In-channel narrowband companion air-interface assisted wideband RACH procedures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12471044-B2
Application number	US-202118267273-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2021
Priority date	Dec 16, 2020
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for in-channel narrowband (NB) companion air interface (CAI) assisted wideband (WB) random access channel (RACH) access. Periodic NB downlink (DL) synchronization sequences are detected. Range information is estimated by measuring the periodic NB DL synchronization sequences; and determining an NB CAI RACH occasion. The range information is transmitted to a gNode B (gNB), or other base station, in a NB CAI RACH procedure. At least one selected WB sequence based on the range information and at least one scheduled WB RACH occasion based on the NB CAI RACH occasion are received from the gNB. A contention free WB RACH procedure is performed based on the received at least one selected WB sequence and the at least one scheduled WB RACH occasion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method implemented in a wireless transmit-receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:
receiving a periodic downlink (DL) synchronization sequence on a narrowband air interface; transmitting, in a first random access channel (RACH) procedure for the narrowband air interface, to a base station, information regarding a range between the WTRU and the base station; receiving, in the first RACH procedure, from the base station, information indicating a RACH sequence for a wideband transceiver (WB TRX) and information indicating at least one RACH occasion for a second RACH procedure, wherein the RACH sequence for the WB TRX is based on a molecular absorption characteristic and the range; and transmitting the RACH sequence for the WB TRX, in the second RACH procedure, during a first RACH occasion of the at least one RACH occasion for the second RACH procedure.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the range is indicated by a field of a RACH message, by a preamble selected from a pool of preambles, or by a RACH occasion selected from a pool of RACH occasions.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first RACH procedure comprises a 4-step RACH procedure or a 2-step RACH procedure.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the RACH sequence for the WB TRX, during a second RACH occasion of the at least one RACH occasion for the second RACH procedure, on a condition that a RACH response is not received, in a configured amount of time, from the base station responsive to the RACH sequence for the WB TRX transmitted during the first RACH occasion.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating the range between the WTRU and the base station.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating the range between the WTRU and the base station based on a measurement of the periodic DL synchronization sequence.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a plurality of periodic DL synchronization sequences on the narrowband air interface and estimating the range between the WTRU and the base station based on the plurality of periodic DL synchronization sequences.

8 . A wireless transmit-receive unit (WTRU) comprising:
circuitry configured to receive a periodic downlink (DL) synchronization sequence on a narrowband air interface; circuitry configured to, in a first random access channel (RACH) procedure for the narrowband air interface:
transmit, to a base station, information regarding a range between the WTRU and the base station, and
receive, from the base station, information indicating a RACH sequence for a wideband transceiver (WB TRX) and information indicating at least one RACH occasion for a second RACH procedure, wherein the RACH sequence for the WB TRX is based on a molecular absorption characteristic and the range; and
circuitry configured to, in the second RACH procedure, transmit the RACH sequence for the WB TRX during a first RACH occasion of the at least one RACH occasion for the second RACH procedure.

9 . The WTRU of claim 8 , wherein the range is indicated by a field of a RACH message, by a preamble selected from a pool of preambles, or by a RACH occasion selected from a pool of RACH occasions.

10 . The WTRU of claim 8 , wherein the first RACH procedure comprises a 4-step RACH procedure or a 2-step RACH procedure.

11 . The WTRU of claim 8 , further comprising circuitry configured to transmit the RACH sequence for the WB TRX, during a second RACH occasion of the at least one RACH occasion for the second RACH procedure, on a condition that a RACH response is not received, in a configured amount of time, from the base station responsive to the RACH sequence for the WB TRX transmitted during the first RACH occasion.

12 . The WTRU of claim 8 , further comprising circuitry configured to estimate the range between the WTRU and the base station.

13 . The WTRU of claim 8 , further comprising circuitry configured to estimate the range between the WTRU and the base station based on a measurement of the periodic DL synchronization sequence.

14 . The WTRU of claim 8 , further comprising circuitry configured to receive a plurality of periodic DL synchronization sequences on the narrowband air interface and to estimate the range between the WTRU and the base station based on the plurality of periodic DL synchronization sequences.

15 . A base station comprising:
circuitry configured to transmit a periodic downlink (DL) synchronization sequence on a narrowband air interface; circuitry configured to, in a first random access channel (RACH) procedure for the narrowband air interface:
transmit, to a wireless transmit-receive unit (WTRU), information indicating a RACH sequence for a wideband transceiver (WB TRX) and information indicating at least one RACH occasion for a second RACH procedure, wherein the RACH sequence for the WB TRX is based on a molecular absorption characteristic and a range between the WTRU and the base station; and
circuitry configured to, in the second RACH procedure, receive the RACH sequence for the WB TRX during a first RACH occasion of the at least one RACH occasion for the second RACH procedure.

16 . The base station of claim 15 , wherein the range is indicated by a field of a RACH message, by a preamble selected from a pool of preambles, or by a RACH occasion selected from a pool of RACH occasions.

17 . The base station of claim 15 , wherein the first RACH procedure comprises a 4-step RACH procedure or a 2-step RACH procedure.

18 . The base station of claim 15 , further comprising circuitry configured to receive an indication of the range from the WTRU.

19 . The base station of claim 15 , wherein the range is an estimate based on the periodic DL synchronization sequence.

20 . The base station of claim 15 , further comprising circuitry configured to transmit a plurality of periodic DL synchronization sequences on the narrowband air interface to the WTRU, wherein the range is an estimate based on the plurality of periodic DL synchronization sequences.

Assignees

• Interdigital Patent Holdings Inc

Inventors

• Demir Alpaslan
• Goyal Sanjay
• Elkotby Hussain
• Haque Tanbir
• Pragada Ravikumar
• Cabrol Patrick
• Beluri Mihaela

Classifications

• H04W74/0836

  with 2-step access · CPC title

• H04W74/0838

  using contention-free random access [CFRA] · CPC title

• H04W74/0833

  Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access · CPC title

• Y02D30/70

  in wireless communication networks · CPC title

• H04W56/001 Primary

  Synchronization between nodes · CPC title