System and method for extending the effective communication range in a non-terrestrial network (NTN).

Abstract

A system and method for communication coverage extension in a non-terrestrial based network (NTN) is presented. A wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) may receive a random access response (RAR) transmission from a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) that includes an indication indicating at least a maximum repetition number (repNum) of the RAR transmission for the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device can use the repNum to determine a time-domain location of a transmission resource on which a Msg.3 transmission should be transmitted in response to the RAR transmission.

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communication, including but not limited to systems and methods for extending communication coverage in non-terrestrial networks (NTN). [[Background Art]]

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®), a standards organization, is currently in the process of specifying not only a new radio interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR), but also a next-generation packet core network (NG-CN or NGC). 5G NR will have three main components: a 5G access network (5G-AN), a 5G core network (5GC), and user equipment (UE). To facilitate enabling different data services and requirements, elements of 5GC, also referred to as network functions, are simplified, some of which are software-based and some are hardware-based, so they can be adapted as needed. [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Means for Solving the Problems]]

[0003] Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed not only to solving problems associated with one or more of the issues presented in the prior art, but also to providing additional features that will be readily apparent when the following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, it is to be understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example and not limitation, and various modifications to the disclosed embodiments may be made while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art reading the present disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect applies to the following systems, methods, apparatus, or computer-readable media: A wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) may receive / get / acquire a Random Access Response (RAR) transmission from a wireless communication node (e.g., a base station (BS), a gNB, and / or a non-terrestrial device) that includes an instruction indicating at least the maximum number of RAR transmission iterations (repNum) for the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may use repNum to determine the time-domain location of the transmission resource to which the Msg.3 transmission should be transmitted in response to the RAR transmission.

[0005] In some implementations, the instruction may be in a 2-bit field. In some implementations, the instruction may indicate that a wireless communication device should receive multiple RAR transmissions. In some implementations, repNum may have a value that is the same as the maximum number of iterations configured or defined via System Information Block (SIB) signaling, Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, or Media Access Control Element (MAC CE) signaling.

[0006] In some implementations, to determine the time-domain location, a wireless communication device can use repNum to determine an offset. The wireless communication device can determine the time-domain location by adding an offset to the location of the first or earliest Random Access Response (RAR) window in a RAR transmission.

[0007] In some implementations, a wireless communication device can determine the required number of repetitions (requiredRepNum_UE) by measuring a synchronization signal block (SSB) or one or more other signals. The wireless communication device can then determine the offset using repNum, requiredRepNum_UE, and the length of the RAR window.

[0008] In some implementations, a wireless communication device can determine the number of iterations required by the wireless communication device (requiredRepNum_UE). When repNum matches (or is equal to) requiredRepNum_UE, the wireless communication device can determine an offset using repNum or requiredRepNum_UE and the length of the RAR window.

[0009] In some implementations, a wireless communication node may send a Msg.4 transmission to only one of several wireless communication devices, each of which has sent a Msg.3 transmission to the wireless communication node. In some implementations, a wireless communication device may determine a failure in the number of RAR detection attempts by the number of RAR detection attempts exceeding repNum. In response to the failure, the wireless communication device may determine that a random access (e.g., performed or attempted by the wireless communication device) has failed.

[0010] In some implementations, a wireless communication device can send a Msg.3 transmission to a wireless communication node. Msg.3 may include an indication of an offset (TC-RNTI_offset) to a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI), where TC-RNTI_offset is specific to the wireless communication device. In some implementations, the wireless communication device can determine the number of iterations required by the wireless communication device (requiredRepNum_UE). TC-RNTI_offset may have the same value as requiredRepNum_UE, or it may be a function of the value of requiredRepNum_UE.

[0011] In some implementations, a wireless communication node may scramble (e.g., encode or encrypt) the content of a Msg.4 transmission using TC-RNTI combined with TC-RNTI_offset. In some implementations, a wireless communication device may decide to adopt TC-RNTI combined with TC-RNTI_offset as its Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) in response to receiving a Msg.4 transmission from a wireless communication node, or successfully descrambling (e.g., decrypting or decoding) the Msg.4 transmission using TC-RNTI combined with TC-RNTI, or receiving an instruction in the Msg.4 transmission from the wireless communication node to authenticate the adoption of TC-RNTI combined with TC-RNTI as the wireless communication device's C-RNTI.

[0012] In some implementations, a wireless communication device can send a Msg.4 transmission to each of multiple wireless communication devices that have sent their respective Msg.3 transmissions to a wireless communication node.

