one that receives the highest RSRP value among all SSBs in the SS burst.

[0121] Step 2. Assuming that UE110 discovers, based on L1 RSRP measurements, that P1 is the best panel, as shown in Figure 8, UE110 then uses this panel to sweep only the narrow beam of this panel, thereby performing beam refinement.

[0122] Step 3. The UE determines the best serving SSB beam from Step 2 based on the L1 RSRP measurement. It is assumed that the RSRP measurement is equal to the first value, RSRP_1. The UE continues to measure periodically on this narrow beam as long as the RSRP is equal to RSRP_1. If the UE finds a change in the RSRP measurement that exceeds a threshold, the UE first measures using the wide beam on the same panel. If the wide beam measurement does not change (+ / -1dB), the UE knows that the same panel is still the best and only the narrow beam of the panel needs to be adjusted. Then it checks the narrow beam, i.e., repeats Step 2. Otherwise, if the wide beam measurement has changed significantly, the UE infers that the panel itself is no longer aligned. The UE then skips all narrow beams on this panel and finds another panel with the best RSRP value from the remaining panels (Step 1), and then selects the narrow beam of this panel (Step 2). Note that in a 1x4 array, there is typically a 6dB gain difference between the wide and narrow beams. This difference increases with larger arrays (by +3dB for every doubling of the number of elements in the array).

[0123] Method 600 described above aims to find beam correspondence using narrow beams in the UE, which may add latency as it requires the UE to take continuous measurements on all of its panels and then on all narrow beams on at least one panel. Based on latency requirements, available power headroom, and UE mobility, two scenarios may exist. Scenario 1: The UE has sufficient time to align its panel and beam (e.g., sufficient measurement time in the SSB period before SDT transmission), the UE is power-limited (e.g., cell edge UE), and the UE chooses to prioritize beam accuracy to satisfy beam correspondence requirements. Scenario 2: The UE does not have enough time to align its panel and beam, has sufficient power headroom to compensate for the misalignment (e.g., a UE close to the gNB), and the UE chooses to skip beam refinement (Step 2) and compensate for it by transmitting at higher power.

[0124] The amount of power required for transmission depends on whether the UE uses a 2-step or 4-step RA, since a 2-step RA contains the payload within the MsgA. If the number of PRBs doubles, the UE needs to transmit at 3dB more power to maintain spectral efficiency.

[0125] Through Method 600, it is suggested that power saving for UE is a trade-off between cost, design selection, and power consumption.

[0126] References are made to Figure 9A illustrating an exemplary block diagram of process 900 for a UE procedure for beam correspondence requirements according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In 902, process 900 is initiated. In 904, UE110 measures on each panel using a wide beam. In 906, UE110 selects the best panel (hereinafter referred to as Px). In 908, UE110 uses either a two-step RACH or a four-step RACH. If UE110 uses a two-step RACH, proceed to 912. If UE110 uses a four-step RACH, proceed to 910. In 910, UE110 transmits at higher power. In 912, UE110 sweeps the narrow beam using Px. In 914, UE110 sets the best SS beam = SS Y SS Y Determine RSRP THRESHOLD=R1. In 916, UE110 is SS Y Determine whether it is equal to R1 or greater than R1. SS YIf is equal to or greater than R1, the process proceeds to 918. In 918, UE110 measures using the current narrow beam. SS Y If R is less than R1, the process continues to 920. At 920, UE110 is "SS Y If R1 is less than SS, then R1-6dB is SS Y Determine whether the condition "smaller" is true. If it is true, the process proceeds to 912. If it is false, the process proceeds to 922. In 922, the UE110 measures on a wide beam using Px.

[0127] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing Method 300 (e.g., a terminal device 110) may include means for performing each step of Method 300. These means can be implemented in any preferred form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0128] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus comprises: means for obtaining a first and second configuration of a timer for random access, RA, random access response, RAR, during a procedure in a terminal device; means for applying a first configuration of a RAR timer for at least one RAR window during an RA procedure in a terminal device; and means for applying a second configuration of a RAR timer for at least one other RAR window during an RA procedure in a terminal device, wherein the at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block, SSB.

[0129] In some exemplary embodiments, each configuration includes a parameter indicating the length of time for the RAR window, where a second configuration indicates a longer time for the RAR window than the first configuration.

[0130] In some exemplary embodiments, the second configuration is applicable only to the final RAR window of the RA procedure.

[0131] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for holding the beam pattern of the terminal device in a certain direction within the last RAR window, and the transmit power associated with the last RAR window is determined based on at least one power ramping step during the RA procedure.

