Cell barring based on device capability at a frequency band

Abstract

Various exemplary embodiments relate to cell prohibition technology. One method may include: determining a frequency band of a cell by a device; receiving by the device an indication of a prohibition state of the cell, wherein the prohibition state is associated with the capability of the device; determining by the device the capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell; and determining by the device, based on the prohibition state and the capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell, whether the cell is prohibited by the device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Technical Field Various exemplary embodiments generally relate to the field of wireless communications. Some exemplary embodiments relate to the prohibition of cells targeting devices with reduced capabilities based on their capabilities in a particular frequency band. Prior Art

[0002] background In wireless communications, access nodes in a cellular radio network can be configured to provide communication services to devices, such as user equipment (UE), via cells. The cellular radio network can be configured to serve different types of devices, such as reduced capability (RedCap) devices in industrial wireless sensor networks, which are targeted at low-cost, low-power, and / or low-data-rate applications. Cells in the cellular radio network can be blocked from access for various reasons. Before attempting to access the network, a UE can be configured to evaluate the cell's broadcast information and determine whether a connection request to the cell is permitted. Summary of the Invention

[0003] summary This summary is provided to introduce these concepts in a simplified form, and these concepts are further described in the detailed description below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0004] Example embodiments of the present disclosure can improve cell barring in cellular radio networks. This and other benefits are achieved by the features of the independent claims. Further example embodiments are provided in the dependent claims, the description, and the drawings.

[0005] According to a first aspect, a method is disclosed. The method may include: determining, by a device, a frequency band of a cell; receiving, by the device, an indication of a disabled state of the cell, wherein the disabled state is associated with capabilities of the device; determining, by the device, the capabilities of the device in the frequency band of the cell; and determining, by the device, whether the cell is disabled for the device based on the disabled state and the capabilities of the device in the frequency band of the cell.

[0006] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the indication of the disable state includes one indication of whether the cell is disabled for a device supporting single receiver branch operation or whether the cell is disabled for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation, and the capability of the device includes supporting the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0007] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: determining, by the device, a capability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation based on a maximum number of downlink multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers supported by the device on the frequency band of the cell.

[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: based on the absence of an indication of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the user equipment capability information of the device, the device determines that the device has the ability to support the single receiver branch operation; or, in response to determining that the indication of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the user equipment capability information indicates two downlink MIMO layers, the device determines that the device has the ability to support the dual receiver branch operation; or, in response to determining that the frequency band of the cell belongs to frequency range 2, the device determines that the device has the ability to support the dual receiver branch operation.

[0009] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: in response to determining that the disable state indicates that the cell is disabled for a device that supports the single receiver branch operation, and determining that the device supports the single receiver branch operation on the frequency band of the cell, the device determines that the cell is disabled for the device; or, in response to determining that the disable state indicates that the cell is disabled for a device that supports the dual receiver branch operation, and determining that the device supports the dual receiver branch operation on the frequency band of the cell, the device determines that the cell is disabled for the device.

[0010] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: in response to determining that the inhibit state indicates that the cell is not inhibited for a device that supports the single receiver branch operation, and determining that the device supports the single receiver branch operation on the frequency band of the cell, the device determines that the cell is not inhibited for the device; or, in response to determining that the inhibit state indicates that the cell is not inhibited for a device that supports the dual receiver branch operation, and determining that the device supports the dual receiver branch operation on the frequency band of the cell, the device determines that the cell is not inhibited for the device.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: in response to determining that the cell is prohibited for the device, the device determines to avoid selecting or reselecting the cell; or, based on determining that the cell is not prohibited for the device, the device determines to select or reselect the cell.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the indication of the disabled state is for a device belonging to a category of reduced capability devices.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the capability of the device includes that the device belongs to a category of reduced capability device.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the device belongs to the category of capacity reduction devices.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the category of the reduced capability device comprises a category of RedCap devices or a category of eRedCap devices.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the indication of the disabled state is associated with a current frequency band of the cell, or the capability of the device is related to receiver operation of the device.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: receiving, by the device, the indication of the disable state from the cell via a system information block message.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the method includes: determining, by the device, the frequency band of the cell based on a frequency band list received from the cell via a system information block message.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, when the cell is prohibited to the device, the device is not allowed to access the cell.

[0020] According to a second aspect, a method is disclosed. The method may include: transmitting an indication of a disable state of a cell to a device, wherein the disable state is associated with a capability of the device, wherein the indication of the disable state includes an indication of whether the cell is disabled for devices supporting single receiver branch operation or whether the cell is disabled for devices supporting dual receiver branch operation, and wherein the capability of the device includes an ability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0021] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the indication of the disabled state is for a device belonging to a category of reduced capability devices.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the capability of the device includes that the device belongs to a category of reduced capability device.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the device belongs to the category of capacity reduction devices.

[0024] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the category of the reduced capability device comprises a category of RedCap devices or a category of eRedCap devices.

[0025] According to an exemplary embodiment of the second aspect, the indication of the disabled state is associated with a current frequency band of the cell, or the capability of the device is related to receiver operation of the device.

[0026] According to a third aspect, a device is disclosed. The device may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to at least: determine a frequency band of a cell; receive an indication of a disabled state of the cell, wherein the disabled state is associated with a capability of the device; determine the capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell; and determine whether the cell is disabled for the device based on the disabled state and the capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell.

[0027] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the indication of the disable state includes an indication of whether the cell is disabled for a device supporting single receiver branch operation or whether the cell is disabled for a device supporting dual receiver branch operation, and the capability of the device includes an ability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to: determine a capability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation based on a maximum number of downlink multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers supported by the device on the frequency band of the cell.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to: determine that the device has the capability to support the single receiver branch operation based on the absence of an indication of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the user equipment capability information of the device; or, in response to determining that the indication of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the user equipment capability information indicates two downlink MIMO layers, determine that the device has the capability to support the dual receiver branch operation; or, in response to determining that the frequency band of the cell belongs to frequency range 2, determine that the device has the capability to support the dual receiver branch operation.

[0030] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to: in response to determining that the disable state indicates that the cell is disabled for a device that supports the single receiver branch operation, and determining that the device supports the single receiver branch operation on the frequency band of the cell, determine that the cell is disabled for the device; or, in response to determining that the disable state indicates that the cell is disabled for a device that supports the dual receiver branch operation, and determining that the device supports the dual receiver branch operation on the frequency band of the cell, determine that the cell is disabled for the device.

[0031] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to: in response to determining that the disable state indicates that the cell is not disabled for a device supporting the single receiver branch operation, and determining that the device supports the single receiver branch operation on the frequency band of the cell, determine that the cell is not disabled for the device; or, in response to determining that the disable state indicates that the cell is not disabled for a device supporting the dual receiver branch operation, and determining that the device supports the dual receiver branch operation on the frequency band of the cell, determine that the cell is not disabled for the device.

[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to: in response to determining that the cell is prohibited for the device, determine to avoid selecting or reselecting the cell; or, based on determining that the cell is not prohibited for the device, determine to select or reselect the cell.

[0033] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the indication of the disabled state is for a device belonging to a category of reduced capability devices.

[0034] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the capability of the device includes that the device belongs to a category of reduced capability device.

[0035] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the device belongs to the category of capacity reduction devices.

[0036] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the category of the reduced capability device includes a category of RedCap devices or a category of eRedCap devices.

[0037] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the indication of the disabled state is associated with a current frequency band of the cell, or the capability of the device is related to receiver operation of the device.

[0038] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receive the indication of the disable state from the cell via a system information block message.

[0039] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the instructions are configured to, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: determine the frequency band of the cell based on a frequency band list received from the cell via a system information block message.

[0040] According to an exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, when the cell is prohibited to the device, the device is not allowed to access the cell.

[0041] According to a fourth aspect, an access node is disclosed. The access node may include: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the access node to at least: transmit an indication of a disabled state of a cell to a device, wherein the disabled state is associated with a capability of the device, wherein the indication of the disabled state includes an indication of whether the cell is disabled for devices supporting single receiver branch operation or whether the cell is disabled for devices supporting dual receiver branch operation, and wherein the capability of the device includes an ability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0042] According to an exemplary embodiment of the fourth aspect, the indication of the disabled state is for a device belonging to a category of reduced capability devices.

[0043] According to an exemplary embodiment of the fourth aspect, the capability of the device includes that the device belongs to a category of reduced capability device.

[0044] According to an exemplary embodiment of the fourth aspect, the device belongs to the category of capacity reduction devices.