[0013] At least one aspect applies to the following systems, methods, apparatus, or computer-readable media: A wireless communication node may send / transmit / provide a RAR transmission to a wireless communication device that includes an instruction indicating the maximum number of RAR transmission iterations (repNum) for at least one wireless communication device. The wireless communication device may use repNum to determine the time-domain location of the transmission resource to which the Msg.3 transmission should be transmitted in response to the RAR transmission. The present invention further provides, for example, the following: (Item 1) A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication device receives a Random Access Response (RAR) transmission from a wireless communication node, wherein the RAR transmission includes an instruction indicating at least the maximum number of repetitions (repNum) of the RAR transmission for the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device uses the repNum to determine the time-domain location of the transmission resource to which the Msg.3 transmission should be transmitted in response to the RAR transmission. Methods that include... (Item 2) The above instruction is the method described in item 1 within the 2-bit field. (Item 3) The method according to item 1, wherein the instruction indicates that the wireless communication device should receive multiple RAR transmissions. (Item 4) The method according to item 1, wherein repNum has a value that is the same as the maximum number of iterations configured or defined via System Information Block (SIB) signaling, Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, or Media Access Control Element (MAC CE) signaling. (Item 5) Determining the aforementioned time domain location is The wireless communication device determines the offset using the repNum, The wireless communication device determines the time domain location by adding the offset to the location of the earliest RAR window of the RAR transmission. The method described in item 1, including the method described in item 1. (Item 6) The wireless communication device determines the required number of repetitions (requiredRepNum_UE) by measuring a synchronization signal block (SSB) or one or more other signals. The wireless communication device determines the offset using the requiredRepNum_UE and the length of the RAR window. The method described in item 5, including the method described in item 5. (Item 7) The wireless communication device determines the number of iterations required by the wireless communication device (requiredRepNum_UE), The wireless communication device determines the offset using the repNum or the requiredRepNum_UE and the length of the RAR window when the repNum matches the requiredRepNum_UE. The method described in item 5, including the method described in item 5. (Item 8) The method according to item 1, wherein the wireless communication node transmits a Msg.4 transmission to only one of a plurality of wireless communication devices, each of which has transmitted a Msg.3 transmission to the wireless communication node. (Item 9) The wireless communication device determines the fault based on the number of RAR detection attempts exceeding the repNum, In response to the aforementioned failure, the wireless communication device determines that random access has failed. The method described in item 1, including the method described in item 1. (Item 10) The method according to any one of items 1 to 7 and 9, comprising the wireless communication device transmitting a Msg.3 transmission to the wireless communication node that includes an instruction for an offset (TC-RNTI_offset) to a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI), wherein the TC-RNTI_offset is specific to the wireless communication device. (Item 11) The wireless communication device determines the number of iterations required by the wireless communication device (requiredRepNum_UE), The method according to item 10, wherein the TC-RNTI_offset has a value that is the same as the value of requiredRepNum_UE, or is a function of the value of requiredRepNum_UE. (Item 12) The method according to item 10, wherein the wireless communication node scrambles the content of the Msg.4 transmission using the TC-RNTI combined with the TC-RNTI_offset. (Item 13) The wireless communication device decides to adopt the TC-RNTI combined with the TC-RNTI_offset as the cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) of the wireless communication device, The above decision is, Receiving a Msg.4 transmission from the aforementioned wireless communication node, or To successfully descramble a Msg.4 transmission using the TC-RNTI combined with the TC-RNTI_offset, or The wireless communication node receives, in the Msg.4 transmission, an instruction to authenticate the adoption of the TC-RNTI, combined with the TC-RNTI_offset, as the C-RNTI of the wireless communication device. The method described in item 12, in response to the above. (Item 14) The method according to item 13, wherein the wireless communication node transmits a Msg.4 transmission to each of the plurality of wireless communication devices that have transmitted their respective Msg.3 transmissions to the wireless communication node. (Item 15) A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication node includes transmitting a RAR transmission to a wireless communication device that includes at least an instruction indicating the maximum number of RAR transmission iterations (repNum) for the wireless communication device, A method for determining the time-domain location of a transmission resource to which a Msg.3 transmission should be transmitted in response to a RAR transmission, using the repNum of the wireless communication device. (Item 16) A non-temporary computer-readable medium storing instructions, wherein, when executed by at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to perform the method described in any one of items 1 to 15. (Item 17) A device comprising at least one processor configured to perform the method described in any one of items 1 through 15. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] Various exemplary embodiments of this solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict exemplary embodiments of this solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of it. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered to limit the scope, extent, or applicability of this solution. It should be noted that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to actual size in order to make the illustration clear and easy to understand.

[0015] [Figure 1] An example of a cellular communication network in which the technologies disclosed herein may be implemented according to embodiments of this disclosure is shown.

[0016] [Figure 2] A block diagram of an example of a base station and user equipment device according to several embodiments of this disclosure is shown.

[0017] [Figure 3] Examples of implementations of non-terrestrial networks (NTN) according to several embodiments of this disclosure are shown.

[0018] [Figure 4] The following are examples of access delays in communication between the UE and BS according to some embodiments of this disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 5] This disclosure shows an example of one implementation of a UE that sends Msg.3 to a BS and a UE that receives a response from a BS according to several embodiments of this disclosure.

[0020] [Figure 6] This document presents an example of an implementation of a UE that sends Msg.3 to a BS and receives a response from a BS according to several embodiments of this disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 7] This flowchart shows an example of a method for extending the effective communication range at NTN according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0022] (1. Mobile communication technologies and environment) Figure 1 shows an exemplary wireless communication network and / or system 100 in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and will be referred to herein as “Network 100”. Such exemplary Network 100 includes base stations 102 (hereinafter “BS102”, also called wireless communication nodes) and user equipment devices 104 (hereinafter “UE104”, also called wireless communication devices) that can communicate with each other via communication links 110 (e.g., wireless communication channels), and clusters of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 overlapping geographical area 101. In Figure 1, BS102 and UE104 are contained within the respective geographical boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating within its allocated bandwidth to provide an adequate radio communication range to the intended users.

[0023] For example, BS102 may operate within an allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide UE104 with an appropriate communication range. BS102 and UE104 may communicate via downlink radio frames 118 and uplink radio frames 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may contain data symbols 122 / 128. In this disclosure, BS102 and UE104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of “communication nodes” that can generally implement the methods disclosed herein. Such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication according to various embodiments of the present solution.

[0024] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to several embodiments of the present solution. System 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that do not need to be described in detail herein. In one exemplary embodiment, system 200 can be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment such as the wireless communication environment 100 in Figure 1, as described above.

[0025] System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter, "BS202") and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter, "UE204"). BS202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each module being coupled and interconnected to one another as needed via a data communication bus 220. UE204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each module being coupled and interconnected to one another as needed via a data communication bus 240. BS202 communicates with UE204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for data transmission as described herein.

