Acquiring on-demand system information for a cellular network

• US 10,341,976 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2018
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Ji, Tingfang, Horn, Gavin Bernard, Smee, John Edward, Soriaga, Joseph Binamira, Bhushan, Naga, Jiang, Jing, Azarian Yazdi, Kambiz, Ang, Peter Pui Lok, Gaal, Peter, Mukkavilli, Krishna Kiran, Gorokhov, Alexei Yurievitch
• Primary Examiner(s): Ghowrwal, Omar J
• Application Number:
  US16/035,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20180343631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/005 of common pilots, i.e. pilots destined for multiple users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0051 of dedicated pilots, i.e. pilots destined for a single user or terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0053 Allocation of signaling, i.e. of overhead other than pilot signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0058 Allocation criteria
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0015 one node acting as a reference for the others
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communication. In one method, a method of wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) includes receiving a synchronization signal. The synchronization signal may be common to a plurality of cells within a network. The method further includes acquiring a timing of the network based on the synchronization signal, and transmitting a pilot signal in response to acquiring the timing of the network. The pilot signal may identify the UE and be concurrently receivable by the plurality of cells within the network. Other aspects, features, and embodiments are also claimed and described.

Claims

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

receiving a synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal is common to a plurality of cells within a network, and wherein the synchronization signal comprises information common to the plurality of cells;

acquiring a timing of the network based on the synchronization signal;

transmitting an uplink communication signal after acquiring the timing of the network; and

receiving, after transmitting the uplink communication signal, unicast system information for the UE comprising at least one of;

an on-demand system information block (SIB), or an on-demand master information block (MIB).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink communication signal is concurrently receivable by the plurality of cells within the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the uplink communication signal comprises a spatial signature.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in response to transmitting the uplink communication signal, at least one of an uplink allocation for the UE, or a downlink control channel message.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

transmitting a radio resource control (RRC) connection request to the network in response to receiving at least one of;

the unicast system information or the uplink allocation for the UE.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal comprises system information request configuration information that indicates at least one of a SIB request occasion, a portion of a constellation identifier, or network access barring information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the uplink communication signal is transmitted in the indicated SIB request occasion.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal is received as a single frequency network (SFN) broadcast.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering a radio resource control (RRC) connected state with the network subsequent to acquiring the timing of the network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the RRC connected state comprises a first RRC connected state in a plurality of RRC connected states, and wherein the plurality of RRC connected states comprises a second RRC connected state, the method further comprising:

switching between at least the first RRC connected state and the second RRC connected state based at least in part on a determined traffic level.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving from the network a reselection command;

selecting, in response to the reselection command, a new constellation; and

transmitting the uplink communication signal in response to a second synchronization signal received from the new constellation.

12. A device for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

means for receiving a synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal is common to a plurality of cells within a network, and wherein the synchronization signal comprises information common to the plurality of cells;

means for acquiring a timing of the network based on the synchronization signal;

means for transmitting an uplink communication signal after acquiring the timing of the network; and

means for receiving, after transmitting the uplink communication signal, unicast system information for the UE comprising at least one of;

an on-demand system information block (SIB), or an on-demand master information block (MIB).

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the uplink communication signal is concurrently receivable by the plurality of cells within the network.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the uplink communication signal comprises a spatial signature.

15. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

means for receiving, in response to transmitting the uplink communication signal, at least one of an uplink allocation for the UE, or a downlink control channel message.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for transmitting a radio resource control (RRC) connection request to the network in response to receiving at least one of;

the unicast system information or the uplink allocation for the UE.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the synchronization signal comprises system information request configuration information that indicates at least one of a SIB request occasion, a portion of a constellation identifier, or network access barring information.

18. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

means for entering a radio resource control (RRC) connected state with the network subsequent to acquiring the timing of the network.

19. A device for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising a processor, memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to:

receive a synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal is common to a plurality of cells within a network, and wherein the synchronization signal comprises information common to the plurality of cells;

acquire a timing of the network based on the synchronization signal;

transmit an uplink communication signal after acquiring the timing of the network; and

receive, after transmitting the uplink communication signal, unicast system information for the UE comprising at least one of;

an on-demand system information block (SIB), or an on-demand master information block (MIB).

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the uplink communication signal is concurrently receivable by the plurality of cells within the network.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the uplink communication signal comprises a spatial signature.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

receive, in response to transmitting the uplink communication signal, at least one of an uplink allocation for the UE, or a downlink control channel message.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

transmit a radio resource control (RRC) connection request to the network in response to receiving at least one of;

the unicast system information or the uplink allocation for the UE.

24. The device of claim 19, wherein the synchronization signal comprises system information request configuration information that indicates at least one of a SIB request occasion, a portion of a constellation identifier, or network access barring information.

25. The device of claim 19, wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to:

enter a radio resource control (RRC) connected state with the network subsequent to acquiring the timing of the network.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), the code executable by a processor to:

receive a synchronization signal, wherein the synchronization signal is common to a plurality of cells within a network, and wherein the synchronization signal comprises information common to the plurality of cells;

acquire a timing of the network based on the synchronization signal;

transmit an uplink communication signal after acquiring the timing of the network; and

receive, after transmitting the uplink communication signal, unicast system information for the UE comprising at least one of;

an on-demand system information block (SIB), or an on-demand master information block (MIB).