WO2024216773A1

WO2024216773A1 - Systems and methods for determining an access

Info

Publication number: WO2024216773A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/108589
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yunlu WANG; Shujuan Zhang; Yijian Chen; Xinquan YE; Guangyan Lu; Hongkang YU
Original assignee: ZTE Corp
Current assignee: ZTE Corp
Priority date: 2023-07-21
Filing date: 2023-07-21
Publication date: 2024-10-24
Anticipated expiration: 2026-01-21

Abstract

Presented are systems and methods for determining an access. A second wireless communication node (e.g., a smart relay (SR) ) determine information related to access according to a received first message from a first wireless communication node (e.g., a base station (BS) ) or according to a rule. The second wireless communication node may determine a third wireless communication node to access according to the information related to access. The second wireless communication node may access to the third wireless communication node, if any. The second wireless communication node can be a type of middle wireless communication nodes between the first wireless communication node and a fourth wireless communication node.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING AN ACCESS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including but not limited to systems and methods for determining an access.

BACKGROUND

The standardization organization Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is currently in the process of specifying a new Radio Interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR) as well as a Next Generation Packet Core Network (NG-CN or NGC) . The 5G NR will have three main components: a 5G Access Network (5G-AN) , a 5G Core Network (5GC) , and a User Equipment (UE) . In order to facilitate the enablement of different data services and requirements, the elements of the 5GC, also called Network Functions, have been simplified with some of them being software based, and some being hardware based, so that they could be adapted according to need.

SUMMARY

The example embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving the issues relating to one or more of the problems presented in the prior art, as well as providing additional features that will become readily apparent by reference to the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings. In accordance with various embodiments, example systems, methods, devices and computer program products are disclosed herein. It is understood, however, that these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not limiting, and it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art who read the present disclosure that various modifications to the disclosed embodiments (e.g., including combining features from various disclosed examples, embodiments and/or implementations) can be made while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

At least one aspect is directed to a system, method, apparatus, or a computer-readable medium of the following. A second wireless communication node (e.g., a smart rely (SR) ) determine information related to access according to a received first message from a first wireless communication node (e.g., a base station (BS) ) or according to a rule. The second wireless communication node may determine a third wireless communication node to access according to the information related to access. The second wireless communication node may access to the third wireless communication node, if any. The second wireless communication node can be a type of middle wireless communication nodes between the first wireless communication node and a fourth wireless communication node.

In some embodiments, the information related to access in the received first message may include at least one of: whether the first wireless communication node support the type of middle wireless communication nodes to access; whether the first wireless communication node is a candidate cell to access for the type of middle wireless communication nodes; a list of candidate cells to access for the type of middle wireless communication nodes; or a parameter restriction for the type of middle wireless communication nodes. The parameter of the parameter restriction may include at least one of:a number of reflecting elements of the type of middle wireless communication nodes; or a receiving quality of a signal received by the type of middle wireless communication nodes from the first wireless communication node. In the case where the parameter includes the receiving quality of a signal received by the second wireless communication node from the first wireless communication node, the second wireless communication node may determine whether the receiving quality of the signal received by the second wireless communication node satisfies the parameter restriction for the type of middle wireless communication nodes. In the case where the parameter includes the receiving quality of a signal received by the second wireless communication node from the first wireless communication node, the second wireless communication node may determine the third wireless communication node is the first wireless communication node in the case where the receiving quality of the signal received by the second wireless communication node satisfies the parameter restriction for the type of middle wireless communication nodes.

In some embodiments, the first message can be a system information. The second wireless communication node may send a second message to the first wireless communication node. The second message may report information including at least one of: respective receiving powers of one or more best signals received from the first wireless communication node and at least one fifth wireless communication node, a load of the second wireless communication node, or a capability of the second wireless communication node. The information reported in the second message can be shared by the first wireless communication node to the at least one fifth wireless communication node (e.g., a BS2) .

In some embodiments, the second wireless communication node may send a second message and a third message to the first wireless communication node and at least one fifth wireless communication node, respectively. The second message may report information including at least one of: receiving power of one or more best signals received from the first wireless communication node, a load of the second wireless communication node, or a capability of the second wireless communication node. The third message may report information including at least one of: receiving power of one or more best signals received from the at least one fifth wireless communication node, the load of the second wireless communication node, or the capability of the second wireless communication node.