[0045] According to an exemplary embodiment of the fourth aspect, the category of the capability reduction device includes a category of RedCap devices or a category of eRedCap devices.

[0046] According to an exemplary embodiment of the fourth aspect, the indication of the disabled state is associated with a current frequency band of the cell, or the capability of the device is related to receiver operation of the device.

[0047] According to a fifth aspect, a device is disclosed. The device may include: means for determining a frequency band of a cell; means for receiving an indication of a disabled state of the cell, wherein the disabled state is associated with a capability of the device; means for determining the capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell; and means for determining whether the cell is disabled for the device based on the disabled state and the capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell. The device may include means for performing any exemplary embodiment of the method of the first aspect.

[0048] According to a sixth aspect, an access node is disclosed. The access node may include means for transmitting an indication of a disabling state of a cell to a device, wherein the disabling state is associated with a capability of the device, wherein the indication of the disabling state includes an indication of whether the cell is disabling for devices supporting single receiver branch operation or whether the cell is disabling for devices supporting dual receiver branch operation, and wherein the capability of the device includes an ability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation on the frequency band of the cell.

[0049] According to a seventh aspect, a computer program, a computer program product, or a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium is disclosed. The computer program, computer program product, or (non-transitory) computer-readable medium may include instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform at least the method according to the first or second aspect, or any exemplary embodiment thereof.

[0050] Thus, examples of the present disclosure may provide apparatus, methods, computer programs, computer program products, or computer-readable media for improving various aspects of wireless tethering. Any example embodiment may be combined with one or more other example embodiments. These and other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the example embodiments described below. According to certain aspects, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided. Further aspects are defined in the dependent claims. Simple diagram description

[0051] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the exemplary embodiments and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments and together with the detailed description help to explain the exemplary embodiments. In the drawings:

[0052] Figure 1 illustrates an example of a communication network;

[0053] Figure 2 illustrates an example of a set of devices equipped to implement one or more example embodiments;

[0054] FIG3 illustrates an example of signaling and operation for cell prohibition based on a user equipment (UE) receiver capability on a specific frequency band;

[0055] FIG4 illustrates an example of a method for cell prohibition; and

[0056] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a method for controlling cell inhibition.

[0057] In the accompanying drawings, like references are used to indicate like parts. Implementation Method

[0058] Detailed description Reference will now be made in detail to example embodiments, which are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description provided below, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, is intended as a description of the example embodiments and is not intended to represent the only ways in which the example embodiments may be constructed or utilized. This description sets forth the functionality of the example embodiments and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the example embodiments. However, the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different examples.

[0059] One of the goals of cellular radio networks is to accelerate industrial transformation and digitization, for example, to improve resilience, increase productivity and efficiency, reduce maintenance, or enhance workplace safety. Industrial sensors, for example, can be leveraged to achieve this vision. Beyond industrial automation and digitization, industrial sensors can also be used for general environmental monitoring use cases, such as monitoring infrastructure (e.g., buildings, bridges, or dams) or natural disasters (e.g., wildfires, floods, tsunamis, or earthquakes).

[0060] Another use case for cellular connectivity is in the smart city vertical, which involves data collection and processing to more efficiently monitor and control city resources or provide services to city residents. Surveillance cameras are an example of a standard component in smart cities, but they are also relevant to factories and industries.

[0061] In addition, corresponding use cases can be provided for wearable devices such as smartwatches, eHealth devices, or medical monitoring devices. These use cases come with different design considerations and have different preferences in terms of form factor, UE complexity, or energy efficiency compared to, for example, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) devices.

[0062] For example, support for industrial sensors, video surveillance, and wearable devices in the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) 5G New Radio (NR) standard may be considered as one of the goals of enabling reduced-capability (RedCap) access to cellular radio networks. RedCap devices may therefore include 3GPP RedCap devices. One goal of this work may be to establish a framework for implementing reduced-capability devices for a range of use cases requiring low UE complexity, low UE power consumption, or both, such as industrial sensors, video surveillance, and wearable devices. To expand the market for RedCap use cases with relatively low cost, low power consumption, or low data rate requirements (such as industrial wireless sensor networks), further improvements in complexity reduction may be considered. For example, support for devices at a lower level between the capabilities of low-power wide-area (LPWA) UEs and RedCap UEs may be desirable. The target supported peak data rate may be, for example, 10 Mbps. RedCap devices may be a device class that has at least one reduced capability compared to another device class (e.g., non-RedCap devices). The capabilities of devices belonging to the RedCap category or other categories may be defined, for example, in a standard.

[0063] As described in this paper, the desired enhancements can be achieved while maintaining the integrity of the RedCap ecosystem and leveraging the benefits of economies of scale. One goal could be to consider the enhancements applicable to the RedCap framework, including the principle of network awareness of device capabilities.

[0064] Figure 1 illustrates an example of a communications network. Communications network 100 may include one or more access nodes 120, 122, and 124. Access nodes 120, 122, and 124 may be part of a radio access network (RAN) configured to enable a device, represented throughout this description as UE 110, to access communications services provided by a core network 140. With respect to communications network 100, access nodes 120, 122, and 124 and core network 140 may be collectively referred to as the "network." UE 110 may be referred to as a user equipment, terminal equipment, end device, mobile device, or similar device. UE 110 may be configured to communicate with access nodes 120, 122, and 124 via a radio interface (also referred to as an air interface). Access nodes 120, 122, and 124 may also be referred to as network devices. A terminal device may include a device at which a connection to a communications network terminates.

[0065] The radio interface may be configured, for example, based on the 5G NR (New Radio) standard defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), or any future standard or technology (e.g., 6G). Access nodes 120, 122, and 124 may, for example, comprise fifth-generation access nodes (gNBs). Transmissions from an access node to UE 110 are referred to as downlink (DL) transmissions. Transmissions from UE 110 to an access node are referred to as uplink (UL) transmissions. Thus, UE 110 may be configured to operate as a transmitter for uplink transmissions and as a receiver for downlink transmissions. Access nodes 120, 122, and 124 may be configured to operate as a receiver for uplink transmissions and as a transmitter for downlink transmissions. Communication network 100 may comprise a wireless communication network or a mobile communication network, such as, for example, a cellular communication network. UE 110 can be configured to communicate with access nodes 120, 122, and 124 using one or more logical and / or physical channels, such as a control channel such as the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or a data channel such as the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). Shared data channels (e.g., PDSCH and PUSCH) can be shared by multiple UEs. An access node may also be referred to as an access point or base station.

[0066] Core network 140 may be implemented using various network functions (NFs), including, for example, one or more user plane functions (UPFs) and one or more access and mobility management functions (AMFs). The UPF may be configured to handle the user data portion of a communication session. The UPF may thus provide an interface between the radio access network (RAN) and a data network configured to provide application services to UE 110 via core network 140 and the RAN. For example, the UPF may be configured to handle the encapsulation and decapsulation of user plane protocols, such as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Tunneling Protocol (GTP-U) for the user plane. The AMF may be configured to receive connection and call request-related data from UE 110 (via an access point). The AMF may be configured to control connection and mobility management within communications network 100.

[0067] An access node 120, 122, or 124 can be configured to communicate with multiple UEs via one or more cells. For example, access node 120 can be configured to serve one or more UEs in cell 130. Access node 122 can be configured to serve one or more UEs in cell 132. Access node 124 can be configured to serve one or more UEs in cell 134. A cell can be configured to serve multiple UEs in a geographic area using a specific radio frequency or a range of radio frequencies around the cell's center frequency. The cell's frequency can belong to a specific frequency band, such as, for example, Frequency Range 1 (FR1, e.g., 450 MHz to 6 GHz) or Frequency Range 2 (FR2, e.g., 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz) specified by 3GPP. Generally, a frequency band can include a predefined set of radio frequencies, such as a set of contiguous frequencies between the lower and upper limits of the band.

[0068] Communication network 100 may operate based on a protocol stack comprising multiple protocol layers. The protocol stack may be configured based on the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model or a specific standard layer model. In one example, the protocol stack may include a Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP) layer, which receives data from an application layer for transmission. The SDAP layer may be configured to exchange data with a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. The PDCP layer may be responsible for, for example, generating data bursts based on data from the SDAP layer, wherein a data burst comprises one or more data packets.

