Reduced Capability NR Device Early Indication via Random Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mobile communications networks, reduced capability user equipment (UE) often fails to establish connections due to unaccommodated capabilities, leading to inefficiencies in power consumption and signaling overhead.
Innovation Solution
The method involves reduced capability UEs receiving synchronization signal blocks and transmitting specific messages, such as Message 1, which include preambles and uplink initial bandwidth parts, to indicate their reduced capabilities, allowing the network to accommodate and configure resources accordingly, including supporting fewer HARQ processes, a subset of PDCCH search spaces, and time domain repetition for data transmissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reduced capability UE transmits using legacy procedures without capability indication, then connection establishment may fail, but adding capability indication increases signaling overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The reduced capability indication is transmitted in advance during the random access procedure (Message 1 or Message A) before full connection establishment. This preliminary indication allows the network to prepare appropriate configuration and resources, ensuring reliable connection establishment while minimizing subsequent signaling overhead.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the random access message (Message 1 or Message A) as an intermediary carrier to convey the reduced capability indication. This intermediary approach embeds capability information within existing signaling structures rather than requiring separate dedicated signaling, thus reducing overall overhead while ensuring reliable delivery of capability information.
2Adaptability or versatility
If reduced capability UE supports full PDCCH search space, then compatibility with legacy network is maintained, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network configures a reduced PDCCH search space specifically tailored for reduced capability UEs, providing locally optimized processing requirements. This allows the UE to monitor only a subset of PDCCH candidates relevant to its capabilities, reducing device complexity and power consumption while maintaining necessary network compatibility through appropriate configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the PDCCH search space parameters (number of candidates, monitoring occasions, aggregation levels) to match the reduced capability UE's processing capabilities. By adapting these parameters rather than requiring full legacy compliance, the system reduces device complexity while maintaining functional compatibility through configured parameters.
3Productivity
If reduced capability UE transitions to connected state for small data transmissions, then data transmission is enabled, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network performs preliminary configuration of uplink resources and transmission parameters during the random access phase, before the UE transitions to connected state. This preliminary setup enables the UE to transmit small data packets efficiently with minimal subsequent signaling and processing, reducing power consumption while maintaining data transmission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
For small data transmissions, the patent enables the UE to use partial uplink resources and simplified transmission procedures rather than requiring full connected state activation. This partial action approach allows data transmission with reduced power consumption by avoiding complete connection establishment and associated overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for providing early indication by a reduced capability New Radio (NR) User Equipment (UE). In some embodiments the reduced capability UE informs the network, by its use of a combination of preamble, Random Access Channel Occasion (RO), and initial bandwidth part (BWP), that it is a reduced capability UE. In some embodiments, the reduced capability UE transmits payload data in a Message A message. In some embodiments, the reduced capability UE receives, from the network, a set of candidate uplink resources, and transmits a Message 3 message within a subset of the set of candidate uplink resources.