Discovery and initial access for reduced-capability devices in 5G/6G

1. A method for a user device to select a base station, the method comprising:

a) determining a hailing frequency allocated for user devices to transmit hailing messages;

b) transmitting, on the hailing frequency, a hailing message comprising a request for a base station to transmit a reply message on the hailing frequency;

c) receive, during a predetermined interval, one or more reply messages, each reply message transmitted, at a calculated time, by a replying base station, responsive to the hailing message;

d) for each reply message, determining a time delay between transmitting the hailing message and receiving the reply message;

e) selecting, as a selected base station, one of the base stations according to the time delay; and

f) transmitting an entry request message to the selected base station.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hailing message and the reply message are configured according to 5G or 6G technology.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hailing message comprises an indication that the hailing message is a hailing message.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hailing message comprises an identification code of the user device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hailing message comprises an indication of a type of entity sought by the user device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hailing message comprises a demodulation reference, followed by a gap of no transmission, followed by a latitude and a longitude of the user device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the calculated time is inversely related to an amplitude of the hailing message as received by the replying base station.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting, as the selected base station, the base station that transmitted the reply message that is received, by the user device, with a largest received amplitude.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting, as the selected base station, the base station that transmitted the reply message that is received, by the user device, with a smallest time delay.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein each reply message includes an indication of a location of the replying base station.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

a) calculating, for each replying base station, according to the location of the replying base station, a distance between the user device and the replying base station; and

b) selecting, as the selected base station, the base station that is closest to the user device.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

a) the entry message comprises a request to continue communicating on a low-complexity channel; and

b) the low-complexity channel comprises the hailing frequency or a different frequency allocated for low-complexity communications.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, from a tabulation of base station data searchable according to location, the hailing frequency.

14. Non-transitory computer-readable media in a base station of a wireless network, the media containing instructions that when implemented in a computing environment cause a method to be performed, the method comprising:

a) determining a hailing frequency allocated for user devices to transmit hailing messages;

b) receiving, on the hailing frequency, a hailing message from a user device;

c) measuring an amplitude of the hailing message as received by the base station;

d) calculating, according to a formula based on the amplitude, a delay time;

e) while monitoring the hailing frequency, waiting the delay time;

f) upon expiration of the delay time, determining whether another base station is transmitting on the hailing frequency; and

g) upon determining that no other base station is transmitting on the hailing frequency, transmitting a reply message to the user device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the formula takes, as input, the measured amplitude and provides, as output, the delay time inversely related to the measured amplitude.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , the method further comprising:

a) upon determining that one or more other base stations have finished transmitting on the hailing frequency, transmitting the reply message to the user device.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the reply message comprises a frequency of a managed channel of the base station.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the reply message comprises an indication that the replying base station is a base station.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14 , wherein the reply message comprises information regarding access to the replying base station.

20. A processor comprising an AI (artificial intelligence) model, the processor configured to:

a) take, as input:

i) a list of base stations receiving a hailing message from a user device;

ii) a current occupancy of each base station in the list;

iii) a maximum capacity of each base station in the list; and

iv) an amplitude of the hailing message as received by each base station in the list;

b) and provide, as output, a selected base station that is to transmit a reply message to the user device.