Beam-specific coverage enhancement for random access procedure

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

receiving, from a scheduling entity, remaining minimum system information (RMSI) in a beam sweep comprising a plurality of beams wherein the RMSI includes beam-specific information and indicates a time window comprising a plurality of segments;

identifying, based on the RMSI, one or more beams of the plurality of beams wherein a coverage enhancement technique is applicable to the identified one or more beams for-a random access procedure;

receiving at least one random access message in a first segment of the time window using the coverage enhancement technique wherein the coverage enhancement technique comprises a repetition of the at least one random access message on at least one of the identified one or more beams; and

receiving the at least one random access message in a second segment of the time window without using the coverage enhancement technique.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting a random access request to the scheduling entity to initiate the random access procedure.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RMSI comprises at least one of:

a bitfield configured to indicate a beam index of each of the one or more beams configured to use the coverage enhancement technique in the random access procedure;

a bitfield configured to indicate the number of repetitions of the at least one random access message according to the coverage enhancement technique; or

a bitfield configured to indicate the coverage enhancement technique among a plurality of predefined coverage enhancement techniques.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the scheduling entity, a beam refinement signal prior to receiving the at least one random access message; and

refining a beam of the one or more beams for receiving the at least one random access message based on the beam refinement signal.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at least one of:

receiving a repetition of the at least one random access message on the one or more beams according to the coverage enhancement technique; or

transmitting a repetition of the at least one random access message on the one or more beams according to the coverage enhancement technique.

6. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:

a communication interface;

a memory; and

a processor operatively coupled with the communication interface and the memory,

wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

receive, via the communication interface, remaining minimum system information (RMSI) transmitted by a scheduling entity in a beam sweep comprising a plurality of beams, wherein the RMSI includes beam-specific information and indicates a time window comprising a plurality of segments;

identify, based on the system information, one or more beams of the plurality of beams wherein a coverage enhancement technique is applicable to the identified one or more beams for a random access procedure; and

receiving at least one random access message in a first segment of the time window using the coverage enhancement technique wherein the coverage enhancement technique comprises a repetition of the at least one random access message on at least one of the identified one or more beams; and

receive the at least one random access message in a second segment of the time window without using the coverage enhancement technique.

7. The UE of claim 6 , wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

transmit a random access request to the scheduling entity to initiate the random access procedure.

8. The UE of claim 6 , wherein the RMSI comprises at least one of:

a bitfield configured to indicate a beam index of each of the one or more beams configured to use the coverage enhancement technique in the random access procedure;

a bitfield configured to indicate the number of repetitions of the at least one random access message according to the coverage enhancement technique; or

a bitfield configured to indicate the coverage enhancement technique among a plurality of predefined coverage enhancement techniques.

9. The UE of claim 6 , wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

receive, from the scheduling entity, a beam refinement signal prior to receiving the at least one random access message; and

refine a beam of the one or more beams for receiving the random access message based on the beam refinement signal.

10. The UE of claim 6 , wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to, at least one of:

receive a repetition of the random access message on the one or more beams according to the coverage enhancement technique; or

transmit a repetition of the at least one random access message on the one or more beams according to the coverage enhancement technique.

11. A method of wireless communication at a scheduling entity, comprising:

transmitting remaining minimum system information (RMSI) in a beam sweep comprising a plurality of beams, the RMSI identifying one or more beams of the plurality of beams wherein a coverage enhancement technique is applicable to the identified one or more beams in a random access procedure and wherein the RMSI indicates a time window comprising a plurality of segments;

receiving, from a user equipment (UE), a random access request associated with the random access procedure; and

transmitting, to the UE, a random access response (RAR) associated with the random access procedure in a first segment of the time window using the coverage enhancement technique wherein the coverage enhancement technique comprises a repetition of the RAR on at least one of the identified one or more beams; and

transmitting the RAR in a second segment of the RAR window without using the coverage enhancement technique.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the RMSI comprises, at least one of:

a bitfield configured to indicate a beam index of each of the one or more beams configured to use the coverage enhancement technique in the random access procedure;

a bitfield configured to indicate the number of repetitions of the random access request according to the coverage enhancement technique;

a bitfield configured to indicate a number of repetitions of the RAR using according to the coverage enhancement technique; or

a bitfield configured to indicate the coverage enhancement technique among a plurality of predefined coverage enhancement techniques.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

transmitting a beam refinement signal for facilitating beam refinement prior to transmitting the RAR associated with the random access procedure.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, at least one of:

receiving a repetition of the random access request on the one or more beams according to the coverage enhancement technique; or

transmitting a repetition of the RAR on the one or more beams according to the coverage enhancement technique.

15. A scheduling entity for wireless communication, comprising:

a communication interface;

a memory; and

a processor operatively coupled with the communication interface and the memory,

wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:

transmit, via the communication interface, remaining minimum system information (RMSI) in a beam sweep comprising a plurality of beams, the RMSI identifying one or more beams of the plurality of beams wherein a coverage enhancement technique is applicable to the identified one or more beams and the coverage enhancement technique is beam-specific in a random access procedure and wherein the RMSI indicates a time window comprising a plurality of segments;

receive, via the communication interface, from a user equipment (UE), a random access request associated with the random access procedure; and

transmit, via the communication interface to the UE, a random access response (RAR) associated with the random access procedure in a first segment of the RAR time window using the coverage enhancement technique wherein the coverage enhancement technique comprises a repetition of the RAR on at least one of the identified one or more beams; and

transmit the RAR in a second segment of the RAR window without using the coverage enhancement technique.

16. The scheduling entity of claim 15 , wherein the RMSI comprises at least one of:

a bitfield configured to indicate a beam index of each of the one or more beams configured to use the coverage enhancement technique in the random access procedure;

a bitfield configured to indicate the number of repetitions of the random access request according to the coverage enhancement technique;

a bitfield configured to indicate a number of repetitions of the RAR according to the coverage enhancement technique; or

a bitfield configured to indicate the coverage enhancement technique among a plurality of predefined coverage enhancement techniques.

17. The scheduling entity of claim 15 , wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:

transmit a beam refinement signal for beam refinement prior to transmitting the RAR associated with a random access procedure.

18. The scheduling entity of claim 15 , wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to, at least one of:

receiving a repetition of the random access request on the one or more beams according to the coverage enhancement technique; or

transmit a repetition of the RAR on the one or more beams according to the coverage enhancement technique.