Initial access procedure using preconfigured resources

• US 11,057,934 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2017
• Issued: 07/06/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Abedini, Navid, Luo, Tao, Subramanian, Sundar, Islam, Muhammad Nazmul, Li, Junyi, Sampath, Ashwin, Cezanne, Juergen, Sadiq, Bilal, Mukkavilli, Krishna Kiran, Malladi, Durga Prasad, Koymen, Ozge, Maharshi, Atul
• Primary Examiner(s): Acolatse, Kodzovi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, The Hy
• Application Number:
  US15/409,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20180063868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/24 with feedback of measurements to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2041 Spot beam multiple access
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 1/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access

Abstract

In aspects, a user equipment may be configured to determine a preconfigured frequency band that is less than an available system bandwidth. The UE may be further configured to perform an initial access procedure with a base station using the preconfigured frequency band. The initial access procedure may include a random access channel (RACH) procedure.

Claims

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

transmitting, to a base station, a random access channel preamble over a first bandwidth of a system bandwidth that is less than the system bandwidth;

receiving, from the base station after transmitting the random access channel preamble, a random access channel response over the first bandwidth;

receiving, from the base station after transmitting the random access channel preamble, one or more reference signals over one or more portions of a second bandwidth of the system bandwidth, the second bandwidth being wider than the first bandwidth, the one or more portions of the second bandwidth being different than the first bandwidth, the one or more reference signals being usable for determining a beam to be used for data communication over the second bandwidth; and

receiving, from the base station, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) over the second bandwidth via the beam based on the one or more reference signals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing beam quality measurements of the one or more reference signals; and

transmitting, to the base station, feedback based on the beam quality measurements of the one or more reference signals and indicating a beam quality in the one or more portions of the second bandwidth.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second bandwidth is wider than the first bandwidth and encompassing the first bandwidth.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE transmits the random access channel preamble in an initial access procedure, the method further comprising:

performing a non-initial access procedure using a different configuration than a first configuration of the initial access procedure.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the different configuration includes using a RACH preamble sequence from a different set of preamble sequences than a first set of preamble sequences used for the initial access procedure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first bandwidth is a preconfigured number of megahertz (MHz) in a center of the system bandwidth.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the preconfigured number of MHz is between 20 MHz and 40 MHz.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a first set of the one or more reference signals is frequency-division multiplexed with one or more symbols received from the base station during an initial access procedure.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first set of the one or more reference signals is frequency-division multiplexed with the one or more symbols in at least one of a second message (MSG2) or a fourth message (MSG4).

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a resource for the one or more reference signals in one or more of a control signal of a MSG2, a control signal of a MSG4, a payload of the MSG2, a payload of the MSG4, a first layer (L1) signal, or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more of the control signal of the MSG2, the control signal of the MSG4, the payload of the MSG2, the payload of the MSG4,the L1 signal, or any combination thereof further indicates antenna port information associated with the one or more reference signals.

12. An apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

transmit, to abase station, a random access channel preamble over a first bandwidth of a system bandwidth that is less than the system bandwidth;

receive, from the base station after transmitting the random access channel preamble, a random access channel response over the first bandwidth;

receive, from the base station after transmitting the random access channel preamble, one or more reference signals over one or more portions of a second bandwidth of the system bandwidth, the second bandwidth being wider than the first bandwidth, the one or more portions of the second bandwidth being different than the first bandwidth, the one or more reference signals being usable for determining a beam to be used for data communication over the second bandwidth; and

receive, from the base station, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) over the second bandwidth via the beam based on the one or more reference signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

perform beam quality measurements of the one or more reference signals; and

transmit, to the base station, feedback based on the beam quality measurements of the one or more reference signals and indicating a beam quality in the one or more portions of the second bandwidth.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the second bandwidth is wider than the first bandwidth and encompassing the first bandwidth.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is configured to transmit the random access channel preamble in an initial access procedure, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

perform a non-initial access procedure using a different configuration than a first configuration of the initial access procedure.

16. A method of wireless communication by a base station, the method comprising :

receiving, from a user equipment (UE), a random access channel preamble over a first bandwidth of a system bandwidth that is less than the system bandwidth;

transmitting, to the UE after receiving the random access channel preamble, a random access channel response over the first bandwidth;

transmitting, to the UE after receiving the random access channel preamble, one or more reference signals over one or more portions of a second bandwidth of the system bandwidth, the second bandwidth being wider than the first bandwidth, the one or more portions of the second bandwidth being different than the first bandwidth, the one or more reference signals being usable for determining a beam to be used for data communication over the second bandwidth; and

transmitting, to the UE, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) over the second bandwidth via the beam based on the one or more reference signals.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the base station receives the random access channel preamble in an initial access procedure, the method further comprising:

receiving, from the UE, feedback based on the one or more reference signals, the feedback based on beam quality measurements in the one or more portions of the second bandwidth.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second bandwidth is wider than the first bandwidth and encompassing the first bandwidth.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the random access channel preamble is received in an initial access procedure, the method further comprising:

performing a non-initial access procedure with the UE using a different configuration than the initial access procedure.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the different configuration includes one of a third bandwidth that is one of wider than and encompassing the first bandwidth, at a different location than the first bandwidth, or one of multiple frequency bands used for the data communication other than the first bandwidth, and wherein the non-initial access procedure is different than transmission of the PDSCH.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the first bandwidth is a preconfigured number of megahertz (MHz) in a center of the system bandwidth.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the preconfigured number of MHz is between 20 MHz and 40 MHz.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein a first set of reference signals of the one or more reference signals is frequency-division multiplexed with one or more symbols transmitted by the base station during an initial access procedure.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first set of reference signals is frequency-division multiplexed with the one or more symbols in at least one of a second message (MSG2) or a fourth message (MSG4).

25. The method of claim 23, where a frequency band used for transmission of the first set of reference signals is different from the first bandwidth used for the initial access procedure.

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

indicating a resource in for the one or more reference signals in one or more of a control signal of a second message (MSG2), a control signal of a fourth message (MSG4), a payload of the MSG2, a payload of the MSG4, an L1 signal, or any combination thereof.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the one or more of the control signal of the MSG2, the control signal of a MSG4, the payload of the MSG2, the payload of the MSG4, the L1 signal, or the any combination thereof further indicates antenna port information associated with the one or more reference signals.

28. An apparatus for wireless communication by a base station, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

receive, from a user equipment (UE), a random access channel preamble over a first bandwidth of a system bandwidth that is less than the system bandwidth;

transmit, to the UE after receiving the random access channel preamble, a random access channel response over the first bandwidth;

transmit, to the UE after receiving the random access channel preamble, one or more reference signals over one or more portions of a second bandwidth of the system bandwidth, the second bandwidth being wider than the first bandwidth, the one or more portions of the second bandwidth being different than the first bandwidth, the one or more reference signals being usable for determining a beam to be used for data communication over the second bandwidth; and

transmit, to the UE, a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) over the second bandwidth via the beam based on the one or more reference signals.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive, from the UE, feedback based on the one or more reference signals, the feedback based on beam quality measurements in the one or more portions of the second bandwidth.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the second bandwidth is wider than the first bandwidth and encompassing the first bandwidth.