IP Library Granted Patent US 11,997,720
Granted Patent B2
US 11,997,720 · App. 17/284,904 · Granted May 28, 2024

Radio terminal, radio access network node, and method therefor

Inventor: Hisashi Futaki (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
H04W74/0833
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,997,720
App. No.
17/284,904
Granted
May 28, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A radio terminal ( 2 ) attempts to receive a second message of a 2-step random access procedure after transmitting a first message of the 2-step random access procedure. In response to successfully receiving the second message of the 2-step random access procedure and determining that the second message explicitly or implicitly indicates a fallback to a 4-step random access procedure, the radio terminal ( 2 ) further attempts to receive a control message that contains an uplink grant indicating uplink resources available for transmission of a third message of a 4-step random access procedure. This contributes to, for example, reducing the load on a radio terminal that supports a fallback from the 2-step random access procedure to the 4-step random access procedure.

Claims (69)

1. A method performed by a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising:

transmitting a first message of a 2-step Contention Based Random Access (CBRA) to a communication apparatus;

receiving a second message of the 2-step CBRA from the communication apparatus,

wherein the second message includes:

a Medium Access Control (MAC) subheader associated with a fallback, and

an uplink grant indicating an uplink resource to be used for transmission of a third message of a 4-step CBRA; and

transmitting, to the communication apparatus, the third message of the 4-step CRBA in accordance with the uplink grant in a case where the UE receives the second message.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

in a case where a preamble identifier included in a Random Access Preamble Identifier (RAPID) field of the second message of the 2-step CBRA matches an index of a preamble transmitted in the first message of the 2-step CBRA, considering that the second message of the 2-step CBRA has been successfully received.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

in a case where a window regarding a random access response expires and a preamble identifier included in a Random Access Preamble Identifier (RAPID) field of the second message of the 2-step CBRA does not match an index of a preamble transmitted in the first message of the 2-step CBRA,

performing the 2-step CBRA.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) addressed to a Temporary Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) in the second message;

considering that contention resolution is unsuccessful in a case where a Medium Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU) of a fourth message of the 4-step CBRA has been successfully decoded by a UE Contention Resolution Identity MAC Control Element (CE) included in the MAC PDU of the fourth message does not match a Common Control Channel Service Data Unit (CCCH SDU) transmitted in the third message of the 4-step CBRA; and

selecting which one of the 2-step CBRA and the 4-step CBRA is used to restart a random access, based on a count value of a PREAMBLE_TRANSMISSION_COUNTER that is used to count a number of preamble transmissions of the 2-step CBRA.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising receiving a maximum value of the PREAMBLE_TRANSMISSION_COUNTER from the communication apparatus via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

wherein the transmitting the first message of the 2-step CBRA to the communication apparatus includes transmitting the first message of the 2-step SBRA to the communication apparatus in a cell of the communication apparatus; and

wherein the receiving the second message of the 2-step CBRA from the communication apparatus includes receiving the second message of the 2-step CBRA from the communication apparatus in the cell,

receiving, from the communication apparatus, information indicating a maximum number of preamble transmissions of the 2-step CBRA; and

falling back to the 4-step CBRA in the cell after a number of preamble transmissions of the 2-step CBRA reaches the maximum number of preamble transmissions of the 2-step CBRA.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the MAC subheader is a MAC subheader indicating the fallback from the 2-step CBRA to the 4-step CBRA.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the third message is a message3 (msg3) in the 4-step CBRA.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the communication apparatus is a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) node of a gNB.

10. A User Equipment (UE) comprising:

at least one memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to:

transmit a first message of a 2-step Contention Based Random Access (CBRA) to a communication apparatus;

receive a second message of the 2-step CBRA from the communication apparatus,

wherein the second message includes:

a Medium Access Control (MAC) subheader associated with a fallback, and

an uplink grant indicating an uplink resource to be used for transmission of a third message of a 4-step CBRA; and

transmit, to the communication apparatus, the third message of the 4-step CBRA in accordance with the uplink grant in a case where the UE receives the second message.