[0132] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for maintaining the beam pattern for at least one subsequent test within the final RAR window.

[0133] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for determining a first SSB parameter representing the SSB period; and means for applying the indicated SSB period to perform alignment between the receiving beam and the transmitting beam.

[0134] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for determining a second SSB parameter indicating the number of SSBs per synchronous signal burst, SS burst; and means for applying the indicated number of SSBs to perform alignment between the receiving beam and the transmitting beam.

[0135] In some exemplary embodiments, the number of SSBs shown per SS burst is greater than two, and each SSB is associated with a dedicated index.

[0136] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for determining the number of beams to be tested based on the number of SSBs.

[0137] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for receiving from a network device one of the following: a first indication of beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure, or a second indication of beam correspondence requirements for a four-step RA procedure, wherein the beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure are different from those for a four-step RA procedure; means for determining whether the RA procedure to be applied is a two-step RA procedure or a four-step RA procedure; and means for applying the corresponding beam correspondence requirements for the RA procedure.

[0138] In some exemplary embodiments, the beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure are stricter than those for a four-step RA procedure, and the requirements differ in at least one of the following: the time required by the terminal device to measure the downlink beam and estimate the uplink beam, or the uplink transmit power required to transmit at least one RA message during the RA procedure.

[0139] In some exemplary embodiments, the means for obtaining a second configuration includes means for receiving an RRC message containing the second configuration from a network device.

[0140] In some exemplary embodiments, the terminal device is in idle mode or inactive mode.

[0141] In some exemplary embodiments, the RA procedure is performed for the purpose of beam correspondence testing, which includes alignment between the receiving beam and the transmitting beam.

[0142] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises means for measuring one or more of the following within the last RAR window: equivalent isotropically radiated power (EIRP) and spherical coverage for UE conformance testing, equivalent isotropic sensitivity (EIS) for downlink (DL), and EIRP for uplink (UL).

[0143] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for transmitting the last preamble before the last RAR window; means for transitioning from idle or inactive mode to connected mode; and means for performing uplink beam sweep.

[0144] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing Method 400 (e.g., a network device 120) may include means for performing each step of Method 400. These means can be implemented in any preferred form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0145] In some exemplary embodiments, the device may comprise: means for determining a first configuration and a second configuration of a random access response (RAR) and timer in a random access (RA) procedure, wherein the first configuration is applicable to at least one RAR window in the RA procedure, and the second configuration is applicable to at least one other RAR window in the RA procedure, wherein the at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block (SSB); and means for transmitting the first configuration and the second configuration to a terminal device.

[0146] In some exemplary embodiments, each configuration includes a parameter indicating the length of time for the RAR window, where a second configuration indicates a longer time for the RAR window than the first configuration.

[0147] In some exemplary embodiments, the second configuration is applicable only to the final RAR window of the RA procedure.

[0148] In some exemplary embodiments, within the final RAR window, the beam pattern in the terminal device is held in a certain direction, and the transmit power associated with the final RAR window is based on at least one power ramping step during the RA procedure.

[0149] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for determining a first SSB parameter indicating an SSB period so that a terminal device can perform alignment between a received beam and a transmitted beam; and means for transmitting the first SSB parameter to the terminal device.

[0150] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for determining a second SSB parameter indicating the number of SSBs per synchronization signal burst, SS burst, for a terminal device to perform alignment between the receiving beam and the transmitting beam; and means for transmitting the second SSB parameter to the terminal device.

[0151] In some exemplary embodiments, the number of SSBs shown per SS burst is greater than two, and each SSB is associated with a dedicated index.

[0152] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for transmitting to a terminal device one of the following: a first indication of beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure, or a second indication of beam correspondence requirements for a four-step RA procedure, wherein the beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure are different from those for a four-step RA procedure; means for determining whether the RA procedure to be applied is a two-step RA procedure or a four-step RA procedure; and means for applying the corresponding beam correspondence requirements for the RA procedure.

[0153] In some exemplary embodiments, the beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure are stricter than those for a four-step RA procedure, and the requirements differ in at least one of the following: the time required by the terminal device to measure the downlink beam and estimate the uplink beam, or the uplink transmit power required to transmit at least one RA message during the RA procedure.

[0154] In some exemplary embodiments, the means for transmitting a second configuration includes: means for transmitting radio resource control, RRC, and messages, including the second configuration, to a terminal device.

[0155] In some exemplary embodiments, the RA procedure is performed for the purpose of beam correspondence testing.