[0026] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, System 200 may further include any number of modules other than those shown in Figure 2. Those skilled in the art will understand that various exemplary blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in relation to the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this compatibility and suitability of hardware, firmware, and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described in relation to their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such functionality in a manner suitable for each specific application, but such implementations should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0027] According to several embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred herein as an “uplink” transceiver 230, comprising a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each having a circuit coupled to antenna 232. Alternatively, a duplex switch (not shown) may couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-duplex manner. Similarly, according to several embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may also be referred herein as a “downlink” transceiver 210, comprising an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each having a circuit coupled to antenna 212. Alternatively, a downlink duplex switch may couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time-duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be time-coordinated so that the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 and at the same time the uplink receiver circuit is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 can be time-coordinated so that the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 at the same time that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for receiving transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is proximity time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in duplex direction.

[0028] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate over a wireless data communication link 250 and to cooperate with a appropriately configured RF antenna arrangement 212 / 232 that can support specific wireless communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some exemplary embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not necessarily limited to specific standards and associated protocols in its application. Rather, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0029] According to various embodiments, BS202 may be, for example, an evolved node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femtostation, or a picostation. In some embodiments, UE204 may be embodied in various types of user devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, laptop computers, and wearable computing devices. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized using general-purpose processors, associative memories, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, any suitable programmable logic devices, discrete gates or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Thus, the processor may be realized as a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0030] Furthermore, steps of methods or algorithms described in relation to embodiments disclosed herein can be directly embodied in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or any practical combination thereof. Memory modules 216 and 234 can be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 can be coupled to processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, so that processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 can be integrated into processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. In some embodiments, memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also include non-volatile memory for storing instructions executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0031] The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the base station 202 that enable bidirectional communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communication module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical configuration, but not limited to, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet® interface so that the base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a conventional Ethernet®-based computer network. In this embodiment, the network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC)). As used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, the terms “configured for,” “configured to,” and their inflections refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc., that is physically configured, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform a specified operation or function.

[0032] The Open System Interconnection (OSI) model (hereinafter referred to as the “Open System Interconnection Model”) is a conceptual and logical layout that defines network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is divided into seven subcomponents or layers, each representing a conceptual set of services provided to its upper and lower layers. The OSI model also defines logical networks and effectively describes computer packet forwarding by using different layer protocols. The OSI model may also be called the 7-layer OSI model or 7-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be the physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be the medium access control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be the radio link control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be the radio resource control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be the Non-Accessible Service (NAS) layer or the Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer may be any other layer.

[0033] To enable those skilled in the art to fabricate and use the present solution, various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, various changes or modifications can be made to the examples described herein without departing from the scope of the present solution. Thus, the present solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and uses described and illustrated herein. In addition, the particular order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely illustrative. Based on design preferences, the particular order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Thus, those skilled in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or operations in a sample order, and the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless otherwise specified.

[0034] (2. Systems and methods for extending the effective communication range at NTN) In a non-terrestrial network (NTN), a UE104 obtains its position / location via a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Individual UE104s are composed of different hardware and / or software components, which can result in varying capabilities in supporting communication with BS102 and / or non-terrestrial components (e.g., satellites). Based on the capabilities of an individual UE104, a UE104 can support a relatively high communication range zone (e.g., longer distances) or a relatively low zone (e.g., shorter distances). A certain UE104 (e.g., one with relatively low capabilities) may experience communication range problems such as packet drops and network interference due to the distance between the UE104 and at least one of the satellites or BS102s being greater than its optimal communication range distance. To address / solve potential communication range problems in a system, the systems and methods of technical solutions discussed herein can utilize message repetition to improve communication range performance in communication between the UE104 and BS102 (and / or satellites). Furthermore, in some systems (e.g., terrestrial network systems), iterations of random access procedures, including physical downlink control channels (PDCCH), may not be supported for random access transmission. Therefore, the systems and methods of technical solutions may provide the features or operations discussed herein to support the use of random access response (RAR) (e.g., including PDCCH) iterations in random access transmission to extend / improve the network communication range for UE104 in NTN.

[0035] Figure 3 shows an example of the structure of a transparent NTN according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. The link between the UE (e.g., user equipment, UE104, UE204, mobile devices, wireless communication devices, terminals, etc.) and the satellite can be a service link. The link between the BS (e.g., base stations, BS102, BS202, gNB, eNB, wireless communication nodes, etc.) and the satellite can be a feeder link and can be common to all UEs in the same cell. To improve / extend the effective range performance for UE104 in the NTN, the systems and methods described herein can enable periodic repetition or multiple repetitions of RAR (e.g., PDCCH) transmissions.

[0036] In various configurations for improving communication range extension, systems and methods may, for example, extend the Random Access Response (RAR) window for Msg.2 (sometimes referred to as RAR) (e.g., the duration for receiving a response from BS102) to enable transmission repetitions. For example, to extend the RAR window, a network (e.g., BS102, gNB, satellite, etc.) may indicate / transmit / provide the number of RAR repetitions to UE104. UE104 may determine / calculate one or more extended RAR windows according to the product of the original (or currently configured) RAR window and the number of RAR repetitions (e.g., multiplying the original RAR window by the number of repetitions). In another example, to extend the RAR window, a network may indicate to UE104 the number of RAR repetitions and the period / cycle / duration between each PDCCH repetition. UE104 may extend the RAR window by an offset, which can be, for example, the product of the number of repetitions and the repetition period.