11. The UE according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to,

in a case where a preamble identifier included in a Random Access Preamble Identifier (RAPIC) field of the second message of the 2-step CBRA matches an index of the preamble transmitted in the first message of the 2-step CBRA, consider that the second message of the 2-step CBRA has been successfully received.

12. The UE according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

in a case where a window regarding a random access response expires and a preamble identifier included in a Random Access Preamble Identifier (RAPID) field of the second message of the 2-step CBRA does not match an index of a preamble transmitted in the first message of the 2-step CBRA, perform transmission of the first message of the 2-step CBRA.

13. The UE according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) addressed to a Temporary Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) in the second message;

consider that contention resolution is unsuccessful in a case where a Medium Access Control Protocol Data Unit (MAC PDU) of a fourth message of the 4-step CBRA has been successfully decoded but a UE Contention Resolution Identity MAC Control Element (CE) included in the MAC PDU of the fourth message does not match a Common Control Channel Service Data Unit (CCCH SDU) transmitted in the third message of the 4-step CBRA; and

select which of the 2-step CBRA and the 4-step CBRA is used to restart a random access, based on a count value of a PREAMBLE_TRANSMISSION_COUNTER that is used to count a number of preamble transmissions of the 2-step CBRA.

14. The UE according to claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a maximum value of the PREAMBLE_TRANSMISSION_COUNTER from the communication apparatus via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message.

15. A method performed by a communication apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving a first message of a 2-step Contention Based Random Access (CBRA) from a User Equipment (UE);

transmitting a second message of the 2-step CBRA to the UE,

wherein the second message includes:

a Medium Access Control (MAC) subheader associated with a fallback, and

an uplink grant indicating an uplink resource to be used for transmission of a third message of a 4-step CBRA; and

receiving, from the UE, the third message of the 4-step CBRA transmitted in accordance with the uplink granting a case where the second message is transmitted.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising notifying, via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, the UE of a maximum value of a PREAMBLE_TRANSMISSION_COUNTER that is used to count a number of preamble transmissions of the 2-step CBRA.

17. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising:

wherein the receiving the first message of the 2-step CBRA from the UE includes receiving the first message of the 2-step SBRA from the UE in a cell of the communication apparatus; and

wherein the transmitting the second message of the 2-step CBRA to the UE includes transmitting the second message of the 2-step CBRA to the UE in the cell,

transmitting, to the UE, information indicating a maximum number of preamble transmissions of the 2-step CBRA,

wherein the information is used for falling back to the 4-step CBRA in the cell after a number of preamble transmissions of the 2-step CBRA reaches the maximum number of preamble transmissions of the 2-step CBRA.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the MAC subheader is a MAC subheader indicating the fallback from the 2-step CBRA to the 4-step CBRA.

19. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the third message is a message3 (msg3) in the 4-step CBRA.

20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the communication apparatus is a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN) node of a gNB.

21. A communication apparatus comprising:

at least one memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to:

receive a first message of a 2-step Contention Based Random Access (CBRA) from User Equipment (UE);

transmit a second message of the 2-step CBRA to the UE,

wherein the second message includes:

a Medium Access Control (MAC) subheader associated with a fallback, and

an uplink grant indicating an uplink resource to be used for transmission of a third message of a 4-step CBRA; and

receive, from the UE, the third message of the 4-step CBRA transmitted in accordance with the uplink grant in a case where the second message is transmitted.

22. The communication apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to notify, via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, the UE of a maximum value of a PREAMBLE_TRTANSMISSION_COUNTER that is used to count a number of preamble transmissions of the 2-step CBRA.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2022
From: FUTAKI, HISASHI
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059400/0396 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-202276 · Oct 26, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210385867A1 · Dec 9, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,200,800