[0156] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for performing EIS spherical coverage testing during the last RAR window; means for performing EIRP testing during the last transmitted preamble of the RA; and means for performing EIRP spherical coverage testing during the last transmitted preamble of the RA.

[0157] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus further comprises: means for determining a first uplink power while a terminal device is in idle or inactive mode, the first uplink power being based on the last preamble sent by the terminal device before the last RAR window timer is triggered; means for transitioning the terminal device to connection mode; means for determining a second received uplink power while the terminal device is in connection mode, the second received uplink power being based on the highest received power while the terminal device is performing beam sweep in connection mode; and means for performing beam tolerance testing by comparing the first uplink power with the second uplink power.

[0158] In some exemplary embodiments, an apparatus capable of performing Method 600 (e.g., a terminal device 110) may include means for performing each step of Method 600. These means can be implemented in any preferred form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module.

[0159] In some exemplary embodiments, the apparatus comprises: means for obtaining a first and second configuration of a timer for random access, RA, random access response, RAR, during a procedure in a terminal device; means for applying a first configuration of a RAR timer for at least one RAR window during an RA procedure in a terminal device; means for applying a second configuration of a RAR timer for at least one other RAR window during an RA procedure in a terminal device, wherein at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block, SSB; means for receiving from a network device one of the following: a first indication of beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure, or a second indication of beam correspondence requirements for a four-step RA procedure, wherein the beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure are different from those for a four-step RA procedure; means for determining whether the RA procedure to be applied is a two-step RA procedure or a four-step RA procedure; and means for applying the corresponding beam correspondence requirements for the RA procedure.

[0160] In some exemplary embodiments, the beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure are stricter than those for a four-step RA procedure, and the requirements differ in at least one of the following: the time required by the terminal device to measure the downlink beam and estimate the uplink beam, or the uplink transmit power required to transmit at least one RA message during the RA procedure.

[0161] Figure 9B illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a process for a UE procedure for beam tolerances according to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0162] At 930, the network (NTW) is configured using timer 380 (T380) for the UE to transition from idle / inactive to connected mode. At 932, the UE is inactive. At 934, the UE transmits MSG1 or MSG A during RA. At 936, the network measures and records the EIRP (peak and spherical coverage of the last MSG1 or MSG A) from the UE. At 938, the UE RAR timer expires. At 940, the UE declares RA failure. At 942, when T380 expires, the network triggers the UE transition to connected mode (e.g., paging). At 944, the UE is in connected mode and performs a UL beam sweep. At 946, the network compares the UL power from the beam sweep in connected mode with the UL power from inactive mode. At 948, beam tolerance requirements are calculated.

[0163] Figure 10 is a simplified block diagram of a device 1000 suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 1000 may be provided for implementing a communication device, for example, a terminal device 1010 as shown in Figure 1A. As shown, the device 1000 includes one or more processors 1010, one or more memories 1040 may be coupled to the processors 1010, and one or more communication modules 1040 may be coupled to the processors 1010.

[0164] The communication module 1040 is for bidirectional communication. The communication module 1040 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements, for example, the communication interface may be wireless, wired, or a software-based interface for communication with other network elements.

[0165] Processor 1010 can be any type suitable for a local technology network and may include one or more of the following: in non-limiting examples, general-purpose computers, dedicated computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multicore processor architectures. Device 1000 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that operate as time slaves to the clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0166] Memory 1020 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 1024, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact discs (CDs), digital video discs (DVDs), and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random-access memory (RAM) 1022 that does not persist during power-off periods and other volatile memories.

[0167] The computer program 1030 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 1010. The program 1030 can be stored in the ROM 1024. The processor 1010 can perform any preferred actions and processes by loading the program 1030 into the RAM 1022.

[0168] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented programmatically so that device 1000 can perform any process of the present disclosure, such as those discussed with reference to Figures 2, 3, and 5 through 9. Embodiments of the present disclosure may also be implemented in hardware, or in combination of software and hardware.

[0169] In some embodiments, program 1030 may be tangibly contained within a computer-readable medium that may be contained within device 1000 (such as memory 1020) or within other storage devices accessible by device 1000. Device 1000 may load program 1030 from the computer-readable medium into RAM 1022 for execution. The computer-readable medium may include any type of tangible non-volatile storage, such as ROM, EPROM, flash memory, hard disk, CD, DVD, and similar. Figure 11 shows an example of computer-readable medium 1100 in the form of a CD or DVD. The computer-readable medium has program 1030 stored thereon.