[0037] UE 104 may be positioned at a certain elevation angle (e.g., distance and / or direction) relative to a satellite and / or BS 102. Based on the location of UE 104, the satellite, and / or BS 102, UE 104 may experience different path losses, packet drops, interference, and / or other signal propagation errors. Accordingly, it may be desirable to repeat certain transmissions to UE 104 to extend a communication coverage (e.g., coverage of a signal or communication). Due to different capabilities (e.g., channel environment) supported by individual UEs 104, some UEs 104 may desire or expect more transmission repetitions or fewer transmission repetitions to mitigate performance loss. In some cases, a UE 104 with relatively high capability may not desire repeated transmissions and may expect a single transmission. Accordingly, different UEs 104 may be configured with different repetition configurations (e.g., repNum corresponding to a maximum number of repetitions).

[0038] When individual UEs 104 have different repetition configurations (e.g., for UE 1 and UE 2, repNum_UE1 < repNum_UE2), if a plurality of UEs 104 simultaneously transmit / communicate the same random access preamble sequence with the same preamble index on the same time-frequency resource to BS 102, BS 102 may detect different peaks / signals (e.g., peaks or signals obtained from correlation or other operations on the random access sequence by BS 102 or a satellite), but may identify the different peaks as a random access request from one UE 104. For example, depending on the distance between UE 104 and BS 102 or the satellite, the positions of peaks obtained by BS 102 or the satellite may have a (different) offset. Therefore, in order for BS 102 to accurately / distinctly distinguish UEs 104 that transmit random access requests, UEs 104 may use different random access sequences to initiate random access. For purposes of providing examples herein, in communication with one or more satellites and / or BS 102, UE1 may represent a first UE and UE2 may represent a second UE. UE1 and UE2 may be in the same cell.

[0039] Referring to Figure 4, an example of access delay in communication between UE104 and BS102 is depicted. In the situation described above, if the number of iterations configured by the network is repNum_UE1 (e.g., a predetermined number of iterations similar to the maximum number of iterations of UE1), and UE2 expects a larger number of iterations compared to UE1 (e.g., repNum_UE2 > repNum_UE1), then UE2 may fail to decode the RAR (e.g., Msg.2) from BS102 (e.g., due to fewer iterations than desired), causing an access failure for UE2. Therefore, configuring a relatively large number of iterations can mitigate or avoid premature access failures for UE2 (or other UE104s with similar or lower capabilities). For example, if the number of iterations is configured as repNum_UE2, UE1 and UE2 rely on contention-based random access. However, since a certain UE104 (e.g., UE1) can satisfy the communication range criterion with fewer iterations (e.g., fewer transmissions from BS102) compared to the number of iterations configured by BS102 (e.g., repNum_UE2), access delay in a certain UE104 can be increased, as shown in Figure 4, for example. Systems and methods of technical solutions can perform the features or operations described herein to extend the communication range for accessing the network (e.g., via transmission iterations) while minimizing or avoiding access delay in individual UE104s (e.g., UE104s with relatively high and / or lower repNum compared to the repNum configured by the network).

[0040] In various implementations, the UE104 can measure a synchronous signal block (SSB) or one or more other signals transmitted / provided / transmitted by a network (e.g., BS102 and / or satellite). The UE104 can utilize the signal measurements to calculate / calculate or determine the number of iterations that satisfy a desired communication range (e.g., communication range requirements or criteria). The calculated number of iterations that satisfy the communication range may be named / indicated / referred to as "requireRepNum_UEx," where "UEx" can represent each UE104 performing the calculation, e.g., UE1, UE2, etc. For UE104s with different communication range requirements (e.g., more or fewer iterations), the following relevant definitions can be provided: 1) The desired / required number of PDCCH iterations in UE1 may be referred to as "requireRepNum_UE1". The required number of PDCCH iterations in UE2 may be referred to as "requireRepNum_UE2". 2) The uplink (UL) permission time-frequency resource indicated / notified in the first RAR (e.g., Msg.2) received in the initial RAR window (w1) may be the initial resource. 3) The maximum number of iterations may be configured or predefined by at least one of the SIB signaling, RRC signaling, and / or MAC signaling. The maximum number of iterations may be used by UE104 to avoid having a persistent state of UE104 detecting or monitoring the RAR. In response to detecting the number of received transmissions corresponding to requireRepNum_UEx (e.g., the required number of iterations configured by the network), UE104 may merge / combine (across the iterative transmissions of the RAR) and decode the RAR. In some implementations, UE104 may merge and decode the RAR in response to receiving a number of transmissions corresponding to the maximum number of iterations configured for UE104. In some cases, if decoding of the RAR fails, such as to avoid UE104 being in a persistent state of detecting the RAR (in an attempt to successfully decode the RAR), UE104 may declare / notify / indicate that random access has failed and / or that random access has been restarted / resumed.

[0041] In situations where multiple UE104s (e.g., two UE104s provided herein) with different communication range requirements (based on the capabilities of individual UE104s) simultaneously transmit / signalize the same random access preamble sequence to a network (e.g., BS102 and / or satellite) over the same time-frequency resources, the network can repeatedly transmit the same RAR to the UE104s to avoid / minimize potential communication range problems.

[0042] (Example implementation 1) In various configurations, UE104 can receive Msg.2 transmissions or Random Access Response (RAR) transmissions from BS102. In this specification, the terms Msg.2 transmission and RAR transmission may be interchangeable and / or used interchangeably. A RAR transmission may include a bit field (e.g., an instruction) indicating the maximum number of repetitions (repNum) of the RAR transmission to be transmitted to UE104. The RAR (e.g., the bit field of the RAR containing RepNum) may be used to indicate a UL-permitted time-frequency resource offset (e.g., an implicit instruction). For example, a RAR transmission may include a 2-bit field (e.g., the instruction may be in the 2-bit field) indicating the maximum number of repetitions at UE104, where the 2 bits (e.g., represented as "xx") may indicate that UE104 expects to receive multiple RAR transmissions.

