Network Node, User Equipment and Methods Therein for Random Access Handling

• US 20130301608A1
• Filed: 05/09/2012
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Frenne, Mattias, Baldemair, Robert, Cheng, Jung-Fu, Larsson, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,995,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/004 in the uplink, i.e. towards network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access

Abstract

A method in a User Equipment (150), UE, for handling random access procedure to a wireless communications network via a network node (140), the UE (150) being configured to support transmissions on a Control CHannel, CCH, on an enhanced Control CHannel, eCCH, or on both. The method comprises sending (S160) a random access preamble to the network node, and receiving (S162) a random access response from the network node on at least one of the CCH or the eCCH. The random access preamble comprising a UE indication indicating that the UE is configured to monitor transmissions on the CCH, on the eCCH or on both;

A user equipment, a method in network node and a network node are also provided.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A method in a network node for handling random access procedures that provide User Equipments (UEs) access to a wireless communications network via the network node, wherein the network node supports both transmissions on a Control CHannel (CCH) and on an enhanced Control CHannel (eCCH), and the method comprises:

receiving a random access preamble from at least one UE in the wireless communications network, the random access preamble comprising a UE indication indicating whether the UE is configured to monitor transmissions on the CCH, on the eCCH, or on both; and

transmitting a random access response to the UE on at least one of the CCH and the eCCH, enabling the UE to monitor the transmissions.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting a random access response to the UE on both the CCH and the eCCH.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the random access response schedules the same downlink assignments for resources for both CCH and eCCH.

36. The method according to claim 33, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the UE has indicated that the UE is configured to monitor transmissions on the CCH or on the eCCH based on the received UE indication;

transmitting a random access response to the UE on the CCH, based on determining that the UE has indicated that the UE is configured to monitor transmissions on the CCH; and

transmitting a random access response to the UE on the eCCH, based on determining that the UE has indicated that it monitors transmissions on the eCCH.

37. The method according claim 33, wherein the method comprises transmitting a system information message to the UE, informing the UE of supported transmissions on the CCH and the eCCH.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the method comprises transmitting a system information message to neighbouring network nodes, enabling the neighbouring nodes to provide the system information message to UEs during a handover procedure from one of the neighbouring network nodes to the network node.

39. The method according to claim 33, wherein the method comprises transmitting a system information message to the UE comprising a request requesting the UE to indicate which of the CCH or the eCCH the UE is configured to monitor transmissions on.

40. The method according to claim 33, wherein the UE indication is based on a use of any one or more of:

reserved preambles sequences and reserved time-frequency resources.

41. The method according to claim 33, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting a random access response to the UE on at least one of the CCH and the eCCH, based on the received UE indication.

42. The method according to claim 33, wherein the CCH is a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) and the eCCH is an enhanced PDCCH (ePDCCH).

43. A network node for handling of random access procedures providing User Equipments (UEs) access to a wireless communications network via the network node, wherein the network node is configured to support both transmissions on a control channel (CCH) and on an enhanced control channel (eCCH), and comprises transceiver circuitry configured to:

receive a random access preamble from at least one UE in the wireless communications network, the random access preamble comprising a UE indication indicating that the UE is configured to monitor transmissions on the CCH, on the eCCH, or on both; and

transmit a random access response to the UE on at least one of the CCH and the eCCH, enabling the UE to monitor the transmissions.

44. The network node according to claim 43, wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured to transmit a random access response to the UE on both the CCH and the eCCH.

45. The network node according to claim 44, wherein the random access response schedules the same downlink assignments for resources for both CCH and eCCH.

46. The network node according to claim 43, wherein the network node comprises processor circuitry configured to determine whether the UE has indicated that the UE is configured to monitor transmissions on the CCH or on the eCCH, based on the received UE indication, and wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured to:

transmit a random access response to the UE on the CCH, based on determining that the UE has indicated that the UE is configured to monitor transmissions on the CCH;

or,

transmit a random access response to the UE on the eCCH, based on determining that the UE has indicated that the UE is configured to monitor transmissions on the eCCH.