[0069] The PDCP layer can provide information to one or more instances of the radio link control (RLC) layer. For example, PDCP data can be transmitted over one or more RLC transmission paths. Each RLC instance can be associated with a corresponding MAC instance of the MAC layer. The MAC layer can provide mapping between upper-layer logical channels and physical layer transmission paths and handle multiplexing and demultiplexing of MAC service data units (SDUs). Furthermore, the MAC layer can provide error correction capabilities based on packet retransmission, for example, using a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process. Physically independent transmission paths can be provided by the physical (PHY) layer, also known as Layer 1 (L1). Corresponding protocol stacks can be applied to access nodes 120, 122, 124 and UE 110.

[0070] In a split access node architecture, a portion of these protocol layers may be implemented in an access node's central unit (CU), such as a gNB-CU, which may be configured to handle upper layers of the protocol stack, such as the SDAP and PDCP layers. Furthermore, the gNB-CU may be configured to handle radio resource control (RRC) operations. An access node's central unit may be associated with (e.g., configured to control) one or more distributed units (DUs) of the access node, such as gNB-DUs, which may be configured to handle lower layers of the protocol stack, such as RLC, MAC, and L1. The radio unit of the gNB-DU may be configured to transmit and receive data to / from the UE over a radio interface.

[0071] Radio resource control of UE 110 may be implemented based on different RRC states (or RRC modes). When UE 110 is powered on, it may be in an unconnected state or an idle state (e.g., RRC_IDLE). UE 110 may move to a connected state (e.g., RRC_CONNECTED), for example, by establishing a connection with a network. While UE 110 is in the connected state, signaling radio bearers may be configured to enable the exchange of RRC data between UE 110 and the network. If UE 110 is inactive for a period of time, UE 110 may move from the connected state to an inactive state (e.g., RRC_INACTIVE).

[0072] In the idle state, UE 110 cannot be associated with an RRC context. From the network's perspective, UE 110 may not have a connection between the radio access network and core network 140. Consequently, UE 110 may not be able to communicate application data with the network. UE 110 may also be in a sleep mode, waking only intermittently, for example, to receive paging messages. However, UE 110 can perform cell reselection and other idle state operations.

[0073] In the connected state, UE 110 may be associated with an RRC context. In the connected state, UE 110 may communicate with core network 140 via the radio access network (e.g., access node 120). The RRC context may include parameters configured to enable the exchange of RRC data between UE 110 and the network (e.g., access node 120). In the connected state, UE 110 may perform radio resource management (RRM) measurements, such as those associated with mobility (handover) procedures. UE 110 may report its measurement results to the network (e.g., via access node 120), for example, periodically and / or in response to detecting a reporting trigger criterion being met.

[0074] In the inactive state, UE 110 may remain registered with the network, but its connection to the radio access network is suspended. However, the radio access network may store the UE context, which allows the connection to be quickly restored. The UE context may include parameters configured to enable the transfer of user plane data (e.g., application data) between UE 110 and the network (e.g., access node 120). The connection to the core network may be maintained. Although specific states such as RRC_CONNECTED, RRC_INACTIVE, or RRC_IDLE are used as examples, it should be understood that references to such states may generally refer to connected, inactive, or idle states having similar characteristics to these specific states.

[0075] During idle mode operation, UE 110 may be configured to, for example, search for a suitable cell within a particular public land mobile network (PLMN), select a cell offering available services, and tune to its control channel. The process of selecting a cell and preparing to monitor its control channel may be referred to as camping on the cell. For example, during this process, UE 110 may register its presence within a registration area of ​​the selected cell, such as through a location registration procedure. If UE 110 subsequently finds a more suitable cell, it may reselect the alternative cell and camp on it. While UE 110 is camped on a cell, it may be enabled to receive system information, such as one or more system information blocks (SIBs), from the associated PLMN. Once registered and wishing to initiate a call, UE 110 may initially access the network via the control channel of the cell on which UE 110 is camped. If the PLMN receives user information for registered UE 110, the network typically knows the registration area of ​​the cell where registered UE 110 is camped. The network can then send a paging message to UE 110 on the control channel of the cell within the registration area. UE 110 can receive the paging message because it can be configured to tune to the control channel of the camped cell within that registration area. Camping on a cell also enables UE 110 to receive cell broadcast messages. When UE 110 is camped on a cell, UE 110 may have completed the cell selection / reselection process and may have selected a cell. While camped on a cell, UE 110 can be configured to monitor system information and optionally also monitor paging information on the camped cell.

[0076] The communication network 100 may include other network functions, network devices, or protocols in addition to or in lieu of those illustrated in FIG. 1 . A network device may be configured to implement the functionality of one or more network functions. Although some embodiments have been described in the context of 5G, it should be appreciated that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this example network. Thus, the example embodiments may be applied to any current or future communication network. A device such as, for example, a UE 110 or an access node 120 may include one or more of the protocol layers described herein, or be configured to implement one or more of the protocol layers described herein, for example, by software. Example embodiments of the present disclosure may be directed to, for example, the following enhancements:

[0077] Power saving / energy efficiency enhancement: For example, enhanced eDRX (extended discontinuous reception) in RRC_INACTIVE, for example, greater than 10.24 s.

[0078] Complexity / cost reduction: For example, reduced UE complexity in FR1: - UE baseband (BB) bandwidth reduction: For example, 5 MHz BB bandwidth for PDSCH (e.g., for unicast and broadcast) and PUSCH, and 20 MHz radio frequency (RF) bandwidth for uplink (UL) and downlink (DL). Other physical channels and signals can be grouped to use a bandwidth subset (BWP), up to a maximum of 20 MHz combined UE RF and BB bandwidth. Additional individual advance indications are supported. - UE peak data rate reduction: For example, the peak data rate reduction constraint can be relaxed (v Layers · Q m · f ≥ 4), where v Layers is the number of MIMO layers, Q m is the modulation order (e.g., the number of bits per cluster symbol), and f is the scaling factor, as defined in 3GPP TS 38.306. This relaxed constraint can be, for example, equal to one (e.g., instead of four). Both 15 kHz and 30 kHz subcarrier spacing are supported.

[0079] Furthermore, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure enable the coexistence of RedCap devices and non-RedCap devices and support applicable duplex modes.

[0080] As mentioned above, RedCap UEs have reduced capabilities, for example, with the intention of lower complexity compared to non-RedCap UEs. RedCap UEs can be configured to support a maximum UE channel bandwidth of 20 MHz in FR1. RedCap UEs can be configured to support a maximum UE channel bandwidth of 100 MHz in FR2. eRedCap UEs (enhanced reduced capability UEs) can be UEs with further reduced capabilities, for example, with the intention of lower complexity compared to RedCap UEs. eRedCap UEs can be configured to support a reduced DL / UL peak data rate of 10 Mbps, with or without a reduced baseband bandwidth of 5 MHz for single-channel PDSCH / PUSCH in FR1. Generally speaking, a RedCap or eRedCap device can be configured to support a first maximum channel bandwidth in a first frequency band and a second maximum channel bandwidth in a second frequency band. The second maximum channel bandwidth can be higher than the first maximum channel bandwidth. The second frequency band can be higher than the first frequency band. However, a UE such as an (e)RedCap UE may be configured to support more than two frequency bands and more than two channel bandwidths. The (e)RedCap UE may include a 3GPP (e)RedCap device.

[0081] RedCap devices (which may also include eRedCap devices) may have reduced (e.g., non-existent) capabilities with respect to one or more of the following: carrier aggregation (CA), multi-RAT (radio access technology) dual connectivity (MR-DC), dual active protocol stacking (DAPS), conditional PSCell (primary secondary cell) addition, conditional PSCell change, or integrated access and backhaul (IAB). However, other restrictions may apply. The network (e.g., access node 120) may be configured to prevent RedCap UEs from using radio capabilities not designed for them.

[0082] The network (e.g., access node 120) can be configured to identify a RedCap UE during a random access procedure, for example, via MSG3 / MSGA from a RedCap-specific logical channel ID (LCID) or via MSG1 / MSGA (e.g., physical random access channel (PRACH)) timing or PRACH preamble. The network (e.g., access node 120) can be configured to identify an eRedCap UE during a random access procedure, for example, via MSG3 / MSGA from an eRedCap-specific LCID or via MSG1. For RedCap UE identification via MSG1 / MSGA, a RedCap-specific random access configuration can be configured by the network. For eRedCap UE identification via MSG1, an eRedCap-specific random access configuration can be configured by the network. For MSG3 / MSGA, an (e)RedCap UE may be configured by the network based on a dedicated LCID indicated for Common Control Channel (CCCH) identification, eg, regardless of whether an (e)RedCap specific random access configuration is configured by the network.