[0170] Generally, various embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some embodiments may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented in firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Various embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or some other graphic representations, but it should be understood that any blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or any combination thereof, as non-limiting examples.

[0171] This disclosure also provides at least one computer program product that is tangibly stored in a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those contained in a program module and executed within a device on a target real or virtual processor to perform methods 300, 400, or 600, as described above with reference to Figure 3, 4, or 6. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, or similar that perform a particular task or implement a particular extracted data type. The functionality of program modules can be combined or divided among program modules, as desired in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions for a program module can be executed within a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module can reside in both local and remote storage media.

[0172] Program code for performing the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable data processing device, and as a result, when executed by the processor or controller, the program code will perform functions / operations specified in flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The program code may run entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a standalone software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0173] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, and the like.

[0174] A computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. A computer-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, or devices, or any preferred combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include electrical connections having one or more wires, portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any preferred combination thereof. The term “non-transient,” as used herein, is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible and not signaling), as opposed to a decline in data storage persistence (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0175] Furthermore, while the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in a specific or sequential order shown, or that all illustrated operations be performed, in order to achieve the desired result. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while some specific implementation details are included in the above description, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features described in the context of a separate embodiment may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented separately or in any preferred partial combination in multiple embodiments.

[0176] While this disclosure is described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as set forth in the attached claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of making claims.

Claims

1. At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions and A terminal device comprising, where an instruction, when executed by at least one processor, is sent to the terminal device, Random access, RA, random access response, RAR, first configuration and second configuration of timer during procedure, During the RA procedure, apply the first configuration of the RAR timer for at least one RAR window. During the RA procedure, a second configuration of the RAR timer is applied for at least one other RAR window, where at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block, SSB. The terminal device, further, Within the final RAR window, the beam pattern of the terminal device is held in a certain direction, and the transmit power associated with the final RAR window is determined based on at least one power ramping step during the RA procedure. Terminal device.

2. The terminal device according to claim 1, wherein each configuration includes a parameter indicating the length of time for the RAR window, and the second configuration indicates a longer time for the RAR window than the first configuration.

3. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second configuration is applicable only to the last RAR window of the RA procedure.

4. The terminal device is further made to maintain the beam pattern within the final RAR window for at least one subsequent test. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The terminal device, further, We were asked to determine the first SSB parameter that indicates the SSB period. To align the receiving beam and the transmitting beam, the indicated SSB period is applied. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The terminal device, further, We are asked to determine a second SSB parameter that indicates the number of SSBs per synchronous signal burst, SS burst, The number of SSBs indicated is applied to align the receiving beam and the transmitting beam. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The terminal device according to claim 6, wherein the number of SSBs indicated per SS burst is greater than two, and each SSB is associated with a dedicated index.

8. The terminal device, further, Based on the number of SSBs, the number of beams to be tested can be determined. The terminal device according to claim 6.

9. The terminal device, further, The network device receives one of the following: a first indication of beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure, or a second indication of beam correspondence requirements for a four-step RA procedure, the beam correspondence requirements for the two-step RA procedure differ from those for the four-step RA procedure. You are asked to decide whether the RA procedure to be applied is a two-step RA procedure or a four-step RA procedure. The corresponding beam correspondence requirements for the RA procedure can be applied. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2.

10. The terminal device according to claim 9, wherein the beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure are stricter than those for a four-step RA procedure, and the requirements differ in at least one of the following: namely, the time required by the terminal device to measure the downlink beam and estimate the uplink beam, or the uplink transmit power required to transmit at least one RA message during the RA procedure.

11. The terminal device, further, Receiving wireless resource control, RRC, and messages from network devices, including the second configuration. This allows the second configuration to be achieved. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2.

12. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the terminal device is in idle mode or inactive mode.

13. The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the RA procedure is performed for the purpose of beam correspondence testing, and the beam correspondence testing includes alignment between a receiving beam and a transmitting beam.

14. The terminal device, in the last RAR window, Equivalent isotropic radiated power (EIRP) and spherical coverage for UE conformance testing. Equivalent isotropic sensitivity (EIS) for downlink (DL), and EIRP for Uplink (UL) The terminal device according to claim 13, which can measure one or more of the following.

15. The terminal device, further, Send the final preamble before the last RAR window, Transitioning from idle or inactive mode to connected mode, Perform uplink beam sweeping and Beam tolerance testing is required, including The terminal device according to claim 14.