[0043] In various implementations, the value of repNum can be the same as the maximum number of iterations configured or predefined via at least one of the Synchronization Signal Block (SIB) signaling, Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, and / or Media Access Control Element (MAC CE) signaling from BS102 and / or the satellite. For example, repNum indicated / provided / transmitted via RAR transmission may correspond to the configured maximum number of iterations (e.g., previously / in the past transmitted by BS via RRC or other signaling, and / or stored by UE104).

[0044] In some implementations, if repNum differs from a predefined maximum number of iterations, UE104 may decide, for example, according to the configuration of UE104, to use either the most recently received repNum via RAR transmission or one of the predefined maximum number of iterations previously received from BS102. In some configurations, there may be no predefined / configured maximum number of iterations, or it may not be communicated / indicated to UE104 (for example, not provided by BS102 via at least one of the signal transmissions). In such cases, the condition that repNum is equal to the predefined / configured maximum number of iterations may not apply.

[0045] The transmission resource corresponding to Msg.3 may include an instruction for a resource offset. For UE1 and UE2, which have different communication range requirements (among several UE104s), requireRepNum_UE1 can be configured for UE1, requireRepNum_UE2 for UE2, and the maximum number of iterations (repNum) can be configured / provided in the RAR. In response to UE1 receiving at least one RAR transmission from BS102 (e.g., a gNB or wireless communication node) (e.g., two iterations in UE1 E2 in this example), UE1 may send / provide Msg.3 to BS102 on the time-frequency resource according to an offset of (requireRepNum_UE1-1) × RARWindowLength (e.g., after a duration calculated by the following) corresponding to the UL-permitted time-frequency resource location received in the first RAR window. In response to UE2 receiving at least one RAR transmission from BS102 (e.g., four iterations in UE2 in this example), UE2 may send Msg.3 to BS102 on the time-frequency resource according to an offset of (requireRepNum_UE2-1) × RARWindowLength. RARWindowLength (e.g., length / duration of the RAR window) can be provided to UE104 by the network via RRC signaling, SIB signaling, among several other types of signaling.

[0046] According to the above formula, UE104 can determine the offset in the time domain location (for example, by adding the location and offset of the earliest RAR window for the RAR transmission) using at least one of several variables related to the time domain location for the transmission of Msg.3, in particular repNum, requiredRepNum_UEx, and / or the length of the RAR window. In some cases, repNum can be the requiredRepNum_UEx of each UE104 receiving the RAR transmission. If repNum = requireRepNum_UEx, then each UE104 (e.g., UEx) can send Msg.3 on the time-frequency resource according to an offset of ([repNum or requireRepNumUEx]-1) × RARWindowLength corresponding to the UL-permitted time-frequency resource location received in the first RAR window. In this case, UE104 can determine the offset in the time domain location using repNum or requiredRepNum_UEx and the length of the RAR window, for example, if repNum matches (or is equal to) requiredRepNum_UEx.

[0047] In various implementations, BS102 may respond to / communicate with a Msg.3 transmission from (only) one UE104 (e.g., a UE104 that adopts / can obtain the Temporary Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (TC-RNTI) as its unique C-RNTI) to avoid potential confusion among multiple UE104s employing the same TC-RNTI (e.g., if BS were to respond to each of these multiple UEs instead). For example, as shown in the example in Figure 5, BS102 may respond to a Msg.3 transmission from one of the UE104s (e.g., UE1 in this example) (e.g., transmit a Msg.4 transmission).

[0048] Referring to Figure 5, an implementation is depicted in which UE104 (e.g., UE1 and UE2) transmit Msg.3 to BS102, and then one of the UE104 receives a response (e.g., Msg.4) from BS102 and / or the satellite. As shown in the figure, UE1 may have / determine requireRepNum_UE1 for two transmissions (e.g., requireRepNum_UE1=2) to satisfy the communication range requirement, and UE2 may have / determine requireRepNum_UE2 for four transmissions (e.g., requireRepNum_UE1=4) to satisfy the communication range requirement. The bit field in the RAR indicating the maximum number of iterations for UE104 can be repNum=4.

[0049] In this example, UE1 can send Msg.3 on a time-frequency resource at an offset of (2-1) × RARWindowLength corresponding to the UL-permitted time-frequency resource location received in the first RAR window, for example, by simply using the expression (requireRepNum_UEx-1) × RARWindowLength to represent the offset. Furthermore, UE2 can send Msg.3 on a time-frequency resource at an offset of (4-1) × RARWindowLength corresponding to the UL-permitted time-frequency resource location received in the first RAR window, for example, by using the expression ([repNum or requireRepNumUEx]-1) × RARWindowLength to represent the offset, since repNum = requireRepNumUEx. As shown in this example, BS102 can send a response (e.g., a Msg.4 transmission) to only one of the UE104 that each sent a Msg.3 transmission to BS102. For example, given the RepNum configuration of BS102 in a RAR message, BS102 can perform blind detection in response to receiving Msg.3 from UE104 in order to detect Msg.3 sent from UE104 with different communication range requirements (e.g., different times).

[0050] In some implementations, UE104 may detect when the number of RAR transmissions exceeds a predetermined maximum number of iterations (repNum) (for example, when the number of Msg.2 detection failure attempts exceeds repNum). In response to detection / failure, UE104 may determine that the random access has failed. UE104 may then retry the random access procedure to access the network following the previous random access failure.

