IP Library Granted Patent US 12,273,830
Granted Patent B2
US 12,273,830 · App. 17/427,165 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Synchronization signal block periodicity for cell reselection

Inventors: Lili Wei (Cupertino, CA); Qian Li (Cupertino, CA); Geng Wu (Cupertino, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04W56/001H04W36/08H04W76/10H04W88/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,273,830
App. No.
17/427,165
Granted
Apr 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Some embodiments of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for determining synchronization signal block (SSB) periodicity for cell reselection. In some embodiments, user equipment (UE) may establish a first connection with a first integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node using a first SSB periodicity. The UE may perform a cell reselection process and determine whether a number of candidate IAB nodes include a candidate IAB node with a previously stored candidate SSB periodicity corresponding to the candidate IAB node. If the UE identifies a candidate SSB periodicity, the UE may establish a second connection with the candidate IAB node using the candidate SSB periodicity. If the UE does not identify a previously stored candidate SSB periodicity, the UE may establish a second connection with a second IAB node using a second SSB periodicity that is less than the first SSB periodicity.

Claims (46)

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a first connection with a first integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node using a first synchronization signal block (SSB) periodicity;

performing a cell reselection process, the performing including determining whether a number of candidate IAB nodes include a candidate IAB node with a previously stored candidate SSB periodicity corresponding to the candidate IAB node;

determining that there is no previously stored candidate SSB periodicity corresponding to the number of candidate IAB nodes for the cell reselection process;

in response to the determining, establishing a second connection with a second IAB node using a second SSB periodicity, wherein the second SSB periodicity is less than the first SSB periodicity;

receiving an SSB from a third IAB node;

performing a radio resource measurement (RRM) using the SSB to determine a third SSB periodicity corresponding to the third IAB node; and

storing the third SSB periodicity in a list.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first SSB periodicity is 160 ms.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying the third SSB periodicity from the list during a second cell reselection process; and

establishing a third connection with the third IAB node using the third SSB periodicity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third IAB node is a parent node of the second IAB node.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third SSB periodicity corresponds to a distributed unit (DU) of the third IAB node.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the SSB is an off-raster SSB.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

radio front end circuitry; and

processing circuitry coupled to the radio front end circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

establish, via the radio front end circuitry, a first connection with a first integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node using a first synchronization signal block (SSB) periodicity;

perform a cell reselection process that includes determining whether a number of candidate IAB nodes include a candidate IAB node with a previously stored candidate SSB periodicity corresponding to the candidate IAB node;

determine that there is no previously stored candidate SSB periodicity corresponding to the number of candidate IAB nodes for the cell reselection process;

in response to the determining, establish, via the radio front end circuitry, a second connection with a second IAB node using a second SSB periodicity, wherein the second SSB periodicity is less than the first SSB periodicity;

receive an SSB from a third IAB node;

perform a radio resource measurement (RRM) using the SSB to determine a third SSB periodicity corresponding to the third IAB node; and

store the third SSB periodicity in a memory of the apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first SSB periodicity is 160 ms.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

identify the third SSB periodicity from the memory during a second cell reselection process; and

establish a third connection with the third IAB node using the third SSB periodicity.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the third IAB node is a parent node of the second IAB node.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the third SSB periodicity corresponds to a distributed unit (DU) of the third IAB node.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the SSB is an off-raster SSB.

13. A method, comprising:

establishing a first connection with a first integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node using a first synchronization signal block (SSB) periodicity;

receiving an SSB from a second IAB node;

performing a radio resource measurement (RRM) using the SSB to determine a second SSB periodicity corresponding to the second IAB node;

performing a cell reselection process to identify the second IAB node as a candidate IAB node;

establishing a second connection with the second IAB node using the second SSB periodicity;

identifying a deterioration of the second connection;

determining a lack of a candidate SSB periodicity corresponding to a candidate IAB node for a second cell reselection process; and

in response to the determining, establishing a third connection with a third IAB node using a third SSB periodicity, wherein the third SSB periodicity is less than the first SSB periodicity.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

storing the second SSB periodicity in a list.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second IAB node is a parent node of the first IAB node.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the second SSB periodicity corresponds to a distributed unit (DU) of the second IAB node.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the SSB is an off-raster SSB.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 15, 2026
From: WEI, LILI; LI, QIAN; WU, GENG
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 073489/0233 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2025
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 070352/0893 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62805203 · Feb 13, 2019
Related Publication 20220104154A1 · Mar 31, 2022
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