Method for network-assisted uplink time advance for extreme range support

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment from a base station, network signaling including information about one or more of a timing advance offset parameter, a timing advance scaling parameter, a processing-delay compensation parameter, and a timing advance extension parameters enabling threshold/condition;

receiving a timing advance index from the base station, the timing advance index being a multiplicative factor by which a largest timing advance value available under a physical random access channel (PRACH) format is multiplied when a distance from the base station to the user equipment is larger than a distance corresponding to the largest timing advance value;

adjusting parameters for uplink transmissions using the received timing advance index for the one or more of the timing advance offset parameter, the timing advance scaling parameter, the processing-delay compensation parameter, and the timing advance extension parameters enabling threshold/condition; and

performing uplink transmissions according to the adjusted parameters.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the uplink transmission is a random access message 3 or a transmission on an uplink shared channel.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a random access channel procedure including sending a preamble sequence to the base station, and receiving a random access response from the base station, said random access response including the timing advance index.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

adjusting operation with respect to hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment timing reporting procedures to match the processing-delay compensation parameter.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the adjusting of parameters comprises adjusting a processing delay for generating the uplink transmission.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, when network signaling includes information about the timing advance scaling parameter, a multiplicative scaling factor is applied to the timing advance index.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, when network signaling includes information about the processing-delay compensation parameter, the processing-delay compensation parameter is applied to relax timing-related delays.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, when network signaling includes information about the timing advance extension parameters enabling threshold/condition, the timing advance extension parameters enabling threshold/condition is based on user equipment received power levels or physical cell identifier information related to user equipment location.

9. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer-program code, the at least one memory and the computer-program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform:

receiving, by the apparatus from a base station, network signaling including information about one or more of a timing advance offset parameter, a timing advance scaling parameter, a processing-delay compensation parameter, and a timing advance extension parameters enabling threshold/condition;

receiving a timing advance index from the base station, the timing advance index being a multiplicative factor by which a largest timing advance value available under a physical random access channel (PRACH) format is multiplied when a distance from the base station to the apparatus is larger than a distance corresponding to the largest timing advance value;

adjusting parameters for uplink transmissions using the received timing advance index for the one or more of the timing advance offset parameter, the timing advance scaling parameter, the processing-delay compensation parameter, and the timing advance extension parameters enabling threshold/condition; and

performing uplink transmissions according to the adjusted parameters.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the uplink transmission is a random access message 3 or a transmission on an uplink shared channel.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer-program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform:

performing a random access channel procedure including sending a preamble sequence to the base station, and receiving a random access response from the base station, said random access response including the timing advance index.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer-program code are further configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform:

adjusting operation with respect to hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment timing reporting procedures to match the processing-delay compensation parameter.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the adjusting of parameters comprises adjusting a processing delay for generating the uplink transmission.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein network signaling is in the form of system information blocks.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein, when network signaling includes information about the timing advance scaling parameter, a multiplicative scaling factor is applied to the timing advance index.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein, when network signaling includes information about the processing-delay compensation parameter, the processing-delay compensation parameter is applied to relax timing-related delays.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the timing-related delays are hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment feedback timing requirements.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the timing advance index corresponds to the scaled timing advance index based on the timing advance scaling parameter.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9 , wherein, when network signaling includes information about the timing advance extension parameters enabling threshold/condition, the timing advance extension parameters enabling threshold/condition is based on user equipment received power levels or physical cell identifier information related to user equipment location.

20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code comprising code for performing:

receiving, by a user equipment from a base station, network signaling including information about one or more of a timing advance offset parameter, a timing advance scaling parameter, a processing-delay compensation parameter, and a timing advance extension parameters enabling threshold/condition;

receiving a timing advance index from the base station, the timing advance index being a multiplicative factor by which a largest timing advance value available under a physical random access channel (PRACH) format is multiplied when a distance from the base station to the user equipment is larger than a distance corresponding to the largest timing advance value;

adjusting parameters for uplink transmissions using the received timing advance index for the one or more of the timing advance offset parameter, the timing advance scaling parameter, the processing-delay compensation parameter, and the timing advance extension parameters enabling threshold/condition; and

performing uplink transmissions according to the adjusted parameters.