MINIMIZED SYSTEM INFORMATION TRANSMISSION IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
The periodic broadcasting of system information by an eNB is costly in terms of both spectrum and energy. Embodiments described herein more efficiently transmit system information and are particularly applicable to 5G deployment scenarios. In one embodiment, an LTE cell broadcasts system information to be used by a UE in initially connecting to a 5G cell, termed initial access system information. The 5G cell may then transmit system information upon request by a connected UE or when the system information is updated.
1 - 25 . (canceled)
26 . An apparatus for a UE (user equipment), comprising:
a radio transceiver and processing circuitry interfaced to the radio transceiver;
wherein the transceiver is to receive system information transmitted by an LTE (Long Term Evolution) cell, which system information comprises LTE initial access system information for connecting to the LTE cell and 5G (fifth generation) initial access system information for connecting to a 5G cell using random access procedures; and,
wherein the processing circuitry and transceiver are to connect to the 5G cell using the initial access system information received from the LTE cell.
27 . The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the processing circuitry and transceiver are to receive the 5G initial access information for connecting to the 5G cell via an SIB (system information block) broadcasted by the LTE cell.
28 . The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the processing circuitry and transceiver are to receive the 5G initial access information for connecting to the 5G cell by establishing an RRC (radio resource control) connection with the LTE cell and requesting information for connecting to the 5G cell via RRC signaling.
29 . The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the 5G and LTE initial access information received from the LTE cell includes an MIB (master information block) containing information that includes a DL (downlink) cell bandwidth and control channel configurations, an SIB1 (system information block 1) containing information that includes information relating to access restrictions and time-domain scheduling of an SIB2 (system information block 2) that includes information relating to random access procedures for connecting to the cell.
30 . The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the system information received from the LTE cell further comprises system-wide information that is common to a plurality of neighboring LTE and/or 5G cells.
31 . The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the system information received from the LTE cell further comprises cell-specific information for a group of LTE and/or 5G cells contained within a cell group.
32 . The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the cell-specific information includes initial access information for connecting to each cell within the cell group.
33 . The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the cell-specific information comprises a cell ID (identification) for each cell within the cell group and cell-specific information associated with each cell ID.
34 . The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the cell-specific information comprises one or more lists of cell IDs (identifications) and cell-specific information associated with each list.
35 . The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the cell-specific information comprises one or more lists of carrier frequencies and cell-specific information associated with each list.
36 . The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the processing circuitry and transceiver are to receive updated system information from the LTE or 5G cell but not apply the updated system information until the start of a next system information modification period.
37 . An apparatus for an eNB (evolved Node B), comprising:
a radio transceiver and processing circuitry interfaced to the radio transceiver;
wherein the processing circuitry and transceiver are to:
transmit system information over a cell served by the eNB;
wherein the system information transmitted over the serving cell further comprises system-wide information that is common to a plurality of neighboring cells and cell-specific information for a group of cells contained within a cell group; and,
wherein the cell-specific information for at least two of the cells in the cell group is different.
38 . The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the cell-specific information comprises a cell ID (identification) for each cell within the cell group and cell-specific information associated with each cell ID.
39 . The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the cell-specific information comprises one or more lists of cell IDs (identifications) and cell-specific information associated with each list.
40 . The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the cell-specific information comprises one or more lists of carrier frequencies and cell-specific information associated with each list.
41 . The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the cell-specific information includes initial access system information for connecting to each cell within the cell group using a random access procedure.
42 . The apparatus of claim 41 wherein at least one of cells in the group for which initial access system information is transmitted is a 5G (fifth generation) cell.
43 . The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the processing circuitry and transceiver are to transmit the initial access system information for connecting to the 5G cell via a broadcasted SIB (system information block) or via RRC (radio resource control) after a UE connects with a serving cell of the eNB.
44 . The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the transmitted initial access system information includes an MIB (master information block) containing information that includes a DL (downlink) cell bandwidth and control channel configurations, an SIB1 (system information block 1) containing information that includes information relating to access restrictions and time-domain scheduling of an SIB2 (system information block 2).
45 . A computer-readable medium comprising instructions to cause a user equipment (UE), upon execution of the instructions by processing circuitry of the UE, to:
receive system information transmitted by an LTE (Long Term Evolution) cell, which system information comprises initial access information for connecting to the LTE cell and for connecting to a 5G (fifth generation) cell using random access procedures; and,
connect to the 5G cell using the system information received from the LTE cell.
46 . The medium of claim 45 further comprising instructions to receive the 5G initial access system information for connecting to the 5G cell via an SIB (system information block) broadcasted by the LTE cell.
47 . The medium of claim 45 further comprising instructions to receive the 5G initial access system information for connecting to the 5G cell by establishing an RRC (radio resource control) connection with the LTE cell and requesting the system information for connecting to the 5G cell via RRC signaling.
48 . The medium of claim 45 wherein the initial access information received from the LTE cell for connecting to the LTE cell and the 5G cell includes an MIB (master information block) containing information that includes a DL (downlink) cell bandwidth and control channel configurations, an SIB1 (system information block 1) containing information that includes information relating to access restrictions and time-domain scheduling of an SIB2 (system information block 2) that includes information relating to random access procedures for connecting to the cell.
49 . The medium of claim 45 wherein the system information received from the LTE cell further comprises system-wide information that is common to a plurality of neighboring LTE and/or 5G cells.
50 . The medium of claim 45 wherein the system information received from the LTE cell further comprises cell-specific information for a group of LTE and/or 5G cells contained within a cell group.