16. At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions and A network device comprising, where an instruction, when executed by at least one processor, to the network device, Random access, RA, during a procedure, a first configuration and a second configuration of a random access response, RAR, timer are determined, the first configuration being applicable to at least one RAR window during the RA procedure, and the second configuration being applicable to at least one other RAR window during the RA procedure, the at least one other RAR window including at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block, SSB. The first configuration and the second configuration are sent to the terminal device. Network devices further, The terminal device is made to determine a first SSB parameter that indicates the SSB period in order to perform alignment between the received beam and the transmitted beam. The first SSB parameter is sent to the terminal device. Network device.

17. Network devices further, In order for the terminal device to perform alignment between the received beam and the transmitted beam, it is made to determine a second SSB parameter that indicates the number of SSBs per synchronization signal burst, SS burst, The terminal device is instructed to send a second SSB parameter. The network device according to claim 16.

18. Network devices further, The terminal device is instructed to transmit one of the following: a first indication of the beam correspondence requirements for a two-step RA procedure, or a second indication of the beam correspondence requirements for a four-step RA procedure, and the beam correspondence requirements for the two-step RA procedure differ from those for the four-step RA procedure. You are asked to decide whether the RA procedure to be applied is a two-step RA procedure or a four-step RA procedure. The corresponding beam correspondence requirements for the RA procedure can be applied. The network device according to claim 16.

19. Network devices further, The second configuration includes wireless resource control, RRC, and sending messages to terminal devices. The network device according to claim 16, which is caused to transmit a second configuration by means of the second configuration.

20. Network devices further, Perform the EIS spherical coverage test during the last RAR window. Perform the EIRP test during the last preamble sent by the RA, and Perform the EIRP spherical coverage test during the last preamble sent by the RA. The network device according to claim 16, which is capable of performing at least one of the following.

21. Network devices further, Determining a first uplink power while the terminal device is in idle or inactive mode, wherein the first uplink power is based on the last preamble sent by the terminal device before the last RAR window timer was triggered. Switching the terminal device into connected mode, Determining a second received uplink power while the terminal device is in connection mode, wherein the second received uplink power is based on the highest received power while the terminal device is performing beam sweep in connection mode. The beam tolerance test is performed by comparing the first uplink power and the second uplink power. The network device according to claim 20, which is made to perform the following.

22. In a terminal device, the first and second configurations of random access, RA, random access response, RAR, and timer are obtained during the procedure. In a terminal device, a first configuration of the RAR timer is applied for at least one RAR window during the RA procedure, In a terminal device, a second configuration of a RAR timer is applied for at least one other RAR window during an RA procedure, wherein at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block, SSB. The beam pattern of the terminal device is held in a certain direction within the final RAR window, and the transmit power associated with the final RAR window is determined based on at least one power ramping step during the RA procedure. Methods that include...

23. In a network device, determining a first and second configuration of a random access response (RA) and timer during a random access procedure, wherein the first configuration is applicable to at least one RAR window during the RA procedure, and the second configuration is applicable to at least one other RAR window during the RA procedure, wherein at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block (SSB). Transmitting the first configuration and the second configuration to the terminal device, The terminal device determines a first SSB parameter that indicates the SSB period in order to perform alignment between the received beam and the transmitted beam, Sending the first SSB parameter to the terminal device Methods that include...

24. In a terminal device, means for obtaining a first configuration and a second configuration of random access, RA, random access response, RAR, and timer during a procedure, A terminal device provides means for applying a first configuration of a RAR timer for at least one RAR window during an RA procedure, In a terminal device, means for applying a second configuration of a RAR timer for at least one other RAR window during an RA procedure, wherein at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of an RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block, SSB, Means for holding the beam pattern of a terminal device in a certain direction within the last RAR window, wherein the transmit power associated with the last RAR window is determined based on at least one power ramping step during the RA procedure. A device equipped with the following features.

25. Means for determining a first and second configuration of a random access response (RA) and timer in a network device, wherein the first configuration is applicable to at least one RAR window in an RA procedure, and the second configuration is applicable to at least one other RAR window in an RA procedure, wherein the at least one other RAR window includes at least the last RAR window of the RA procedure for a given synchronization signal block (SSB). Means for transmitting the first configuration and the second configuration to a terminal device, A means for determining a first SSB parameter indicating the SSB period in order for a terminal device to perform alignment between the received beam and the transmitted beam, Means for transmitting the first SSB parameter to a terminal device A device equipped with the following features.

26. A non-temporary computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the method of claim 22.

27. ​​A non-temporary computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing a device to perform at least the method of claim 23.

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