IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,464,572
Granted Patent B2
US 12,464,572 · App. 17/662,838 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

BWP switching in RACH procedure

Inventors: Iyab Issam Sakhnini (San Diego, CA); Tao Luo (San Diego, CA); Xiaoxia Zhang (San Diego, CA); Jing Sun (San Diego, CA)
Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
H04W74/0841H04L27/26025H04W72/044H04W74/0833H04W74/0866
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,464,572
App. No.
17/662,838
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A user equipment (UE) may transmit a first random access message to a base station in a first bandwidth part (BWP), switch from the first BWP to a second BWP, and start a timer following a time gap after transmission of the first random access message in the first BWP, the timer associated with a window of time for receiving a second random access message from the base station in the second BWP. The window of time may be a random access response (RAR) window or a contention resolution window that may extend until the expiration of the timer. The switch from the first BWP to the second BWP may be based on a subcarrier spacing (SCS) change from a first SCS to a second SCS.

Claims (54)

1 . An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

memory; and

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

transmit, to a base station, a first random access message in a first bandwidth part (BWP) having a first subcarrier spacing (SCS);

switch from the first BWP to activate a second BWP after transmitting the first random access message, wherein the second BWP has a second SCS that is different than the first SCS;

delay, based on a BWP switch to the second BWP having a different SCS, starting a timer associated with a window of time for receiving a second random access message, wherein the delay includes a time gap associated with the BWP switch to the different SCS;

start the timer following the time gap after transmission of the first random access message in the first BWP; and

monitor for the second random access message in the second BWP prior to an expiration of the timer.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first random access message is a Msg 1, the second random access message is a Msg 2, and the window of time is a random access response (RAR) window that extends until the expiration of the timer.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first random access message is a Msg 3, the second random access message is a Msg 4, and the window of time is a contention resolution window that extends until the expiration of the timer.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a configuration of the time gap from the base station.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit a time gap candidate to the base station before the window of time, wherein the configuration of the time gap from the base station is based on the time gap candidate.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit, to the base station, an indication of support for a capability associated with a BWP switch delay, wherein the time gap is based on the support for the capability.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the time gap is based on a function of a BWP switch delay for switching the BWP from the first BWP to the second BWP.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the time gap is based on a relationship between the first SCS of the first BWP and the second SCS of the second BWP.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the time gap is further based on at least one of a first bandwidth of the first BWP or a second bandwidth of the second BWP.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the time gap is further based on a frequency gap between the first BWP and the second BWP.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the time gap includes one of a first time gap or a second time gap,

wherein the timer is one of a first timer or a second timer,

wherein the window of time associated with the first timer is a random access response (RAR) window for receiving a Msg 2, and the window of time associated with the second timer is a contention resolution window for receiving a Msg 4, and

wherein the first timer is configured to start following the first time gap following a Msg 1 in the first BWP or the second timer is configured to start following the second time gap following a Msg 3 in the first BWP.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first time gap provided before the first timer associated with the RAR window for receiving the Msg 2 and the second time gap provided before the second timer associated with the contention resolution window for receiving the Msg 4 have different time durations.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first time gap provided before the first timer associated with the RAR window for receiving the Msg 2 and the second time gap provided before the second timer associated with the contention resolution window for receiving the Msg 4 have a same time duration.

14 . A method of wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

transmitting, to a base station, a first random access message in a first bandwidth part (BWP) having a first subcarrier spacing (SCS);

switching from the first BWP to activate a second BWP after transmitting the first random access message, wherein the second BWP has a second SCS that is different than the first SCS;

delaying, based on a BWP switch to the second BWP having a different SCS, starting a timer associated with a window of time for receiving a second random access message, wherein a delay includes a time gap associated with the BWP switch to the different SCS;

starting the timer following the time gap after transmission of the first random access message in the first BWP; and

monitoring for the second random access message in the second BWP prior to an expiration of the timer.

15 . An apparatus for wireless communication at a network node, comprising:

memory; and

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

receive, from a user equipment (UE), a first random access message in a first bandwidth part (BWP);

delay, based on a BWP switch from the first BWP having a first subcarrier spacing to activate a second BWP having a different SCS, transmission of a second random access message, wherein the delay includes a time gap associated with the BWP switch to the different SCS; and

transmit the second random access message to the UE in the second BWP following the time gap after reception of the first random access message.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first random access message comprises a Msg 1 and the second random access message comprises a Msg 2, wherein the Msg 2 is transmitted within a random access response (RAR) window.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first random access message comprises a Msg 3 and the second random access message comprises a Msg 4, wherein the Msg 4 is transmitted within a contention resolution window.

18 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to transmit a configuration of the time gap to the UE.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive a time gap candidate for the UE before transmitting the second random access message, wherein the configuration of the time gap is based on the time gap candidate.

20 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive an indication of support for a capability of the UE associated with a BWP switch delay, wherein the time gap is based on the support for the capability.

21 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the time gap is based on a function of a BWP switch delay for switching the BWP from the first BWP to the second BWP.

22 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the time gap is based on a relationship between the first SCS of the first BWP and a second SCS of the second BWP.

23 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the time gap is further based on at least one of a first bandwidth of the first BWP or a second bandwidth of the second BWP.

24 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the time gap is further based on a frequency gap between the first BWP and the second BWP.

25 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first random access message includes a Msg 1 or a Msg 3, the second random access message includes a Msg 2 or a Msg 4, and the time gap includes a first time gap or a second time gap, and

wherein the Msg 2 is transmitted following the first time gap after the reception of the Msg 1, or

wherein the Msg 4 is transmitted following the second time gap after the reception of the Msg 3.

26 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the first time gap added before a Msg 2 transmission and the second time gap added before a Msg 4 transmission have different time lengths.

27 . The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the first time gap added before a Msg 2 transmission and the second time gap added before a Msg 4 transmission have a same time length.

28 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to switch from the first BWP to the second BWP after receiving the first random access message.

29 . A method of wireless communication at a network node, comprising:

receiving, from a user equipment (UE), a first random access message in a first bandwidth part (BWP);

delaying, based on a BWP switch from the first BWP having a first subcarrier spacing to activate a second BWP having a different SCS, transmission of a second random access message, wherein a delay includes a time gap associated with the BWP switch to the different SCS; and

transmitting the second random access message to the UE in the second BWP following the time gap after reception of the first random access message.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 26, 2022
From: SAKHNINI, IYAB ISSAM; LUO, TAO; ZHANG, XIAOXIA; SUN, JING
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 060029/0168 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63187316 · May 11, 2021
Related Publication 20220369384A1 · Nov 17, 2022
References Cited (6)
US 11930525B2 · Zhang · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20190357262A1 · Cirik et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2021029592A1 · 2021 [cited by examiner]
3GPP TS 38.133 V16.3.0 (Mar. 2020) (Year: 2020). [cited by examiner]
Hwang J., WO-2021029592-A1—Translated, Feb. 18, 2021, WIPO, (Year: 2021). [cited by examiner]
International Search Report and Written Opinion—PCT/US2022/028758—ISA/EPO—Jul. 14, 2022. [cited by applicant]