[0051] (Example implementation form 2) In various configurations, the bitfield included in the RAR can indicate / provide the maximum number of iterations (repNum) of the UE104. The bitfield can be used to at least implicitly indicate the UL permission time-frequency resource offset (e.g., w1, for the first RAR window in Msg.2). Based on the instructions from the bitfield, the bitfield can enable / authorize the BS102 to perform a Msg.4 transmission in response to receiving Msg.3 from different UE104s consisting of multiple RAR iteration transmission responses. The Msg.3 transmission may include a bitfield (e.g., an instruction) indicating a value or offset of "TC-RNTI_offset" specific to the UE104 that sent the Msg.3 transmission. The offset (e.g., TC-RNTI_offset) indicated by the bitfield of the Msg.3 transmission can be associated with the required number of iterations (requireRepNum_UEx) (e.g., a function of the required number of iterations). In some cases, TC-RNTI_offset may contain the same value as the required number of iterations (e.g., requireRepNum_UEx). Subsequently, BS102 can use a combination of TC-RNTI and TC-RNTI_offset, for example TC-RNTI+TC-RNTI_offset, to scramble (e.g., encode or encrypt) Msg.4 (e.g., the content of the Msg.4 transmission). In this case, UE104 can use a similar combination of TC-RNTI+TC-RNTI_offset to descramble (e.g., decrypt or decode) the Msg.4 transmission to confirm / authenticate / complete / verify the upgrade / extension / update to "TC-RNTI+TC-RNTI_offset" as the CRNTI or identifier of UE104.

[0052] In some implementations, the Msg.4 transmission may include a single bit (e.g., within a bit field) to confirm / authenticate / indicate the upgrade to "TC-RNTI+TC-RNTI_offset". For example, the single bit or bit field may contain a "1" (or "0" depending on the transmission configuration) indicating that the upgrade to "TC-RNTI+TC-RNTI_offset" is confirmed, or a different value indicating that the upgrade was rejected or not confirmed.

[0053] For example, TC-RNTI_offset may be transmitted / provided / indicated in a Msg.3 transmission. A confirmation message may be transmitted implicitly or explicitly in the corresponding Msg.4 transmission (in response to the Msg.3 transmission). A method or action to confirm that UE104 can update to TC-RNTI with an offset may include at least one of the following: i) When UE104 (e.g., UEx) receives a Msg.3 reply / response (e.g., Msg.4 transmission) from BS102, it can confirm that it can update the TC-RNTI with an offset to the TC-RNTI. ii) If UE104 can successfully descramble Msg.4 using "TC-RNTI+TC-RNTI_offset", UE104 can verify or establish "TC-RNTI+TC-RNTI_offset" as its C-RNTI. iii) If UE104 can receive Msg.4 from BS102 with a 1-bit indicator indicating confirmation (for example, instead of or instead of a fault or rejection instruction), then UE104 can confirm "TC-RNTI+TC-RNTI_offset" as its C-RNTI.

[0054] Referring to Figure 6, an example of an implementation is depicted in which UE104 sends Msg.3 to BS102 and receives a response from BS102. In various implementations, a 2-bit field for the maximum number of iterations (repNum) can be configured or defined, where the 2 bits ("xx") can indicate that UE104 is expected to receive multiple RAR transmissions. The transmission resource in Msg.3 (e.g., time-domain location) can be based on a bit-field indicator resource offset related to the RAR transmission. With respect to UE1 and UE2, which have different communication range requirements, requireRepNum_UE1 can be determined for UE1, requireRepNum_UE2 can be determined for UE2, and the maximum number of iterations (repNum) can be configured in the RARs received by UE1 and UE2.

[0055] After receiving the RAR transmission, UE1 can send Msg.3 on the time-frequency resource at an offset of (requireRepNum_UE1-1) × RARWindowLength, corresponding to the UL-permitted time-frequency resource location received in the first RAR window (e.g., after a duration calculated by the following), and UE2 can send Msg.3 on the time-frequency resource at (requireRepNum_UE2-1) × RARWindowLength, corresponding to the UL-permitted time-frequency resource location received in the first RAR window (e.g., after a duration calculated by the following). If repNum = requireRepNum_UEx, UEx can send Msg.3 on the time-frequency resource at an offset of ([repNum or requireRepNum_UEx]-1) × RARWindowLength, corresponding to the UL-permitted time-frequency resource location received in the first RAR window. BS102 can receive Msg.3 transmissions from UE1 and UE2. In response to receiving Msg.3 transmissions from different UE104s, BS102 can send Msg.4 transmissions to UE1 and UE2 respectively (e.g., at different time domain locations). After receiving the Msg.4 transmission as a response from BS102, UE104 can, for example, complete a random access process and improve channel capacity or communication range by converting, establishing, or utilizing "TC-RNTI + TC-RNTI_offset" (e.g., or some other function / combination of TC-RNTI and TC-RNTI_offset) as its C-RNTI.

[0056] Figure 7 shows a flowchart of an example of Method 700 for extending the effective range of communications in NTN. Method 700 can be implemented using any one or more of the components and devices detailed herein in relation to Figures 1 to 6. Briefly, Method 700 can be implemented in some embodiments by at least one wireless communications device (e.g., UE or terminal device), at least one wireless communications node (e.g., BS, gNB, or access network equipment), at least one satellite, etc. Depending on the embodiment, Method 700 may perform additional, fewer, or different operations. At least one aspect of these operations will concern a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium.

[0057] In operation 702, a wireless communication node can transmit / transmit / communicate a RAR transmission to at least one (or more) wireless communication devices. The RAR transmission may include an instruction indicating the maximum number of iterations (repNum) of the RAR transmission for at least one wireless communication device, among several wireless communication devices (e.g., with respect to all UEs). In operation 704, a wireless communication device can receive / get / acquire a RAR transmission from a wireless communication node.

