METHODS FOR TRANSMITTING AND RECEIVING PHYSICAL RANDOM ACCESS CHANNEL (PRACH), BASE STATION AND USER EQUIPMENT

• US 20160150570A1
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Published: 05/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: WANG, Feng, LIU, Renmao
• Granted Patent: US 10,182,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/002 Transmission of channel access control information
• 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 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method performed by a base station. The method comprises: generating and transmitting a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) configuration parameter for a User Equipment (UE); detecting a random preamble sequence and/or a corresponding PRACH resource set transmitted from the UE, so as to determine a type and/or a coverage enhancement level of the UE; and generating a Random Access Response (RAR) based on the type and/or the coverage enhancement level of the UE. The present disclosure also provides a method performed by a UE and correspondingly a base station and a UE. With the present disclosure, it is possible to increase resource utilization for LTE to support MTC UEs, improve frequency spectrum/energy efficiency, and reduce time/frequency resource conflicts between cells.

Claims

1. A method performed by a base station, comprising:

generating and transmitting a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) configuration parameter for a User Equipment (UE);

detecting a random preamble sequence and/or a corresponding PRACH resource set transmitted from the UE, so as to determine a type and/or a coverage enhancement level of the UE; and

generating a Random Access Response (RAR) based on the type and/or the coverage enhancement level of the UE.

2-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A method performed by a User Equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) configuration parameter;

calculating a coverage enhancement level of the UE; and

selecting a PRACH resource set and a random access preamble sequence for random access.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the UE obtains from the PRACH configuration parameter a unique correspondence between the coverage enhancement level and a path loss, a UE measurement or a coverage enhancement level associated with a previous successful access, and calculating the coverage enhancement level of the UE based on the path loss, the UE measurement or the coverage enhancement level associated with the previous successful access.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the UE selects a random access preamble sequence based on the calculated coverage enhancement level and transmits the random access preamble sequence over the PRACH resource set corresponding to the calculated coverage enhancement level.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the UE selects a preamble sequence from preamble sequences for non-contention random access randomly and reuses the PRACH resource set corresponding to the preamble sequence.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the UE uses all or part of existing PRACH preamble sequences and uses an independent PRACH resource set, wherein the PRACH resource set of the UE does not conflict with any existing PRACH resource, existing reference signal or other existing channel.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the PRACH resource set includes N PRACH elements, where N is a positive integer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the PRACH elements are transmitted in a frequency hopping manner.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein each PRACH element has a fixed position in frequency domain.

17-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A base station, comprising:

a parameter generating unit configured to generate and transmit a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) configuration parameter for a User Equipment (UE);

a detecting unit configured to detect a random preamble sequence and/or a corresponding PRACH resource set transmitted from the UE, so as to determine a type and/or a coverage enhancement level of the UE; and

a responding unit configured to generate a Random Access Response (RAR) based on the type and/or the coverage enhancement level of the UE.

21. The base station of claim 20, wherein the parameter generating unit is configured to broadcast the PRACH configuration parameter for the UE over a physical layer broadcast channel in a serving cell.

22. The base station of claim 20, wherein the parameter generating unit is configured to transmit the PRACH configuration parameter for the UE in system information in accordance with a PRACH-ConfigSIB specification, or in mobility control information in accordance with a PRACH-Config specification.

23. The base station of claim 20, wherein the parameter generating unit is configured to transmit the PRACH configuration parameter for the UE in a System Information Block (SIB) or a Layer 2/Layer 3 message.

24. The base station of claim 20, wherein the PRACH configuration parameter for the UE comprises one or more of:

a basic parameter for a PRACH preamble sequence, a random access scheme, a coverage enhancement level configuration of a cell, duration periods of PRACH resource sets required for UEs having different coverage enhance levels, a PRACH element configuration in the PRACH resource set, and a time window for the UE to detect the RAR.

25. The base station of claim 20, wherein the detecting unit is configured to determine the type and/or the coverage enhancement level of the UE by detecting the random access preamble sequence transmitted from the UE in a pre-defined and/or pre-configured PRACH resource, wherein the PRACH resource set corresponds to the coverage enhancement level of UE uniquely.

26. The base station of claim 20, wherein the detecting unit is configured to determine the type and/or the coverage enhancement level of the UE by detecting a random access preamble signature of the UE, wherein the random access preamble signature of the UE corresponds to the coverage enhancement level of the UE.

27. A User Equipment (UE), comprising:

a parameter receiving unit configured to receive a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) configuration parameter;

a calculating unit configured to calculate a coverage enhancement level of the UE; and

an accessing unit configured to select a PRACH resource set and a random access preamble sequence for random access.

28. The UE of claim 27, wherein the calculating unit is configured to obtain from the PRACH configuration parameter a unique correspondence between the coverage enhancement level and a path loss and calculate the coverage enhancement level of the UE based on the path loss.

29. The UE of claim 27, wherein the accessing unit is configured to select a random access preamble sequence based on the calculated coverage enhancement level and transmit the random access preamble sequence over the PRACH resource set corresponding to the calculated coverage enhancement level.

30. The UE of claim 27, wherein the accessing unit is configured to select a preamble sequence from preamble sequences for non-contention random access randomly and reuse the PRACH resource set corresponding to the preamble sequence.