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EP-3934361-B1 - APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR A MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

EP3934361B1EP 3934361 B1EP3934361 B1EP 3934361B1EP-3934361-B1

Inventors

  • SHARMA, VIVEK
  • MARTIN, BRIAN ALEXANDER
  • WONG, SHIN HORNG
  • BEALE, MARTIN WARWICK

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20180329

Claims (13)

  1. An apparatus comprising circuitry configured to perform a Random Access procedure that is based on one or more access control parameters (202) that are specific for a predefined coverage level, the circuitry is further configured to apply the coverage-specific access control parameters (202) based on its coverage level, wherein the coverage-specific access control parameters (202) comprise a coverage-specific barring factor (202-1), a coverage-specific barring time (202-2), and/or coverage-specific access class bits (202-3).
  2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to receive, for one or more predefined coverage levels, one or more access control parameters (202) that are specific for the respective coverage level.
  3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to determine its coverage level by measurement.
  4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein there are four predefined coverage levels and/or there are two predefined coverage modes.
  5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a barring time depends on the coverage level.
  6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform a modified Random Access procedure in enhanced coverage and to take coverage level specific access barring parameters into account.
  7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform a coverage level reselection process.
  8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform an access barring check for a specific coverage level within a coverage level reselection process.
  9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is configured to perform the access barring check when the coverage level changes during a Random Access procedure.
  10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the circuitry is configured to, if the access barring check for the specific coverage level is successful, select a Random Access Preambles group, a Response Window Size, a Contention Resolution Timer, and/or a PRACH resource corresponding to the selected enhanced coverage level.
  11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the access barring check is performed on the MAC layer.
  12. Method performed by a user equipment comprising a step of performing a Random Access procedure that is based on one or more access control parameters that are specific for a predefined coverage level, a step of applying the coverage-specific access control parameters (202) based on its coverage level and, wherein the coverage-specific access control parameters (202) comprise a coverage-specific barring factor (202-1), a coverage-specific barring time (202-2), and/or coverage-specific access class bits (202-3).
  13. Computer program including instructions, the instructions when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform a Random Access procedure that is based on one or more access control parameters that are specific for a predefined coverage level, applying the coverage-specific access control parameters (202) based on its coverage level and, wherein the coverage-specific access control parameters (202) comprise a coverage-specific barring factor (202-1), a coverage-specific barring time (202-2), and/or coverage-specific access class bits (202-3).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure provides an apparatus, a method, and a computer program as defined in the appended set of claims. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND Long Term Evolution ("LTE") is a candidate for providing the requirements of 5G, which is a wireless communication technology allowing high-speed data communications for mobile phones and data terminals and which is already used for 4G mobile telecommunications systems. Other candidates for meeting the 5G requirements are termed New Radio Access Technology Systems (NR). An NR can be based on LTE technology, just as LTE was based on previous generations of mobile communications technology. LTE is based on the GSM/EDGE ("Global System for Mobile Communications"/"Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution" also called EGPRS) of the second generation ("2G") and UMTS/HSPA ("Universal Mobile Telecommunications System"/"High Speed Packet Access") of the third generation "3G") network technologies. LTE is standardized under the control of 3GPP ("3rd Generation Partnership Project"). There exists a successor LTE-A (LTE Advanced) allowing higher data rates than the basic LTE which is also standardized under the control of 3GPP. For the future, 3GPP plans to further develop LTE-A such that it will be able to fulfill the technical requirements of 5G. The term "Internet of things" (IoT) denotes the inter-networking of physical devices, vehicles, buildings, and other items that are provided with electronics, software, sensors, actuators, and network connectivity that enable these objects to collect and exchange data. Such objects are also referred to as "connected devices" and "smart devices". Machine-type Communication (MTC) enables IoT devices to exchange information in an autonomous way without human intervention. 3GPP is in the process of improving LTE networks for Machine-type Communication (MTC). Examples are enhanced NB-IoT (eNB-IoT) with new power classes, improved mobility support and multicast messaging, or further enhancements for eMTC (feMTC) including VoLTE support and multicast messaging. These improvements are the next steps in the direction of 5G networks for massive MTC (mMTC). eMTC (enhanced Machine Type Communication) is a 3GPP IoT technology that supports low-cost and high coverage for such machine-type communication devices. The technology is based on Long Term Evolution ("LTE") and eMTC devices are supported within an LTE host carrier. With Release 13 of the 3GPP standards LTE-M has been developed for LTE M2M communications. LTE-M introduces new categories known as LTE Cat 1.4MHz and LTE Cat 200kHz. In Patent Literature US 2016/330768 A1 it is disclosed a random access method and an apparatus. It is disclosed: Acquiring of at least one group of physical random access channel PRACH configuration information that has been stored, where the at least one group of PRACH configuration information is carried in system information sent by the base station; parsing the at least one group of PRACH configuration information to obtain a corresponding start PRACH resource; and sending a preamble to the base station starting from the start PRACH resource, so that the base station establishes a connection to the terminal device according to the preamble. In Patent Literature EP 3 082 366 A1 it is disclosed a transmitting and receiving of system information which includes controlling the transmission and/or the reception to transmit and/or receive system information including a coverage enhancement level indication for indicating enhanced coverage levels supported by the wireless communication system and to transmit and/or receive system information including a group of information elements common for different coverage enhancement levels and information elements specific for different coverage enhancement levels grouped for respective coverage enhancement levels. In non-Patent Literature VODAFONE: "Further consideration of Access Control for NR", 3GPP DRAFT; R2-1702807, 3RD GENERATION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT (3GPP), MOBILE COMPETENCE CENTRE; 650, ROUTE DES LUCIOLES ; F-06921 SOPHIA-ANTIPOLIS CEDEX ; FRANCE, vol. RAN WG2, no. SPOKANE, USA; 20170403 - 20170407 24 March 2017(2017-03-24), XP051253665 it is disclosed to differentiate barring mechanisms based on the coverage level the UE is measuring. In non-Patent Literature ALCATEL-LUCENT ET AL: "Coverage Enhancement Targets", 3GPP DRAFT; R1-144695 - REL-13 MTC - COVERAGE ENHANCEMENT TARGETS V02, 3RD GENERATION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT (3GPP), MOBILE COMPETENCE CENTRE; 650, ROUTE DES LUCIOLES; F-06921 SOPHIA-ANTIPOLIS CEDEX ;vol. RAN WG1, no. San Francisco, USA; 20141117-20141121 17 November 2014 (2014-11-17), XP050875778 it is proposed a single coverage enhancement target (as a number of dB) which is defined for all UE categories. This target is to be set independently for each physical channel, as the greatest relative coverage enhancement required for that physical channel across all UE categories. In non-Patent Literature