[0083] Regarding the number of receiver (Rx) branches supported by the UE, (e)RedCap UEs with a single Rx branch (1 Rx) and dual Rx branches (2 Rx) may be separately permitted via system information. Supporting 1 Rx branch or 2 Rx branches may mean that the UE is capable of or configured to operate with 1 Rx branch or 2 Rx branches, respectively, on a specific frequency band. Regarding the duplex mode, (e)RedCap UEs may be permitted to operate in half-duplex frequency division duplex (FDD) mode via system information. Permitting UE 110 (herein, a RedCap UE) via system information may include the network (e.g., access node 120) indicating to UE 110 that it is permitted to access the network, such as a specific cell that is not prohibited for UE 110. A device that supports single Rx branch operation on a frequency band may be configured to support one Rx branch operation on the frequency band, and not more than one. A device supporting dual Rx branch operation on a frequency band may be configured to support operation using at least two Rx branches on the frequency band.

[0084] For example, in a System Information Block (SIB) Type 1 (SIB1) message, a RedCap-specific Intra-Frequency Reselection Indicator (IFRI) may be provided to UE 110 to indicate permission for UE 110. UE 110 may determine that access is not permitted based on the absence of such an indication. Similarly, an eRedCap-specific IFRI may be provided in SIB1. In its absence, access is not permitted for eRedCap UEs. Information regarding frequencies permitted for access by (e)RedCap UEs may be provided in system information. For example, as defined in 3GPP TS 38.133, (e)RedCap UEs with one Rx branch may be configured to apply relevant offsets to broadcast cell-specific Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) thresholds for random access, small data transmission (SDT), cell edge status, and cell (re)selection criteria. The network (e.g., access node 120) may be configured to prevent a (e)RedCap UE from attempting a handover to a target cell that does not support (e)RedCap devices. The (e)RedCap UE may be configured to implement specific means for recovering from a handover attempt to a target cell that does not support (e)RedCap devices.

[0085] With respect to radio resource management (RRM), RRM measurement relaxation for RedCap UEs can be configured to be enabled or disabled by the network. In RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE modes, for example, in response to a determination that the stability criterion (e.g., the UE is stable) is met, or in response to a determination that both the stability criterion and a non-cell-edge criterion are met, a (e)RedCap UE may be allowed to relax neighboring cell RRM measurements. For example, during RRC_CONNECTE mode, the network may configure the stability criterion for an (e)RedCap UE. When the stability criterion is or is no longer met, the (e)RedCap UE may report the status of its RRM measurement relaxation to the network, for example, using UE assistance information.

[0086] With respect to bandwidth subset (BWP) operation, an (e)RedCap UE in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE can be configured to monitor for paging in an initial BWP (and no other BWPs) (e.g., a default BWP or an (e)RedCap-specific BWP), which can be associated with a cell-defined synchronization signal block (CD-SSB). The (e)RedCap UE can be configured to perform cell (re)selection (e.g., for measurements) on the CD-SSB. If a RedCap-specific initial UL BWP is assigned and normal uplink (NUL) is selected, the (e)RedCap UE can be configured to use the RedCap-specific initial UL BWP (and no other BWPs) to perform RACH procedures in RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE, or a configuration grant (CG) small data transfer (SDT) procedure in RRC_INACTIVE.

[0087] For example, when each BWP is assigned a maximum of one SSB, an (e)RedCap UE may be assigned multiple non-cell-defined (NCD) SSBs. For example, when the UE is in the RRC_CONNECTED state, an NCD-SSB may be assigned for use by the (e)RedCap UE to perform radio link monitoring (RLM), bidirectional forwarding detection (BFD), RRM measurements, or random access resource selection when a valid BWP does not contain a CD-SSB.

[0088] An (e)RedCap UE may be configured with an NCD-SSB for an (e)RedCap specific initial downlink BWP, for example, to perform an SDT procedure in the RRC_INACTIVE state when the (e)RedCap specific initial downlink BWP does not contain a CD-SSB.

[0089] As mentioned above, (e)RedCap UEs with 1 Rx leg and 2 Rx legs may be allowed respectively through system information, for example based on the following example operations configured to be performed by a UE: 1> If the UE is a RedCap UE and is in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE, or if the RedCap UE is in RRC_CONNECTED while timer T311 is running: 2> If intraFreqReselectionRedCap does not exist in SIB1: 3> For example, according to 3GPP TS 38.304, consider the cell to be prohibited; 3> Prohibit is implemented as if intraFreqReselectionRedCap is set to allow; 2> Otherwise: 3> If the cellBarredRedCap1Rx is present in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited, and the UE is equipped with 1 Rx branch; or 3> If the cellBarredRedCap2Rx is present in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited, and the UE is equipped with 2 Rx branches; or 3> If the halfDuplexRedCapAllowed does not exist in the obtained SIB1 and the UE only supports half-duplex FDD operation: 4> For example, according to 3GPP TS 38.304, consider the cell to be prohibited; 4> For example, as specified in 3GPP TS 38.304, prohibition is implemented based on intraFreqReselectionRedCap; 1> If the UE is an eRedCap UE and is in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE, or if T311 is running and the eRedCap UE is in RRC_CONNECTED: 2> If intraFreqReselection-eRedCap does not exist in SIB1: 3> For example, according to 3GPP TS 38.304, consider the cell to be prohibited; 3> Prohibition is implemented, as if intraFreqReselection-eRedCap is set to allow, and the process ends; 2> Otherwise: 3> If the cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx is present in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited, and the UE is equipped with 1 Rx branch; or 3> If the cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx is present in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited, and the UE is equipped with 2 Rx branches; or 3> If the halfDuplexRedCapAllowed does not exist in the obtained SIB1 and the UE only supports half-duplex FDD operation: 4> For example, according to 3GPP TS 38.304, consider the cell to be prohibited; 4> For example, as specified in 3GPP TS 38.304, prohibition is performed based on intraFreqReselection-eRedCap, and the procedure ends.

[0090] Timer T311 is used in this example to represent an RRC connection re-establishment timer. T311 can be initialized by UE 110 immediately after starting the RRC connection re-establishment procedure. T311 can be stopped by UE 110 immediately after selecting an appropriate cell (e.g., a 5G NR cell or a cell of another RAT). Upon expiration of T311, UE 110 can be configured to enter RRC_IDLE mode.

[0091] The intraFreqReselectionRedCap field may include an indication of whether the Redcap UE is permitted to reselect intra-frequency cell, e.g., based on the value "permitted" or "not permitted." In response to determining that intraFreqReselectionRedCap (e.g., received in SIB1) is set to "permitted," UE 110 may be configured to exclude the prohibited cell as a candidate for cell selection / reselection, e.g., for a predetermined time (e.g., 300 seconds). In this case, UE 110 may be configured to select another cell on the same frequency in response to meeting the reselection criteria.

[0092] If the intraFreqReselectionRedCap field is set to "Not Allowed," UE 110 may be configured to determine whether the cell is operating in licensed spectrum, whether the cell belongs to a PLMN indicated as being equivalent to the registered Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) or the UE's selected PLMN, or whether the cell belongs to a registered Standalone Non-Public Network (SNPN) or the UE's selected SNPN. If any of these criteria are determined to be met, UE 110 may decide not to reselect to another cell on the same frequency as the prohibited cell and exclude such cells from cell selection / reselection candidates for, for example, a predetermined time (e.g., 300 seconds). If none of the above criteria are met, UE 110 may select another cell on the same frequency if the reselection criteria are met. UE 110 may exclude the prohibited cell from cell selection / reselection candidates for, for example, a predetermined time (e.g., 300 seconds). Another cell selection may also include a change of the RAT.

[0093] The cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx field may contain an indication of whether the cell is barred for eRedCap UEs with one Rx leg. For example, as defined in 3GPP TS 38.304, a value of "barred" may indicate that the cell is barred for eRedCap UEs with one Rx leg. This field may be ignored by non-eRedCap UEs.

[0094] The cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx field may contain an indication of whether the cell is barred for eRedCap UEs with two Rx legs. For example, as defined in 3GPP TS 38.304, a value of "barred" may indicate that the cell is barred for eRedCap UEs with two Rx legs. This field may be ignored by non-eRedCap UEs.

[0095] The cellBarred-RedCap1Rx field may contain an indication of whether the cell is barred for RedCap UEs with one Rx leg. For example, as defined in 3GPP TS 38.304, a value of "barred" may indicate that the cell is barred for RedCap UEs with one Rx leg. This field may be ignored by non-RedCap UEs.

[0096] The cellBarred-RedCap2Rx field may contain an indication of whether the cell is barred for RedCap UEs with two Rx legs. For example, as defined in 3GPP TS 38.304, a value of "barred" may indicate that the cell is barred for RedCap UEs with two Rx legs. This field may be ignored by non-RedCap UEs.