[0058] In some configurations, the instruction may be in a 2-bit field included in / indicated / provided in the RAR transmission. In some cases, the instruction may indicate that a wireless communication device is receiving (e.g., expected to receive) multiple RAR transmissions (e.g., iterations of a RAR transmission). In some implementations, repNum may contain or be associated with the same value as the maximum iteration number, which may be configured or defined via several types of signaling, among others, System Information Block (SIB) signaling, Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, and / or Media Access Control Element (MAC CE) signaling.

[0059] In operation 704, the wireless communication device can determine the time-domain location of the transmission resource to which the Msg.3 transmission should be transmitted in response to the RAR transmission, using at least repNum.

[0060] In various configurations, wireless communication devices can determine time-domain locations according to an offset (e.g., a resource offset or a time-domain offset). For example, a wireless communication device can determine an offset using repNum. In some cases, the value of the offset can correspond to the value of repNum. In other cases, a wireless communication device can use repNum as part of a function to determine the value of the offset. In response to determining the offset, a wireless communication device can determine a time-domain location, for example, by adding the offset to the location of the earliest Random Access Response (RAR) window in a RAR transmission.

[0061] In some configurations, a wireless communication device can determine the required number of repetitions (requiredRepNum_UE) by measuring or based on the synchronous signal block (SSB) and / or one or more other signals. The wireless communication device can then determine the offset using requiredRepNum_UE and the length of the RAR window.

[0062] In some implementations, a wireless communication device can determine the number of iterations required by the wireless communication device (requiredRepNum_UE). In this case, repNum (e.g., the value of repNum) may be the same as, or match, requiredRepNum_UE (e.g., the value of requiredRepNum for each wireless communication device). If repNum = requiredRepNum_UE, the wireless communication device can determine the offset using a method / function / expression that uses repNum or requiredRepNum_UE, and the length of the RAR window.

[0063] In some implementations, a wireless communication device can send a Msg.4 transmission to only one of several wireless communication devices that each sent a Msg.3 transmission to a wireless communication node. In some implementations, a wireless communication device can determine a failure based on the number of RAR detection attempts exceeding repNum (for example, the wireless communication device has attempted to detect RARs beyond the maximum number of iterations). In response to a failure based on the number of RAR detection attempts, the wireless communication device can determine that random access has failed.

[0064] In various configurations, a wireless communication device can send a Msg.3 transmission to a wireless communication node. The Msg.3 transmission may include an indication of an offset (TC-RNTI_offset) to a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI). TC-RNTI_offset may be specific to the wireless communication device, such as being different from the TC-RNTI_offset of other wireless communication devices. In some cases, the wireless communication device may determine the number of iterations required by the wireless communication device (requiredRepNum_UE). TC-RNTI_offset may be the same value as the value of requiredRepNum_UE, or a function of the value of requiredRepNum_UE.

[0065] In various implementations, a wireless communication node may scramble the content of a Msg.4 transmission using TC-RNTI combined with TC-RNTI_offset (for example, according to TC-RNTI+TC-RNTI_offset). In such cases, the wireless communication device can decide whether to adopt / use TC-RNTI combined with TC-RNTI_offset as the wireless communication device's Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI). For example, a wireless communication device may decide to adopt TC-RNTI combined with TC-RNTI_offset as its C-RNTI (e.g., within a BS cell) in response to at least one of the following: i) the wireless communication device (successfully) receives a Msg.4 transmission from a wireless communication node (e.g., in response to its Msg.3 transmission); ii) the wireless communication device successfully descrambles the Msg.4 transmission using TC-RNTI combined with TC-RNTI_offset; and / or iii) the wireless communication device receives an indication from the wireless communication node in the Msg.4 transmission authenticating / confirming / approving the adoption of TC-RNTI combined with TC-RNTI_offset as the wireless communication device's C-RNTI.

[0066] In some implementations, a wireless communication node may send a Msg.4 transmission to each of the various wireless communication devices that have sent their respective Msg.3 transmissions to the wireless communication node. Thus, each wireless communication device that sends a Msg.3 transmission to the wireless communication node can complete a random access process (and employ a CRNTI specific to each wireless communication device).

[0067] While various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented only as examples and not as limitations. Similarly, various figures may depict exemplary architectures or configurations, which are provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand the exemplary features and functions of the present solution. However, such those skilled in the art will understand that the present solution is not limited to the exemplary architectures or configurations described above and can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, one or more features of one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments described above.

[0068] It should be understood that any reference to elements in this specification using designations such as "first," "second," etc., does not generally limit the number or order of those elements. Rather, these designations can be used in this specification as a convenient means of distinguishing two or more elements or examples of elements. Thus, references to first and second elements do not mean that only two elements can be used, nor that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0069] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that information and signals can be represented using any of the various different techniques and methods. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be mentioned in the above description can be represented by voltage, electric current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0070] Those skilled in the art will further understand that any of the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in relation to the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of both), firmware, various forms of programs or design code incorporating instructions (which may be referred to herein as “software” or “software modules” for convenience), or any combination of these techniques. To clearly illustrate this compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described above in general terms with respect to their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or as a combination of these techniques, depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art will understand that the described functionality can be implemented in various ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions will not result in a departure from the scope of this disclosure.

[0071] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented or carried out within an integrated circuit (IC) which may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include antennas and / or transceivers for communicating with various components in a network or within a device. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors working with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for carrying out the functions described herein.

[0072] When implemented in software, the functionality can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium includes both computer storage media and communication media, which include any medium capable of transferring computer programs or code from one location to another. The storage medium can be any available medium accessible by a computer. Such a computer-readable medium, but not limited to examples, may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and is accessible by a computer.

