UE selection of contention-free and contention-based random access for handover

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising:

receiving, at a user equipment (UE), a random access configuration, wherein the random access configuration includes configuration for contention-free random access (CFRA) and contention-based random access (CBRA);

determining, at the UE, a first random access resource, wherein the first random access resource maps to one or more beams from a target base station;

initiating, by the UE, a random access request using the CFRA when the first random access resource is a contention-free resource;

determining, by the UE, a beam quality associated with the first random access resource; and

initiating, by the UE, the random access request using the CBRA when the first random access resource is the contention-free resource, and the beam quality of the first random access resource is below a threshold beam quality.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including:

receiving, at the UE, a random access response to the random access request using the CFRA, wherein the random access response identifies a next uplink transmission opportunity located after a next contention-based resource, wherein the next contention-based resource maps to one or more additional beams of the target base station; and

initiating, by the UE, CBRA at the next contention-based resource.

3. The method of claim 1 , further including:

failing, by the UE, to detect a random access response to the random access request using the CFRA prior to a predetermined period of time after the initiating the random access using the CFRA; and

initiating, by the UE, CBRA at a next contention-based resource, wherein the next contention-based resource maps to one or more additional beams of the target base station.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including one of:

initiating, by the UE, another random access request using the CBRA at contention-based random access resources in addition to the initiating the random access request using the CFRA; or

initiating, by the UE, the another random access request using the CFRA at contention-free random access resources in addition to the initiating the random access request using the CBRA.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the random access configuration further includes identification for the UE to perform one of:

the initiating the random access request using the CFRA;

the initiating the random access request using the CBRA; or

initiating the random access request using both the CFRA and the CBRA.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the random access configuration further includes identification for the UE to perform, according to a predetermined priority, one of:

the initiating the random access request using the CFRA;

the initiating the random access request using the CBRA; or

initiating the random access request using both the CFRA and the CBRA.

7. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, comprising:

means for receiving, at a user equipment (UE), a random access configuration, wherein the random access configuration includes configuration for contention-free random access (CFRA) and contention-based random access (CBRA);

means for determining, at the UE, a first random access resource, wherein the first random access resource maps to one or more beams from a target base station;

means for initiating, by the UE, a random access request using the CFRA when the first random access resource is a contention-free resource;

means for determining, by the UE, a beam quality associated with the first random access resource; and

means for initiating, by the UE, the random access request using the CBRA when the first random access resource is the contention-free resource, and the beam quality of the first random access resource is below a threshold beam quality.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , further including:

means for receiving, at the UE, a random access response to the random access request using the CFRA, wherein the random access response identifies a next uplink transmission opportunity located after a next contention-based resource, wherein the next contention-based resource maps to one or more additional beams of the target base station; and

means for initiating, by the UE, CBRA at the next contention-based resource.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , further including:

means for failing, by the UE, to detect a random access response to the random access request using the CFRA prior to a predetermined period of time after the means for initiating the random access using the CFRA; and

means for initiating, by the UE, CBRA at a next contention-based resource, wherein the next contention-based resource maps to one or more additional beams of the target base station.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , further including one of:

means for initiating, by the UE, another random access request using the CBRA at contention-based random access resources in addition to the means for initiating the random access request using the CFRA; or

means for initiating, by the UE, the another random access request using the CFRA at contention-free random access resources in addition to the means for initiating the random access request using the CBRA.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the random access configuration further includes identification for the UE to perform one of:

the means for initiating the random access request using the CFRA;

the means for initiating the random access request using the CBRA; or

means for initiating the random access request using both the CFRA and the CBRA.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the random access configuration further includes identification for the UE to perform, according to a predetermined priority, one of:

the means for initiating the random access request using the CFRA;

the means for initiating the random access request using the CBRA; or

means for initiating the random access request using both the CFRA and the CBRA.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising:

program code executable by a computer for causing the computer to receive, at a user equipment (UE), a random access configuration, wherein the random access configuration includes configuration for contention-free random access (CFRA) and contention-based random access (CBRA);

