RACH communication in cellular system

1 . A method, comprising:

assigning, by a network element of a cellular communication system, the same random access parameters concurrently to a plurality of terminal devices; and

assigning a different random access transmission opportunity to said plurality of terminal devices so as to multiplex random access transmissions of said plurality of terminal devices, wherein the random access transmission opportunity identifies each one of the plurality of terminal devices using the same random access parameters.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: assigning the same random access preamble sequence to said plurality of terminal devices.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the random access transmission opportunity is a random access transmission timing allocation, the method further comprising:

assigning at least two terminal devices to transmit the same random access preamble within a random access response time window which defines a time period assigned for responding to a random access transmission.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the terminal devices to share the same random access parameters concurrently on the basis of location of the terminal devices such that the same random access parameters are assigned to a group of idle state terminal devices residing in the same determined location tracking area.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

establishing a connection to a plurality of terminal devices;

in connection with the connection establishment, collecting identifiers of said plurality of connected terminal devices;

determining the terminal devices to share the same random access parameters concurrently from the collected identifiers; and

causing a base station of the cellular communication system to transmit the shared random access parameters in a form of connectionless signalling to at least one terminal device that has terminated said connection and entered an idle state.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

establishing a connection to a plurality of terminal devices;

in connection with the connection establishment, collecting identifiers of said plurality of connected terminal devices;

determining the connected terminal devices to share the same random access parameters concurrently; and

configuring the connected terminal devices to employ the random access parameters and the random access transmission opportunity to request transmission in a connected state.

7 . A method, comprising:

employing shared random access parameters in a terminal device of a cellular communication system, wherein the same random access parameters are allocated simultaneously to at least one other terminal device;

receiving a random access transmission opportunity allocation according to a defined opportunity and for order for random access transmission, wherein the random access transmission opportunity is multiplexed with random access transmission opportunities of the at least one other terminal device utilizing said shared random access parameters, and wherein the random access transmission opportunity identifies the terminal device from the at least one other terminal device using the same random access parameters; and

causing the terminal device to carry out a random access transmission according to the received random access transmission opportunity and by using said shared random access parameters.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the shared random access parameters comprise a random access preamble sequence for random access transmission.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the random access transmission opportunity is a random access transmission timing allocation, the method further comprising:

causing the terminal device to carry out the random access transmission with a transmission timing defined by the random access transmission timing allocation.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the random access transmission timing allocation comprises a random access transmission order index parameter and a random access transmission interval parameter, wherein at least the random access transmission order index is different for each terminal device employing said shared random access parameters, the method further comprising:

causing the terminal device to carry out the random access transmission in transmission timings defined by the random access transmission order index parameter and the random access transmission interval parameter.

11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

causing the terminal device to utilize a first random access identifier in connection with random access transmission;

causing the terminal device to update the random access identifier after the random access transmission; and

causing the terminal device to monitor for random access response message comprising said updated identifier, the random access response message being a response to said random access transmission.

12 . An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to assign the same random access parameters concurrently to a plurality of terminal devices of a cellular communication system, and to assign different random access transmission opportunities to said plurality of terminal devices so as to multiplex random access transmissions of said plurality of terminal devices, wherein the random access transmission opportunity identifies each one of the plurality of terminal devices using the same random access parameters.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to assign the same random access preamble sequence to said plurality of terminal devices.

14 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the random access transmission opportunity is a random access transmission timing allocation, and wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to assign at least two terminal devices to transmit the same random access preamble within a random access response time window which defines a time period assigned for responding to a random access transmission.

15 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to determine the terminal devices to share the same random access parameters concurrently on the basis of location of the terminal devices such that the same random access parameters are assigned to a group of idle state terminal devices residing in the same determined location tracking area.

16 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:

establish a connection to a plurality of terminal devices;

in connection with the connection establishment, collect identifiers of said plurality of connected terminal devices;

determine the terminal devices to share the same random access parameters concurrently from the collected identifiers; and

cause a base station of the cellular communication system to transmit the shared random access parameters in a form of connectionless signalling to at least one terminal device that has terminated said connection and entered an idle state.

17 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:

establish a connection to a plurality of terminal devices;

in connection with the connection establishment, collect identifiers of said plurality of connected terminal devices;

determine the connected terminal devices to share the same random access parameters concurrently; and

configure the connected terminal devices to employ the random access parameters and the random access transmission opportunity to request transmission in a connected state.

18 . An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including a computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:

employ shared random access parameters in a terminal device of a cellular communication system, wherein the same random access parameters are allocated simultaneously to at least one other terminal device;

receive a random access transmission opportunity allocation according to a defined opportunity and/or order for random access transmission, wherein the random access transmission opportunity is multiplexed with random access transmission opportunities of the at least one other terminal device utilizing said shared random access parameters, and wherein the random access transmission opportunity identifies the terminal device from the at least one other terminal device using the same random access parameters; and

cause the terminal device to carry out a random access transmission according to the received random access transmission opportunity and by using said shared random access parameters.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the shared random access parameters comprise a random access preamble sequence for random access transmission.

20 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the random access transmission opportunity is a random access transmission timing allocation, and wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to cause the terminal device to carry out the random access transmission with a transmission timing defined by the random access transmission timing allocation.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the random access transmission timing allocation comprises a random access transmission order index parameter and a random access transmission interval parameter, wherein at least the random access transmission order index is different for each terminal device employing said shared random access parameters, and wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to cause the terminal device to carry out the random access transmission in transmission timings defined by the random access transmission order index parameter and the random access transmission interval parameter.

22 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to cause the terminal device to utilize a first random access identifier in connection with random access transmission; to cause the terminal device to update the random access identifier after the random access transmission, and to cause the terminal device to monitor for random access response message comprising said updated identifier, the random access response message being a response to said random access transmission.

23 . The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising radio interface components to provide the apparatus with radio communication capability.

24 . A computer program product embodied on a distribution medium readable by a computer and comprising program instructions which, when loaded into an apparatus, execute a computer process comprising:

assigning the same random access parameters concurrently to a plurality of terminal devices of a cellular communication system; and

assigning a different random access transmission opportunity to said plurality of terminal devices so as to multiplex random access transmissions of said plurality of terminal devices, wherein the random access transmission opportunity identifies each one of the plurality of terminal devices using the same random access parameters.

25 . A computer program product embodied on a distribution medium readable by a computer and comprising program instructions which, when loaded into an apparatus, execute a computer process comprising:

employing shared random access parameters in a terminal device of a cellular communication system, wherein the same random access parameters are allocated simultaneously to at least one other terminal device;

receiving a random access transmission opportunity allocation according to a defined opportunity and/or order for random access transmission, wherein the random access transmission opportunity is multiplexed with random access transmission opportunities of the at least one other terminal device utilizing said shared random access parameters, and wherein the random access transmission opportunity identifies the terminal device from the at least one other terminal device using the same random access parameters; and

causing the terminal device to carry out a random access transmission according to the received random access transmission opportunity and by using said shared random access parameters.