[0073] In this specification, the term “module” as used herein refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination thereof for performing the relevant functions described herein. Furthermore, although various modules are described as individual modules for the purposes of consideration, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the relevant functions according to embodiments of this solution.

[0074] Furthermore, memory or other storage, as well as communication components, may be used in embodiments of this solution. For clarity, it will be understood that the above description illustrates embodiments of this solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be clear that any appropriate distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains may be used without impairing the solution. For example, functionality exemplified as being performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Thus, references to specific functional units are not intended to dictate a strict logical or physical structure or organization, but merely to refer to appropriate means of providing the described functionality.

[0075] Various modifications to the embodiments described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be given the broadest scope that coincides with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication device receives a Random Access Response (RAR) transmission from a wireless communication node, wherein the RAR transmission includes an instruction indicating at least the maximum number of repetitions (repNum) of the RAR transmission for the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device determines the offset according to the repNum, The wireless communication device determines the time domain location of the transmission resource to which the Msg. 3 transmission should be transmitted in response to the RAR transmission by adding the offset to the location of the earliest RAR window of the RAR transmission, according to the offset determined according to the repNum. Methods that include...

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instruction is located in a two-bit field.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the instruction indicates that the wireless communication device should receive a plurality of RAR transmissions.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein repNum has a value that is the same as the maximum number of repetitions configured or defined via system information block (SIB) signaling, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or media access control element (MAC CE) signaling.

5. The wireless communication device determines the required number of repetitions (requiredRepNum_UE) by measuring a synchronization signal block (SSB) or one or more other signals. The wireless communication device determines the offset according to the requiredRepNum_UE and the length of the RAR window. The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

6. The wireless communication device determines the number of iterations required by the wireless communication device (requiredRepNum_UE), The wireless communication device determines the offset according to the length of the RAR window and the repNum or the requiredRepNum_UE when the repNum matches the requiredRepNum_UE. The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication node transmits a Msg. 4 transmission to only one of a plurality of wireless communication devices, each of which has transmitted a Msg. 3 transmission to the wireless communication node.

8. The wireless communication device determines the fault based on the number of RAR detection attempts exceeding the repNum, In response to the aforementioned failure, the wireless communication device determines that random access has failed. The method according to claim 1, including the method described in claim 1.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising the wireless communication device transmitting a Msg. 3 transmission to the wireless communication node, which includes an instruction for an offset (TC-RNTI_offset) to a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI), wherein the TC-RNTI_offset is specific to the wireless communication device.

10. The wireless communication device determines the number of repetitions required by the wireless communication device (requiredRepNum_UE), The method according to claim 9, wherein TC-RNTI_offset has a value that is the same as the value of requiredRepNum_UE, or is a function of the value of requiredRepNum_UE.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the wireless communication node scrambles the content of the Msg. 4 transmission using the TC-RNTI combined with the TC-RNTI_offset.

12. The wireless communication device includes deciding to adopt the TC-RNTI combined with TC-RNTI_offset as the cellular radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) of the wireless communication device, The wireless communication device decides to adopt the TC-RNTI combined with TC-RNTI_offset as the cellular radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) of the wireless communication device, Receiving the Msg. 4 transmission from the wireless communication node, or To successfully descramble the Msg. 4 transmission using the TC-RNTI combined with the TC-RNTI_offset, or The wireless communication node receives an instruction in the Msg. 4 transmission to authenticate the adoption of the TC-RNTI, combined with the TC-RNTI_offset, as the C-RNTI of the wireless communication device. The method according to claim 11, in response to the above.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the wireless communication node transmits a Msg. 4 transmission to each of the plurality of wireless communication devices that have transmitted their respective Msg. 3 transmissions to the wireless communication node.

14. A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication node includes transmitting a RAR transmission to a wireless communication device that includes at least an instruction indicating the maximum number of repetitions (repNum) of the RAR transmission for the wireless communication device, A method for determining the time domain location of a transmission resource to which a Msg. 3 transmission should be transmitted in response to a RAR transmission by (i) determining an offset according to the repNum, and (ii) adding the offset to the location of the earliest RAR window of the RAR transmission according to the offset determined according to the repNum.

15. A wireless communication node, wherein the wireless communication node comprises at least one processor, and the at least one processor is The transmitter is configured to transmit a RAR transmission to a wireless communication device via the transmitter, which includes at least an instruction indicating the maximum number of RAR transmission repetitions (repNum) for the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device is a wireless communication node that determines the time domain location of a transmission resource to which a Msg. 3 transmission should be transmitted in response to a RAR transmission by (i) determining an offset according to the repNum, and (ii) adding the offset to the location of the earliest RAR window of the RAR transmission according to the offset determined according to the repNum.

16. A wireless communication device comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor is Receiving a Random Access Response (RAR) transmission from a wireless communication node via a receiver, wherein the RAR transmission includes at least an instruction indicating the maximum number of repetitions (repNum) of the RAR transmission for the wireless communication device, The offset is determined according to the aforementioned repNum, The time domain location of the transmission resource to which the Msg. 3 transmission should be transmitted in response to the RAR transmission is determined by adding the offset to the location of the earliest RAR window of the RAR transmission, according to the offset determined according to the repNum. A wireless communications device configured to perform the following actions.

17. The wireless communication device according to claim 16, wherein the instruction is in a two-bit field.

18. The wireless communication device according to claim 16, wherein the instruction indicates that the wireless communication device should receive a plurality of RAR transmissions.

19. The wireless communication device according to claim 16, wherein repNum has a value that is the same as the maximum number of repetitions configured or defined via system information block (SIB) signaling, radio resource control (RRC) signaling, or medium access control element (MAC CE) signaling.

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