CELL STATE DETERMINING METHOD AND APPARATUS

1 . A cell state determining apparatus, applicable to a Network-Controlled repeater (NCR), the apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive relevant information of cell selection or reselection, and

processor circuitry configured to consider a cell as a candidate for cell selection for Network-Controlled repeater according to the relevant information of cell selection or reselection, and/or, ignore the relevant information of cell selection or reselection.

2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,

the relevant information of cell selection or reselection includes cell state information and/or cell restriction information, and/or intra-frequency reselection information.

3 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein,

the relevant information of cell selection or reselection is carried by a master system information block (MIB) and/or a system information block (SIB).

4 . The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein,

the cell state information includes at least one of the following information:

cell state information applicable to a terminal equipment (user equipment);

the cell restriction information includes the following information:

cell restriction information applicable to a terminal equipment and/or an IAB-MT;

and the intra-frequency reselection information includes intra-frequency reselection information applicable to a terminal equipment.

5 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the cell restriction information applicable to the terminal equipment and/or the IAB-MT includes at least one of the following information: a cell reserved state for operator use (cellReservedForOperatorUse), a cell reserved state for other use (cellReservedForOtherUse), and a cell reserved state for future use (cellReservedForFutureUse).

6 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein,

the processor circuitry is configured to ignore a field of cellBarred in the master system information block (MIB).

7 . The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein,

the processor circuitry is configured to ignore a field of cellReservedForOperatorUse and/or a field of cellReservedForOtherUse and/or a field of cellReservedForFutureUse in the system information block (SIB).

8 . The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein,

the processor circuitry is configured to ignore intra-frequency reselection information in the master system information block (MIB).

9 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the relevant information of cell selection or reselection includes or does not include repeater-specific cell state information and/or cell restriction information.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the repeater-specific cell state information and/or cell restriction information is used to indicate whether the cell is considered as a candidate for cell (re) selection for Network-Controlled repeater; and, indicate whether the cell supports the Network-Controlled repeater.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the repeater-specific cell state information and/or cell restriction information is contained in a field in a system information block 1 (SIB1).

12 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the field combines both the support of NCR and the cell status for NCR, if the field is present, the cell supports NCR and the cell is also considered as a candidate for cell (re) selection for NCRs, if the field is absent, the cell does not support NCR and/or the cell is barred for NCR.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein,

the processor circuitry is configured to consider a cell as a candidate for cell selection if the system information block (SIB) broadcasted by the cell indicates NCR support.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein,

in a case multiple PLMNs or NPNs indicated in a system information block 1 (SIB1),

the repeater-specific cell state information and/or cell restriction information is common to the multiple PLMNs or NPNs.

15 . A cell state determining apparatus, applicable to a network device, the apparatus including:

processor circuitry configured to generate relevant information of cell selection or reselection, wherein the relevant information of cell selection or reselection being used by a Network-Controlled repeater (NCR) to consider a cell as a candidate for cell selection, and/or, the relevant information of cell selection or reselection being ignored by a Network-Controlled repeater (NCR); and

a transmitter configured to transmit the relevant information of cell selection or reselection.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the relevant information of cell selection or reselection includes or does not include repeater-specific cell state information and/or cell restriction information.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the repeater-specific cell state information and/or cell restriction information is used to indicate whether the cell is considered as a candidate for cell (re) selection for Network-Controlled repeater; and, indicate whether the cell supports the Network-Controlled repeater.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the repeater-specific cell state information and/or cell restriction information is contained in a field in a system information block 1 (SIB1).

19 . The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the field combines both the support of NCR and the cell status for NCR, if the field is present, the cell supports NCR and the cell is also considered as a candidate for cell (re) selection for NCRs, if the field is absent, the cell does not support NCR and/or the cell is barred for NCR.

20 . The apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein,

the processor circuitry is configured to consider a cell as a candidate for cell selection if the system information block (SIB) broadcasted by the cell indicates NCR support.