47. The network node according to claim 43, wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured to transmit a system information message to the UE, informing the UE of supported transmissions on the CCH and the eCCH.

48. The network node according to claim 43, wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured to transmit a system information message to the UE comprising a request requesting the UE to indicate which of the CCH and the eCCH the UE is configured to monitor transmission on.

49. The network node according to claim 43, wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured to transmit a system information message to neighbouring network nodes, enabling the neighbouring nodes to provide the system information message to UEs during a handover procedure from one of the neighbouring network nodes to the network node.

50. The network node according to claim 43, wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured to transmit a random access response to the UE on at least one of the CCH and the eCCH, based on the received UE indication indicating which of the CCH and the eCCH the UE monitors.

51. The network node according to claim 43, wherein the CCH is a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) and the eCCH is an enhanced PDCCH (ePDCCH).

52. A method in a User Equipment (UE) for handling random access procedures to a wireless communications network via a network node, wherein the UE supports transmissions on a Control CHannel (CCH), or on an enhanced Control CHannel (eCCH), or on both, and wherein the method comprises:

sending a random access preamble to the network node, the random access preamble comprising a UE indication indicating that the UE is configured to monitor transmissions on the CCH, on the eCCH, or on both; and

receiving a random access response from the network node on at least one of the CCH or the eCCH, enabling the UE to monitor the transmissions.

53. The method according to claim 52 wherein the receiving comprises receiving a random access response from the network node on both the CCH and the eCCH.

54. The method according to claim 53, wherein the random access response schedules the same downlink assignments for resources for both CCH and eCCH.

55. The method according to claim 52, wherein the sending is performed upon receiving a system information message from the network node, informing the UE of supported network node transmissions on the CCH and on the eCCH.

56. The method according to claim 52, wherein the method further comprises receiving a system information message from the network node, or from a target neighbour node to which the UE is handed over to, said system information message comprising a request requesting the UE to indicate which of the CCH and the eCCH the UE is configured to monitor transmissions on.

57. The method according to claim 52, wherein the UE indication is based on a use of any one or more of:

reserved preambles sequences and reserved time-frequency resources.

58. The method according to claim 52, wherein the CCH is a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) and the eCCH is an enhanced PDCCH (ePDCCH).

59. The method according to claim 52, wherein the receiving comprises receiving one or more timers, each indicating a time period for which the UE should monitor the CCH or the eCCH and when to switch monitoring from one of the monitored CCH and eCCH to the other one.

60. A User Equipment (UE) configured for handling a random access procedure to a wireless communications network via a network node, wherein the UE is configured to support transmissions on a Control CHannel (CCH), or on an enhanced Control CHannel (eCCH), or on both, and further wherein the UE comprises transceiver circuitry configured to:

send a random access preamble to the network node, the random access preamble comprising a UE indication indicating that the UE is configured to monitor transmissions on the CCH, on the eCCH or on both; and

,

receive a random access response from the network node, on at least one of the CCH or the eCCH, enabling the UE to monitor the transmissions.

61. The UE according to claim 60, wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured to receive a random access response from the network node, on both the CCH and the eCCH.

62. The UE according to claim 60, wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured to receive a system information message from the network node, and wherein the UE comprises a processor circuitry configured to determine whether the received system information message includes information indicating supported network node transmissions on the CCH and on the eCCH.

63. The UE according to claim 60, wherein the UE indication indicates the UE configuration and is based on a use by the UE of any one or more of:

reserved preambles sequences or reserved time-frequency resources.

64. The UE according to claim 60, wherein the transceiver circuitry is configured to retrieve, or receive from the network node, one or more timers, each indicating a time period for which the UE should monitor the CCH or the eCCH and when to switch monitoring from one of the monitored CCH and eCCH to the other one.