Random access apparatus and method

• US 10,098,157 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Quan, Wei, Li, Bingzhao, Yang, Xiaodong, Hu, Zhenxing, Zhang, Jian
• Primary Examiner(s): CATTUNGAL, AJAY P
• Application Number:
  US15/338,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20170048891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/006 in the downlink, i.e. towards the terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/008 with additional processing of random access related information at receiving side
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/08 Non-scheduled access, e.g. ALOHA hybrid access H04W74/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide random access user equipment, including: a receiving module, configured to receive a notification message sent by a base station, where the notification message is used to instruct the user equipment UE to execute a random access procedure; a processing module, configured to determine, according to a configuration parameter in the notification message received by the receiving module, a PRACH resource used to execute the random access procedure; and a sending module, configured to send a random access code to the base station on the PRACH resource determined by the processing module; where the receiving module is configured to receive a random access response message sent by the base station. The embodiments of the present invention further provide a random access method. The present invention has an advantage that executing the random access procedure on an unlicensed spectrum can be implemented.

Claims

1. Random access user equipment, comprising:

a receiving module, configured to receive a notification message sent by a base station, wherein the notification message is used to instruct the user equipment (UE) to execute a random access procedure, and the notification message carries at least one of the following configuration parameters;

a random access code used by the UE to execute the random access procedure;

or

information about a physical random access channel (PRACH) resource that is configured on an unlicensed spectrum and that is used by the UE to execute the random access procedure;

a processing module, configured to determine, according to the configuration parameter in the notification message received by the receiving module, a PRACH resource used to execute the random access procedure; and

a sending module, configured to send the random access code to the base station on the PRACH resource determined by the processing module;

wherein

the receiving module is configured to receive a random access response message sent by the base station, and determine, according to the random access response message, that the random access procedure is successfully completed.

2. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the notification message received by the receiving module comprises a radio resource control (RRC) message, a media access control (MAC) message, or a physical layer (PHY) message.

3. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the random access code that is used by the UE to execute the random access procedure and that is carried in the notification message received by the receiving module comprises:

a dedicated random access code;

or

information used to instruct the UE to randomly select a random access code.

4. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the information that is about the PRACH resource and that is carried in the notification message received by the receiving module comprises:

a frequency domain location of the PRACH resource or a time domain location of the PRACH resource, wherein the PRACH resource is configured on the unlicensed spectrum and is used by the UE to execute the random access procedure.

5. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein when determining, according to the configuration parameter in the notification message, the PRACH resource used to execute the random access procedure, the processing module is configured to:

determine, according to the information that is about the PRACH resource and that is in the notification message, a location of the PRACH resource used to execute the random access procedure; and

the sending module is configured to send, at the determined location of the PRACH resource, the random access code carried in the notification message to the base station.

6. The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the notification message received by the receiving module further comprises:

at least one of a listening parameter that is used to listen on the unlicensed spectrum before the UE sends the random access code to the base station, or a validity time for sending the random access code by the UE, wherein

the listening parameter comprises at least one of a listening time, a backoff time, a power threshold, or an energy threshold.

7. The user equipment according to claim 6, wherein the processing module is further configured to:

listen to, according to the listening parameter, whether the determined PRACH resource configured on the unlicensed spectrum is idle, or listen to, according to the listening parameter, whether the unlicensed spectrum is idle; and

when it is detected, by listening, that the PRACH resource is idle or the unlicensed spectrum is idle, instruct the sending module to send the random access code to the base station on the PRACH resource during the validity time for sending the random access code, or instruct the sending module to send the random access code to the base station on the PRACH resource during the validity time for sending the random access code and after backoff is randomly performed for a specified time according to the backoff time.

8. The user equipment according to claim 7, wherein the receiving module is configured to:

determine a value of a random access radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI) according to protocol pre-configuration or a time domain location and a frequency domain location that are of the PRACH resource; and

decode, by using the RA-RNTI in a random access response receiving window, a scheduling command corresponding to the random access response message, and decode the random access response message according to the scheduling command.

9. The user equipment according to claim 8, wherein

a start location of the random access response receiving window comprises an N^th subframe after the UE sends the random access code;

or

a start location of the random access response receiving window comprises an N^th subframe after the specified validity time;

wherein N is a non-zero natural number.

10. A random access method, the method comprising:

receiving, by user equipment (UE), a notification message sent by abase station, wherein the notification message is used to instruct the UE to execute a random access procedure, and the notification message carries at least one of the following configuration parameters;

a random access code used by the UE to execute the random access procedure;

or

information about a physical random access channel PRACH resource that is configured on an unlicensed spectrum and that is used by the UE to execute the random access procedure;

determining, by the UE according to the configuration parameter in the notification message, a PRACH resource used to execute the random access procedure, and sending the random access code to the base station on the PRACH resource; and

receiving, by the UE, a random access response message sent by the base station, and determining, according to the random access response message, that the random access procedure is successfully completed.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the notification message comprises a radio resource control (RRC) message, a media access control (MAC) message, or a physical layer (PHY) message.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the random access code used by the UE to execute the random access procedure comprises:

a dedicated random access code;

or

information used to instruct the UE to randomly select a random access code.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the information about the PRACH resource that is configured on the unlicensed spectrum and that is used by the UE to execute the random access procedure comprises a frequency domain location of the PRACH resource or a time domain location of the PRACH resource.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein determining the PRACH resource used to execute the random access procedure, and sending the random access code to the base station on the PRACH resource comprises:

determining, by the UE according to the information that is about the PRACH resource and that is in the notification message, a location of the PRACH resource used to execute the random access procedure, and sending, at the determined location of the PRACH resource, the random access code carried in the notification message to the base station.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the notification message further comprises:

at least one of a listening parameter that is used to listen on the unlicensed spectrum before the UE sends the random access code to the base station, or a validity time for sending the random access code by the UE, wherein

the listening parameter comprises at least one of a listening time, a backoff time, a power threshold, or an energy threshold.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein before sending the random access code to the base station on the PRACH resource, the method further comprises:

listening to, by the UE according to the listening parameter, whether the determined PRACH resource configured on the unlicensed spectrum is idle, or listening to, by the UE according to the listening parameter, whether the determined unlicensed spectrum is idle; and

when it is detected, by listening, that the PRACH resource is idle or the unlicensed spectrum is idle, sending the random access code to the base station on the PRACH resource during the validity time for sending the random access code, or sending the random access code to the base station on the PRACH resource during the validity time for sending the random access code and after backoff is randomly performed for a specified time according to the backoff time.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein receiving, by the UE, the random access response message sent by the base station comprises:

determining, by the UE, a value of a random access radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI) according to protocol pre-configuration or a time domain location and a frequency domain location that are of the PRACH resource; and

decoding, by the UE by using the RA-RNTI in a random access response receiving window, a scheduling command corresponding to the random access response message, and decoding the random access response message according to the scheduling command.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein

a start location of the random access response receiving window comprises an N^th subframe after the UE sends the random access code;

or

a start location of the random access response receiving window comprises an N^th subframe after the specified validity time;

wherein N is a non-zero natural number.