[0097] The value "not prohibited" may indicate that the cell is not prohibited for devices having the capabilities defined in the respective fields.

[0098] Therefore, a cell may be prohibited for a UE, such as an (e)RedCap UE, equipped with either 1 Rx branch or 2 Rx branches. However, UE 110 may support 2 Rx operation on certain frequency bands and 1 Rx operation on certain other frequency bands. In other words, UE 110 may be equipped with 1 Rx branch and / or 2 Rx branch, but may only be able to use both branches on certain frequency bands. Therefore, if the intention is to determine whether a cell is prohibited based on whether UE 110 is equipped with 1 Rx or 2 Rx, the behavior of UE 110 may be unclear. For example, if 1 Rx is prohibited and 2 Rx is not prohibited in the cell, a UE 110 equipped with both 1 Rx and 2 Rx capabilities may always determine that the cell is prohibited, or never determine that the cell is prohibited (e.g., regardless of whether UE 110 supports 1 Rx / 2 Rx operation in a particular cell). Example embodiments of the present disclosure improve cell barring, for example, by enabling UE 110 to consider the capabilities of a cell on the associated frequency band when determining whether a cell is barred to UE 110.

[0099] FIG2 illustrates an example of an apparatus configured to implement one or more example embodiments. Apparatus 200 may be a device, such as UE 110, or access nodes 120, 122, 124, an access point, a base station, a radio network node, or a separate portion thereof (e.g., a central unit or distributed unit of an access node), a network device, a terminal device, or generally any device configured to implement the functionality described herein. Apparatus 200 may include at least one processor 202. The at least one processor 202 may include, for example, one or more of various processing devices, such as a coprocessor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), processing circuitry with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other processing devices including integrated circuits, such as an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a hardware accelerator, a special-purpose computer chip, or the like.

[0100] Device 200 may also include at least one memory 204. Memory 204 may be configured to store, for example, computer program code 206 or the like, such as operating system software and application software. Memory 204 may include one or more volatile memory devices, one or more non-volatile memory devices, and / or a combination thereof. For example, the memory may be embodied as a magnetic storage device (e.g., a hard disk drive, magnetic tape, etc.), an optical magnetic storage device, or a semiconductor memory (e.g., mask ROM, PROM (programmable ROM), EPROM (erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (random access memory), etc.). Memory 204 is provided as an example of a (non-transitory) computer-readable medium. As used herein, the term "non-transitory" refers to the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal), not to the persistence of the data stored (e.g., RAM versus ROM).

[0101] Device 200 may also include a communication interface 208 configured to enable device 200 to transmit and / or receive information. Communication interface 208 may include an external communication interface, such as a radio interface between UE 110 and access nodes 120, 122, or 124, or a communication interface between a central unit and distributed units of an access node (e.g., F1-U and / or F1-C interfaces). Communication interface 208 may include one or more radio transmitters or receivers, which may be coupled to one or more antennas or device 200, or configured to couple to one or more antennas external to device 200.

[0102] Device 200 may also include other components and / or functionality, such as a user interface 210 including at least one input device and / or at least one output device. The input device may take various forms, such as a keyboard, a touch screen, or one or more embedded control buttons. The output device may include, for example, a display, a speaker, and the like.

[0103] When the device 200 is configured to implement a certain function, certain components and / or multiple components of the device 200 (for example, the at least one processor 202 and / or the at least one memory 204) may be configured to implement this function. Furthermore, when the at least one processor 202 is configured to implement a certain function, the function may be implemented using, for example, the program code 206 contained in the at least one memory 204.

[0104] The functions described herein may be performed, at least in part, by one or more computer program components, such as software components. According to one exemplary embodiment, the device 200 includes a processor, such as a microcontroller, or processor circuitry that, when executed by the program code 206, is configured to perform the operations and functions described herein. The program code 206 is provided as an example of instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor 202, result in the performance of the device 200.

[0105] Alternatively or additionally, the functionality described herein may be at least partially performed by one or more hardware logic components. For example, but not limited to, exemplary types of hardware logic components that can be used include field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application specific standard products (ASSPs), system-on-a-chip (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), graphics processing units (GPUs), or the like.

[0106] Device 200 may be configured to perform or cause the performance of the methods described herein, or include components for performing the methods described herein. In one example, the components include at least one processor 202 and at least one memory 204 containing instructions (e.g., program code 206) configured to cause device 200 to perform the method(s) when executed by the at least one processor 202. Generally, computer program instructions are executed on components that provide general-purpose processing functionality. Such components may be embodied, for example, in personal computers, smartphones, network devices, and the like. Thus, the method(s) may be computer-implemented, for example, based on algorithms executable by the general-purpose processing functionality, exemplified by the at least one processor 202. The components may include transmitting or receiving components, such as one or more radio transmitters or receivers, which may be coupled to or configured to be coupled to one or more antennas. For example, device 200 may include a network device, such as an access node, access point, base station, or a central or distributed unit thereof. Although apparatus 200 is illustrated as a single device, it will be appreciated that the functionality of apparatus 200 may be distributed across multiple devices, where applicable.

[0107] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of signaling and operations for cell barring based on a user equipment (UE)'s receiver capability on a specific frequency band.

[0108] At operation 301, UE 110 may transmit UE capability information to access node 120. UE capability signaling may be implemented as part of RRC signaling and may enable UE 110 to inform the network (e.g., access node 120) of its capabilities with respect to the network via cell 1. UE 110 may transmit UE capability information in response to a UE capability query (not illustrated in FIG. 3 ) received from access node 120. UE capability information may include various parameters, such as parameters related to UE 110's communication capabilities.

[0109] An example of such a parameter is the maximum number of downlink MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) layers, which may indicate the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers configured in or supported by UE 110 in cell 1, e.g., for PDSCH. For example, UE 110 may be configured to indicate the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers using a separate parameter (e.g., maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH) in the UE capability information, or by omitting such a parameter.

[0110] The maximum number of downlink MIMO layers may depend on the frequency band of cell 1. For example, UE 110 may be configured with one Rx branch for a first frequency band (e.g., belonging to FR1) and two Rx branches for a second frequency band (e.g., belonging to FR2). UE 110 may be configured to determine the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers based on the frequency band of cell 1. For example, UE 110 may be pre-configured with information regarding the number of Rx branches supported in different frequency bands. UE 110 may directly determine the frequency band, the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers, or the number of supported Rx branches based on the frequency band of cell 1.

[0111] Note that cell disabling can also be implemented without transmitting UE capabilities to the network, and thus operation 301 may be optional. Alternatively, when the UE is in an RRC connected state, the UE capabilities may have been transmitted and stored by the network during a previous connection (e.g., an RRC connection), or the UE capabilities may have been transmitted after cell (re)selection while the UE is in an RRC connected state. Therefore, in some embodiments, the RRC connection may be released after operation 301. Operations 302 through 307 may be performed during idle mode, inactive mode, or connected mode, for example, while timer T311 (e.g., an (RRC) connection reestablishment timer) is running. Generally speaking, the inactive mode procedures of UE 110 may be substantially the same as those in idle mode, including, for example, cell (re)selection and cell disabling.

[0112] At operation 302, UE 110 may receive system information from access node 120. This system information may include various parameters and configurations used to enable UE 110 to communicate with the network. This system information may include information associated with the cell and / or other cells. This system information may include a master information block (MIB) and one or more system information blocks (SIBs), such as SIB1, SIB2, SIB3, SIB4, etc., which may also be referred to as SIB messages. The MIB and SIB1 may be configured to carry information for enabling initial access in cell 1 and receiving other SIBs. UE 110 may be configured to decode the MIB and SIB1 in order to reside in cell 1.

[0113] SIM1 may include one or more of the following: cell selection information, prohibition information, (e) RedCap device configuration, frequency band list, PLMN list, cell identifier of the cell, tracking area code, RAN area code, cell reservation flag, connection establishment failure control information, system information scheduling information, common uplink and downlink configuration of the serving cell (for example, for random access channel or paging), auxiliary uplink configuration, synchronization signal block (SSB) scheduling information, cell-specific time domain duplex (TDD) UL / DL configuration, IMS (Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem) emergency bearer support flag of the cell, IMS emergency call support flag, timers and constants for the UE, or access control information.

