Patent Application

App. No. 19/095,250

Abstract

Claims (48)

1 . A method comprising:

providing a g NodeB (gNB) with parameters the gNB employs to configure system information for a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) sweeping and repetition operation, the gNB parameters comprising:

a total number of PRACH repetition and sweeping,

a first Random Access Channel (RACH) occasion index,

a RACH Occasion (RO) interval and period,

a number of PRACH repetition, and

a number of PRACH sweeping.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, using one or more of the parameters, multiple ROs' location by a user equipment (UE) for the PRACH sweeping and repetition operation.

3 . The method of claim 2 , the determination comprising:

the RACH occasion index [m, n]=first RACH occasion index+n*period+m* the RO interval, where n is from 0,1,2 . . . to (the (┌total number of RO in PRACH period/period┐−1), m is from 0,1,2 . . . to (the total number of PRACH repetition and sweeping−1); or

the RACH occasion index [m, n]=first RACH occasion index+n*period+m* RO interval, where n is from 0,1,2 . . . to (┌total number of RO in RO period/period ┌−1), m is from 0,1,2 . . . to (the total number of PRACH repetition and sweeping−1), where the total number of PRACH repetition and sweeping is the number of PRACH repetition multiplied by the number of PRACH sweeping.

4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising wherein a UE behavior for transmitting a Msg1 preamble for the PRACH sweeping and repetition operation comprises, if configuration by the gNB is both PRACH sweeping and repetition:

the UE first performing a PRACH sweeping operation in a repetition and sweeping set, and if there still are available ROs, then repeating a previous transmission pattern; or

the UE first performing a number of PRACH repetition operations, next performing a number of PRACH sweeping operations, and if (i) the UE does not support PRACH sweeping or (ii) a number of beams is less than the number of PRACH sweeping operations, then repeating a previous transmission pattern.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a UE behavior for transmitting a Msg1 preamble for the PRACH sweeping and repetition operation, which comprises:

if configuration by the gNB is PRACH repetition, a UE performs only the PRACH repetition operation.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a UE behavior for transmitting a Msg1 preamble for the PRACH sweeping and repetition operation, which comprises:

if configuration by the gNB is PRACH sweeping, a UE attempting PRACH sweeping, and if a number of beams less than the number of PRACH sweeping operations, repeating the transmission pattern.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a best beam, using an enhanced Medium Access Control (MAC) Random Access Response (RAR) format.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a best beam, using Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) DeModulation Reference Signal (DMRS)'s c init .

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a best beam, using a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) mask table.

10 . A method determining a Random Access-Radio Network Temporary Identity (RA-RNTI), comprising:

when a UE has multiple RO locations for transmitting the Msg1 preamble, the UE calculates the RA-RNTI based on a fixed one of the multiple RO locations.

11 . A method of distinguishing a legacy user equipment (UE) and an enhanced UE comprising:

separating ROs available for a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) repetition and sweeping transmission by the enhanced UE from those available for PRACH transmission by the legacy UE, or

separating preambles available for a PRACH repetition and sweeping transmission by the enhanced UE from those available for a PRACH transmission by the legacy UE.

12 . A method of reception of RA response in NR network, comprising:

sending, by a user equipment (UE) to a gNodeB (gNB), an N (N being an integer greater than 1) times Msg 1, on N consecutive Random Access Channel (RACH) Occasion (ROs) with a same Tx beam or a plurality of different Tx beams in a (Random Access) RA attempt; and

after the end of the N times transmissions, starting, by the UE, an Random Access Response (RAR) window, within which the UE monitors all the N Random Access Radio Network Temporary Identities (RA-RNTIs) to receive a network response; and

upon reception of a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) scrambled by any one of the N RA-RNTIs within the RAR window, when a random access preamble identifier (RAPID) in the RAR message matches with an index of the Msg1 transmitted, determining, by the UE, a successful reception of the RAR from the network.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

sending, by a user equipment (UE) to a gNodeB (gNB), the N times Msg 1 on N consecutive ROs on the plurality of different Tx beams;

after the determining, by the UE, of the successful reception of the RAR from the network, determining a best one out of the N transmission beams based on the RA-RNTI scrambling the PDCCH; and

using the best transmission beam for a consequent Msg3 transmission.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the gNB attempting to detect all N times transmissions of the Msg 1;

upon a successful detection; determining the RA-RNTI corresponding to the RO over which a highest Msg1 signal power was received; and

the gNB replying one RA response including an index of the successfully detected Msg1.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the gNB replies by the method comprising:

delivering the PDCCH scrambled by the determined RA-RNTI; and

transmitting the RAR message over a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) indicated by a downlink grant included in the PDCCH.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

upon reception of the PDCCH, the UE inferring the index of RO corresponding to the RA-RNTI scrambling the PDCCH, and

the UE determining the transmission beam over the RO as the best beam out of the N times transmissions.

Assignments (13)