program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to determine, at the UE, a first random access resource, wherein the first random access resource maps to one or more beams from a target base station;

program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate, by the UE, a random access request using the CFRA when the first random access resource is a contention-free resource;

program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to determine, by the UE, a beam quality associated with the first random access resource; and

program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate, by the UE, the random access request using the CBRA when the first random access resource is the contention-free resource, and the beam quality of the first random access resource is below a threshold beam quality.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further including:

program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to receive, at the UE, a random access response to the random access request using the CFRA, wherein the random access response identifies a next uplink transmission opportunity located after a next contention-based resource, wherein the next contention-based resource maps to one or more additional beams of the target base station; and

program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate, by the UE, CBRA at the next contention-based resource.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further including:

program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to fail, by the UE, to detect a random access response to the random access request using the CFRA prior to a predetermined period of time after the program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate the random access using the CFRA; and

program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate, by the UE, CBRA at a next contention-based resource, wherein the next contention-based resource maps to one or more additional beams of the target base station.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , further including one of:

program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate, by the UE, another random access request using the CBRA at contention-based random access resources in addition to the program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate the random access request using the CFRA; or

program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate, by the UE, the another random access request using the CFRA at contention-free random access resources in addition to the program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate the random access request using the CBRA.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the random access configuration further includes identification for the UE to perform one of:

the program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate the random access request using the CFRA;

the program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate the random access request using the CBRA; or

program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate the random access request using both the CFRA and the CBRA.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the random access configuration further includes identification for the UE to perform, according to a predetermined priority, one of:

the program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate the random access request using the CFRA;

the program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate the random access request using the CBRA; or

program code executable by the computer for causing the computer to initiate the random access request using both the CFRA and the CBRA.

19. An apparatus configured for wireless communication, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured:

to receive, at a user equipment (UE), a random access configuration, wherein the random access configuration includes configuration for contention-free random access (CFRA) and contention-based random access (CBRA);

to determine, at the UE, a first random access resource, wherein the first random access resource maps to one or more beams from a target base station;

to initiate, by the UE, a random access request using the CFRA when the first random access resource is a contention-free resource;

to determine, by the UE, a beam quality associated with the first random access resource; and

to initiate, by the UE, the random access request using the CBRA when the first random access resource is the contention-free resource, and the beam quality of the first random access resource is below a threshold beam quality.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , further including configuration of the at least one processor:

to receive, at the UE, a random access response to the random access request using the CFRA, wherein the random access response identifies a next uplink transmission opportunity located after a next contention-based resource, wherein the next contention-based resource maps to one or more additional beams of the target base station; and

to initiate, by the UE, CBRA at the next contention-based resource.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , further including configuration of the at least one processor:

to fail, by the UE, to detect a random access response to the random access request using the CFRA prior to a predetermined period of time after the configuration of the at least one processor to initiate the random access using the CFRA; and

to initiate, by the UE, CBRA at a next contention-based resource, wherein the next contention-based resource maps to one or more additional beams of the target base station.

22. The apparatus of claim 19 , further including configuration of the at least one processor to one of:

initiate, by the UE, another random access request using the CBRA at contention-based random access resources in addition to the configuration of the at least one processor to initiate the random access request using the CFRA; or

initiate, by the UE, the another random access request using the CFRA at contention-free random access resources in addition to the configuration of the at least one processor to initiate the random access request using the CBRA.

23. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the random access configuration further includes identification for the UE to perform one of:

the configuration of the at least one processor to initiate the random access request using the CFRA;

the configuration of the at least one processor to initiate the random access request using the CBRA; or

configuration of the at least one processor to initiate the random access request using both the CFRA and the CBRA.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the random access configuration further includes identification for the UE to perform, according to a predetermined priority, one of:

the configuration of the at least one processor to initiate the random access request using the CFRA;

the configuration of the at least one processor to initiate the random access request using the CBRA; or

configuration of the at least one processor to initiate the random access request using both the CFRA and the CBRA.