[0114] The inhibition information may include an indication of the inhibition state of the cell, for example, an indication of whether the cell is inhibited for UEs having a particular capability or capabilities, such as the capability to support 1 Rx branch operation or the capability to support 2 Rx branch operation. Thus, the inhibition state may be associated with at least one capability of a UE. The indication of the inhibition state may be associated with the current frequency band. For example, there may be an indirect association through the cell. In this case, the indication of the inhibition state, or the inhibition state itself, may be associated with the cell, which may be associated with the current frequency band. Although in this example, the inhibition state is included in SIB1, UE 110 may generally receive the inhibition state in any suitable control signal or message, examples of which include any SIB message.

[0115] In the case where the indication of the barred state is for an (e)RedCap UE, such indication may be provided, for example, by the parameters cellBarredRedCap1Rx, cellBarredRedCap1Rx, cellBarredeRedCap1Rx, or cellBarredeRedCap1Rx. Targeting the indication of the barred state to a device class may include configuring the indication so that it is applicable to the device class, e.g., applicable to (e)RedCap UEs but not applicable to non-(e)RedCap UEs. Thus, non-(e)RedCap UEs may ignore the indication of the barred state. However, it should be noted that example embodiments of the present disclosure are also applicable to UE capabilities of any type of UE, e.g., regardless of whether they belong to the reduced capability device class.

[0116] SIB2 may include one or more of the following: cell reselection information, cell reselection serving frequency information, or intra-frequency cell reselection information, such as a frequency band list.

[0117] SIB3 may include information regarding the serving frequency and co-channel neighboring cells for cell reselection, such as frequency-shared cell reselection parameters and / or cell-specific reselection parameters. For example, SIB3 may include co-channel neighboring cell information, such as co-channel neighboring cell list information (e.g., IntraFreqNeighCellInfo), which may include cell identifiers (e.g., physCellId) of the neighboring co-channel cells. For example, SIB3 received by UE 110 at cell 1 from access node 120 may include the cell identifier of cell 2, which is an co-channel neighboring cell.

[0118] SIB4 may include information regarding frequencies of the same RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and / or co-frequency neighboring cells for cell reselection, such as frequency-shared cell reselection parameters and / or cell-specific reselection parameters. For example, SIB4 may include co-frequency neighboring cell information, such as co-frequency carrier frequency list information (e.g., interFreqCarrierFreqList), which includes, for example, downlink carrier frequencies or co-frequency neighboring cells, a frequency band list (e.g., frequencyBandList), or other similar information. For example, SIB4 received by UE 110 in cell 1 from access node 120 may include an indication of the frequency of cell 2 as a co-frequency neighboring cell. Other SIBs may include further signaling information. These SIBs may be transmitted via the downlink shared channel (DL-SCH), which may be a carrier on the PDSCH.

[0119] At operation 303, UE 110 may receive system information for cell 2 from access node 122, such as the MIB and / or one or more SIBs described above. In this case, the system information may generally include information specific to cell 2. However, in this case, SIB3 may include a cell identifier for cell 1 as a co-frequency neighbor, or SIB4 may include an indication of the frequency of cell 1 as a co-frequency neighbor.

[0120] Note that further operations of the process of FIG. 3 may be performed by UE 110 based on system information received from cell 1, cell 2, or both. Operations 301 and 302 may be mutually optional, but in some exemplary embodiments, UE 110 may be configured to perform both operations. Receiving the system information may include, for example, retrieving and decoding the system information from one or more SIBs from a downlink signal (e.g., PDSCH).

[0121] At operation 304, UE 110 may determine a frequency band for a cell. The cell in question may be the cell on which UE 110 intends to reside. Here, cell 1 is used as an example of such a cell. Thus, UE 110 may determine the frequency band for cell 1 based on, for example, the carrier frequency of cell 1 (e.g., as indicated in system information). For example, UE 110 may determine whether the carrier frequency of cell 1 belongs to FR1, FR2, or another frequency band. UE 110 may determine the frequency band for cell 1 based on the system information received from cell 1, cell 2, or another cell, for example, based on the frequency band list received in a SIB (e.g., SIB2 or SIB4).

[0122] For example, UE 110 may determine the frequency band in which UE 110 is currently located (e.g., the current frequency band of UE 110) based on the frequency band of the cell (e.g., cell 1) on which UE 110 intends to camp, or based on the frequency band of the packet (e.g., cell 2) from which the prohibition information is received. Alternatively or additionally, UE 110 may determine the frequency band in which UE 110 is currently located based on the frequency band list received via system information (e.g., SIB). The frequency band list may include a list of one or more frequency bands to which the carriers belong.

[0123] At operation 305, UE 110 may determine UE 110's capabilities in the frequency band of cell 1 (see, the frequency band UE 110 is currently in). For example, UE 110 may consider its capabilities in the frequency band determined at operation 304 and determine its capabilities in that frequency band accordingly. Thus, the determination of the UE's capabilities may be based on the frequency band determined at operation 304. This provides the benefit of improving cell barring configuration by enabling consideration of the varying capabilities of UE 110 in different frequency bands. Thus, when determining whether a cell is barred, UE 110 can consider its capabilities in the current frequency band, thereby enabling, for example, deterministic UE 110 behavior.

[0124] The capabilities of UE 110 may relate to the receiver operation of UE 110. For example, the capabilities of UE 110 may indicate whether UE 110 supports (e.g., is capable of using, or is configured to use) 1 Rx branch operation or 2 Rx branch operation on the frequency band of cell 1. As mentioned above, this improves the configuration of cell barring. For example, without considering the specific frequency band capability of supporting 1 Rx or 2 Rx branch operation, UE 110 may be limited to using information regarding whether UE 110 is equipped with one or two receiver branches, rather than whether UE 110 is capable of or configured to operate with two receiver branches on a specific frequency band, when determining whether a cell is barred.

[0125] UE 110 may determine its ability to support 1Rx branch operation or 2Rx branch operation based on its downlink MIMO capabilities in the frequency band of cell 1, for example, based on the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers supported in the frequency band of cell 1. This provides the advantage of obtaining information regarding UE 110's 1Rx or 2Rx branch capabilities without requiring UE 110 to separately store such information. UE 110 may determine its ability to support 1Rx or 2Rx branch operation based on the value of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in UE capability information of UE 110 for the current frequency band (e.g., the frequency band of cell 1), or the absence of such a parameter. For example, UE 110 may determine that it has the ability to support 1Rx branch operation in the frequency band of cell 1 based on the absence of the indication of the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the UE capability information provided to cell 1. Alternatively, if the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the UE capability information indicates two downlink MIMO layers for the current frequency band (e.g., by setting the value of maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH to twoLayers), UE 110 may determine that it is capable of supporting 2Rx branch operation. The UE capability information configured to indicate the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers may be associated with cell 1 and, therefore, the current frequency band of cell 1.

[0126] UE 110 may determine its ability to support 1Rx branch operation or 2Rx branch operation based on whether the frequency band of cell 1 belongs to a specific frequency range (e.g., FR1 or FR2). For example, UE 110 may determine that it has the ability to support 2Rx branch operation in response to determining that the frequency band of cell 1 belongs to FR2. UE 110 may make this determination based on a pre-configured mapping between the frequency bands or ranges and the number of receiver branches supported in the respective frequency bands or ranges.

[0127] At operation 306, UE 110 may determine whether cell 1 is barred for UE 110. UE 110 may determine whether cell 1 is barred for UE 110 based on the barring status of cell 1 (e.g., whether cell 1 is barred for UEs having a particular capability, such as supporting 1Rx or 2Rx branch operation) and the capability of UE 110 in the frequency band of cell 1 (e.g., whether UE 110 supports 1Rx or 2Rx branch operation in the frequency band of cell 1).

[0128] For example, in response to determining that the barring state received, for example, in operation 302 or 303, indicates that cell 1 is barred for UEs supporting 1Rx branch operation, and determining that UE 110 supports 1Rx branch operation on the frequency band of cell 1, UE 110 may determine that cell 1 is barred for UE 110. Alternatively, in response to determining that the barring state indicates that cell 1 is barred for UEs supporting 2Rx branch operation, and determining that UE 110 supports 2Rx branch operation on the frequency band of cell 1, UE 110 may determine that cell 1 is barred for UE 110.

[0129] Furthermore, in response to determining that the barring state indicates that cell 1 is not barred for UEs supporting 1Rx branch operation, and determining that UE 110 supports 1Rx branch operation on the frequency band of cell 1, UE 110 may determine that cell 1 is not barred for UE 110. Alternatively, in response to determining that the barring state indicates that cell 1 is not barred for UEs supporting 2Rx branch operation, and determining that UE 110 supports 2Rx branch operation on the frequency band of cell 1, UE 110 may determine that cell 1 is not barred for UE 110.

[0130] In operation 307, UE 110 may determine whether to select or reselect cell 1 based on whether cell 1 is barred for UE 110. For example, in response to determining that cell 1 is barred for UE 110, UE 110 may determine to avoid selecting or reselecting cell 1. Avoiding selection or reselecting a cell may include determining not to select or reselect the cell, even if other cell selection or reselection criteria would permit selection or reselection of the cell. If cell 1 is barred for UE 110, UE 110 may terminate the process or move back to operation 304 to consider (see operations 305 and 306) whether to select or reselect another cell. After starting a new round of operations 304, 305, and 306, UE 110 may immediately receive system information from any other relevant cells, similar to operations 302 or 303.

[0131] UE 110 may determine to select or reselect cell 1 based on a determination that cell 1 is not barred for UE 110. UE 110 may optionally also consider other criteria (e.g., conditions associated with idle / inactive state measurements, or criteria for assembling cell (re)selection) to determine whether to select or reselect cell 1. In response to a determination that one or more criteria are met (including that the cell is not barred for UE 110), UE 110 may determine to select or reselect cell 1. If cell 1 is not barred for UE 110, UE 110 may proceed to perform operation 307.

[0132] Cell selection may include selecting an appropriate cell when UE 110 is not camped on any cell. UE 110 may be configured to perform initial cell selection when it has no prior knowledge of available radio frequency (RF) channels for the RAT in question (e.g., 5G NR). For example, UE 110 may scan different RF channels in the relevant frequency band based on its capabilities to find an appropriate cell. UE 110 may be configured to search for the strongest cell on each carrier frequency. When information about the available carriers (optionally including cell parameters) is available, UE 110 may search for an appropriate cell based on this information stored on UE 110. Once an appropriate cell is found, UE 110 may select it. UE 110 may then camp on the selected cell.

[0133] When camped on a cell, UE 110 may be configured to search for a better cell based on cell reselection criteria. If a better cell is found, UE 110 may then select that cell. This process may be referred to as cell reselection. Changing the cell may include changing the RAY.

[0134] After the selection or reselection of the cell at operation 307, UE 110 may camp on the selected or reselected cell and communicate application data with the network through the selected or reselected cell.

[0135] For example, the process of FIG. 3 may be implemented based on one or more operations of the following process: 1> If the UE is a RedCap UE and is in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE, or if the RedCap UE is in RRC_CONNECTED while timer T311 is running: 2> If intraFreqReselectionRedCap does not exist in SIB1: 3> For example, according to TS 38.304, consider that the cell is prohibited; 3> Prohibit is implemented as if intraFreqReselectionRedCap is set to allow; 2> Otherwise: 3> If the cellBarredRedCap1Rx is present in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited, and the UE is supporting 1 Rx operation on the current frequency band; or 3> If the cellBarredRedCap2Rx is present in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited, and the UE is supporting 2 Rx operation on the current frequency band; or 3> If the halfDuplexRedCapAllowed does not exist in the obtained SIB1 and the UE only supports half-duplex FDD operation: 4> For example, according to 3GPP TS 38.304, consider the cell to be prohibited; 4> For example, as specified in TS 38.304, prohibition is implemented based on intraFreqReselectionRedCap; 1> If the UE is an eRedCap UE and is in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE, or if T311 is running and the eRedCap UE is in RRC_CONNECTED: 2> If intraFreqReselection-eRedCap does not exist in SIB1: 3> For example, according to TS 38.304, consider that the cell is prohibited; 3> Prohibition is implemented, as if intraFreqReselection-eRedCap is set to allow, and the process ends; 2> Otherwise: 3> If the cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx is present in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited, and the UE is supporting 1 Rx operation on the current frequency band; or 3> If the cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx is present in the obtained SIB1 and is set to prohibited, and the UE is supporting 2 Rx operation on the current frequency band; or 3> If the halfDuplexRedCapAllowed does not exist in the obtained SIB1 and the UE only supports half-duplex FDD operation: 4> For example, according to TS 38.304, consider that the cell is prohibited; 4> For example, as specified in TS 38.304, prohibition is implemented based on intraFreqReselection-eRedCap, and the procedure ends.

[0136] UE 110 may determine whether a cell is barred based on the barring status (eg, the cell barring indication listed below) and based on the current frequency band.

[0137] If cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx indicates “non-barred” and UE 110 is an eRedCap UE that supports 1Rx in the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, UE 110 may determine that the cell is not barred.

[0138] If cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx indicates “not barred” and UE 110 is an eRedCap UE that supports 2 Rx in the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, UE 110 may determine that the cell is not barred.

[0139] If cellBarredRedCap1Rx indicates “not barred” and UE 110 is a RedCap UE that supports 1 Rx in the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, UE 110 may determine that the cell is not barred.

[0140] If cellBarredRedCap2Rx indicates “not barred” and UE 110 is a RedCap UE that supports 2 Rx on the frequency band where UE 119 is currently located, UE 110 may determine that the cell is not barred.

[0141] If cellBarred-eRedCap1Rx indicates “barred” and UE 110 is an eRedCap UE that supports 1 Rx in the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, UE 110 may determine that the cell is barred.

[0142] If cellBarred-eRedCap2Rx indicates “barred” and UE 110 is an eRedCap UE that supports 2 Rx in the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, UE 110 may determine that the cell is barred.

[0143] If cellBarredRedCap1Rx indicates “barred” and UE 110 is a RedCap UE that supports 1 Rx in the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, UE 110 may determine that the cell is barred.

[0144] If cellBarredRedCap2Rx indicates “barred” and UE 110 is a RedCap UE that supports 2 Rx in the frequency band where UE 110 is currently located, UE 110 may determine that the cell is barred.

[0145] UE 110 may determine that if the cell is barred, then access is not allowed for UE 110 on the cell.

[0146] UE 110 may determine that access is allowed for UE 110 on the cell if the cell is not barred.

[0147] Supporting 1 Rx or 2 Rx may mean being able to operate with 1 Rx or 2 Rx.

[0148] UE 110 may determine the frequency band in which UE 110 is currently located based on the frequency band of a cell in which UE 110 resides or based on the frequency band of the cell in which the cell barring indication is received.

[0149] UE 110 may determine the frequency band that UE 110 is currently in based on the frequency band list received via the system information block (SIB). The frequency band list may indicate a list of one or more frequency bands to which the carriers belong.

[0150] UE 110 may determine support for 1Rx or 2Rx on the current frequency band based on whether UE 110 indicates that maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH does not exist for the current frequency band or indicates that maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH is twoLayers. If maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH does not exist, UE 110 may determine that it supports 1Rx.

[0151] UE 110 may determine whether to support 1Rx or 2Rx on the current frequency band based on the frequency range. For example, if the current frequency band belongs to FR2, UE 110 may determine that it supports 2Rx.

[0152] UE 110 may determine whether it supports 1Rx or 2Rx on the current frequency band based on the UE's indication that maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH is not present for the current frequency band or that maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH is twoLayers. For example, if maxNumberMIMO-LayersPDSCH is set to twoLayers, UE 110 may determine that it supports 2Rx.

[0153] 4 illustrates an example of a method for cell disabling. The method may be performed by a device such as UE 110, or by a control device configured to control functions thereof when installed therein.

[0154] In operation 401, the method may include determining, by a device, a frequency band of a cell.

[0155] At operation 402, the method may include receiving, by the device, an indication of a disable state of the cell, wherein the disable state is associated with a capability of the device.

[0156] At operation 403, the method may include determining, by the device, the capability of the device on the frequency band of the cell.

[0157] At operation 404, the method may include determining, by the device, whether the cell is barred to the device based on the barring status and the capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell.

[0158] 5 illustrates an example of a method for controlling cell inhibition. The method may be performed by an access node or by a control device configured to control its functions when installed therein.

[0159] At operation 501, the method may include transmitting an indication of a disable state of a cell to a device, wherein the disable state is associated with a capability of the device, wherein the indication of the disable state includes an indication of whether the cell is disabled for devices supporting 1 Rx branch operation or whether the cell is disabled for devices supporting 2 Rx branch operation, and wherein the capability of the device includes an ability to support the 1 Rx branch operation or the 2 Rx branch operation at the frequency band of the cell.

[0160] Further features of the methods, such as those arising directly from the functionality of UE 110, access nodes 120, 122, and 124, are described throughout the description, claims, and figures and are therefore not repeated here. A device (e.g., a device such as UE 110 or an access node) may be configured to perform or cause the performance of any aspect of the methods described herein. Furthermore, a computer program or computer program product may include instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform any aspect of the methods described herein. Furthermore, a device may include components for performing any aspect of the methods described herein. According to one exemplary embodiment, the components include at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least any aspect of the method(s).

[0161] In the case of not losing the effect sought, any range or device value set forth herein may be extended or changed. Likewise, any embodiment may be combined with another embodiment unless expressly not permitted.

[0162] Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and / or acts, it should be understood that the subject matter defined in the claims of the accompanying invention application is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Instead, the specific features or acts described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims, and other equivalent features and acts are intended to fall within the scope of the claims.

[0163] It is understood that the benefits and advantages described above may relate to one embodiment or to several embodiments. The embodiments are not limited to those that solve any or all of the problems described or have any or all of the benefits and advantages described. It is also understood that reference to "an" item may refer to one or more of these items.

[0164] The steps or operations of the methods described herein may be performed in any appropriate order, or concurrently where appropriate. For example, the order of operations 401 and 402 may be changed. This may be the case, for example, when the prohibition indication is included in SIB1 and UE 110 is configured to determine the frequency band of the cell based on the frequencyBandList in SIB1. It is also possible to simultaneously receive the frequencyBandList used by UE 110 as the basis for determining the frequency band for the cell and the indication of the barring indications. Thus, UE 110 can be configured to perform operations 401 and 402 in any order or in parallel. Alternatively, receiving the indication of the barring state can be performed as a separate step, such as the first operation in FIG. 4 .

[0165] Furthermore, individual blocks may be deleted from any of the methods without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Aspects of any of the above-described exemplary embodiments may be combined with aspects of any of the other described exemplary embodiments to form further exemplary embodiments without losing the desired effect.

[0166] The word "comprising" is used herein to mean including the identified methods, blocks or elements, but such blocks or elements do not comprise an exclusive list and a method or apparatus may contain additional blocks or elements.

[0167] As used herein, “at least one of: ” and “at least one of ” and similar expressions, where a list of two or more elements is linked by “and” or “or,” means at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements. The expression “or” may be understood as a non-exclusive “or,” and thus, a list or two or more elements indicated as mutually optional by the expression “or” means at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0168] Although a property may be referred to as the "first" or "second" property, this does not necessarily indicate any order or importance between the properties. Instead, these qualifiers may be used solely to create a distinction between the properties.

[0169] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) a hardware-only implementation of circuitry (e.g., an implementation using only analog and / or digital circuitry), and (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software, such as, as applicable: (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware, and (ii) a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor), software, and memory with software that work together to enable a device such as a mobile phone or server to perform various functions, and (c) hardware circuitry and / or processors, such as microprocessors or portions of microprocessors, that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate but may be absent if the software is not required for operation. This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claim of the claimed invention.

[0170] As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also encompasses an implementation consisting of only a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. For example, and if applicable to the particular claimed element, the term circuitry also encompasses 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 networking device.

[0171] It will be understood that the above description is presented by way of example only and that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art. The above description, examples, and materials provide a complete description of the structure and use of exemplary embodiments. Although various embodiments have been described above with a certain degree of specificity or with reference to one or more individual embodiments, those skilled in the art may make numerous modifications to the disclosed embodiments without departing from the scope of this specification.

[0172] 100: Communication Network 110: User Equipment 120, 122, 124: access nodes 130,132,134: Cell 140: Core Network 200: Equipment 202: Processor 204:Memory 206: Program Code 208: Communication Interface 210: User Interface 301~307: Operation 401~404: Operation 501: Operation

Claims

1. A method for communication, comprising: determining a frequency band of a cell by a device; and receiving an indication of a prohibited state for a cell by the device, wherein, The prohibition state is associated with a capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell; the device determines the capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell; and based on the prohibition state and the capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell, the device determines whether the cell is prohibited for the device.

2. A method for communication, comprising: transmitting an indication of a prohibited state for one of the cells to a device, wherein, The prohibition state is associated with a capability of the device in one frequency band of the cell, wherein the indication of the prohibition state includes an indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device that supports single receiver branch operation in that frequency band of the cell, or for a device that supports dual receiver branch operation in that frequency band of the cell, and wherein the capability of the device includes the capability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation in that frequency band of the cell.

3. A communication device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least the following operations: determining a frequency band of a cell; and receiving an indication of a disabled state for a cell, wherein... The prohibition state is associated with a capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell; determine the capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell; and based on the prohibition state and the capability of the device in the frequency band of the cell, determine whether the cell is prohibited for the device.

4. The device as described in claim 3, wherein, The indication of the prohibited state includes an indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device that supports single receiver branch operation or for a device that supports dual receiver branch operation, and wherein the capability of the device includes the capability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation in the frequency band of the cell.

5. The device as claimed in claim 4 is further caused to perform the following operation: determining the capability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation based on a maximum number of downlink multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) layers supported by the device in the frequency band of the cell.

6. The device as claimed in claim 5, further causing it to perform the following operations: determining that the device has the capability to support the single receiver branch operation based on the absence of an indication for the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the user equipment capability information of the device; or determining that the device has the capability to support the dual receiver branch operation in response to determining that the indication for the maximum number of downlink MIMO layers in the user equipment capability information of the device indicates two downlink MIMO layers; or determining that the device has the capability to support the dual receiver branch operation in response to determining that the frequency band of the cell belongs to frequency range 2.

7. The device as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, further causing it to perform the following operations: determining that the cell is disabled for the device in response to a determination that the disabled state indicates that the cell is disabled for a device supporting the single receiver branch operation, and that the device supports the single receiver branch operation in the frequency band of the cell; or determining that the cell is disabled for the device in response to a determination that the disabled state indicates that the cell is disabled for a device supporting the dual receiver branch operation, and that the device supports the dual receiver branch operation in the frequency band of the cell.

8. The device as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 6, further causing it to perform the following operations: determining that the cell is not disabled for the device in response to a determination that the prohibition status indicates that the cell is not disabled for a device supporting the single receiver branch operation and that the device supports the single receiver branch operation in the frequency band of the cell; or determining that the cell is not disabled for the device in response to a determination that the prohibition status indicates that the cell is not disabled for a device supporting the dual receiver branch operation and that the device supports the dual receiver branch operation in the frequency band of the cell.

9. The device as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, further causing it to perform the following operations: in response to a determination that the cell is prohibited for the device, determining to avoid selecting or reselecting the cell; or based on a determination that the cell is not prohibited for the device, determining to select or reselect the cell.

10. The device as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein, This instruction regarding the prohibited state applies to devices belonging to the category of capacity-reduced devices.

11. The device as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein, The capability of this device includes: the device belongs to the category of capability reduction devices.

12. The device as described in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein, This device belongs to the category of capacity reduction devices.

13. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein, This capability reduction device category includes the RedCap device category or the eRedCap device category.

14. The device as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein, The indication of the prohibited state is associated with one of the current frequency bands of the cell, or the capability of the device is related to the operation of the receiver of the device.

15. The device as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 is further caused to perform the following operation: receiving the indication for the prohibited state from the cell via a system information block message.

16. The device as claimed in claim 15 is further caused to perform the following operation: determining the frequency band of the cell based on a list of frequency bands received from the cell through system information block messages.

17. The device as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein, When a cell is disabled for the device, the device is not allowed to access that cell.

18. A communication device comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to perform at least the following operations: transmitting an indication of a disabled state for one of the cells to a means, wherein, The prohibition state is associated with a capability of the device in one frequency band of the cell, wherein the indication of the prohibition state includes an indication of whether the cell is prohibited for a device that supports single receiver branch operation in that frequency band of the cell, or for a device that supports dual receiver branch operation in that frequency band of the cell, and wherein the capability of the device includes the capability to support the single receiver branch operation or the dual receiver branch operation in that frequency band of the cell.

19. The device as claimed in claim 18, wherein, This instruction regarding the prohibited state applies to devices belonging to the category of capacity-reducing devices.

20. The device as described in claim 18 or 19, wherein, The capability of this device includes: the device belongs to the category of capability reduction devices.

21. The device as described in claim 18 or 19, wherein, This device belongs to the category of capacity reduction devices.

22. The device as requested in item 19, wherein, This capability reduction device category includes the RedCap device category or the eRedCap device category.

23. The device as described in claim 18 or 19, wherein, The indication of the prohibited state is associated with one of the current frequency bands of the cell, or the capability of the device is related to the operation of the receiver of the device.

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