In response to receiving the first message, the second wireless communication node may send a second message and a third message to the first wireless communication node and at least one fifth wireless communication node, respectively. The second message may report information including at least one of: receiving power of one or more best signals received from the first wireless communication node, a load of the second wireless communication node, or a capability of the second wireless communication node. The third message may report information including receiving power of one or more best signals received from the at least one fifth wireless communication node. The information reported in the second message can be shared by the first wireless communication node to the at least one fifth wireless communication node.

In some embodiments, the one or more best signals may each include a synchronization signal or a reference signal. The type of middle wireless communication nodes may support at least one of following capabilities: reflecting a signal from the first wireless communication node to the fourth wireless communication node; reflecting a signal from the fourth wireless communication node to the first wireless communication node; refracting a signal from the first wireless communication node to the fourth wireless communication node; refracting a signal from the fourth wireless communication node to the first wireless communication node; power amplifying; caching; analogy to digital converting; or digital to analogy converting.

In some embodiments, the type of middle wireless communication nodes can be at least one of: a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) ; a network controlled repeater (NCR) ; or an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node. The third wireless communication node can be the first wireless communication node.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various example embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and merely depict example embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present solution. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example cellular communication network in which techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example base station and a user equipment device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an example network controlled repeater (NCR) for determining an access, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an example integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node for determining an access, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example process for determining an access, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram for determining an access, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

1. Mobile Communication Technology and Environment

FIG. 1 illustrates an example wireless communication network, and/or system, 100 in which techniques disclosed herein may be implemented, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the following discussion, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of things (NB-IoT) network, and is herein referred to as “network 100. ” Such an example network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter “BS 102” ; also referred to as wireless communication node) and a user equipment device 104 (hereinafter “UE 104” ; also referred to as wireless communication device) that can communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel) , and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138 and 140 overlaying a geographical area 101. In Figure 1, the BS 102 and UE 104 are contained within a respective geographic boundary of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138 and 140 may include at least one base station operating at its allocated bandwidth to provide adequate radio coverage to its intended users.

For example, the BS 102 may operate at an allocated channel transmission bandwidth to provide adequate coverage to the UE 104. The BS 102 and the UE 104 may communicate via a downlink radio frame 118, and an uplink radio frame 124 respectively. Each radio frame 118/124 may be further divided into sub-frames 120/127 which may include data symbols 122/128. In the present disclosure, the BS 102 and UE 104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of “communication nodes, ” generally, which can practice the methods disclosed herein. Such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and/or wired communications, in accordance with various embodiments of the present solution.

FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM/OFDMA signals) in accordance with some embodiments of the present solution. The system 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that need not be described in detail herein. In one illustrative embodiment, system 200 can be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment such as the wireless communication environment 100 of Figure 1, as described above.

System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter “BS 202” ) and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter “UE 204” ) . The BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each module being coupled and interconnected with one another as necessary via a data communication bus 220. The UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each module being coupled and interconnected with one another as necessary via a data communication bus 240. The BS 202 communicates with the UE 204 via a communication channel 250, which can be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for transmission of data as described herein.

As would be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, system 200 may further include any number of modules other than the modules shown in Figure 2. Those skilled in the art will understand that the various illustrative blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability and compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software can depend upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such functionality in a suitable manner for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

In accordance with some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an "uplink" transceiver 230 that includes a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and a RF receiver each comprising circuitry that is coupled to the antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in time duplex fashion. Similarly, in accordance with some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a "downlink" transceiver 210 that includes a RF transmitter and a RF receiver each comprising circuity that is coupled to the antenna 212. A downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in time duplex fashion. The operations of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for reception of transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250 at the same time that the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212. Conversely, the operations of the two transceivers 210 and 230 may be coordinated in time such that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for reception of transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250 at the same time that the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232. In some embodiments, there is close time synchronization with a minimal guard time between changes in duplex direction.

The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via the wireless data communication link 250, and cooperate with a suitably configured RF antenna arrangement 212/232 that can support a particular wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some illustrative embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards, and the like. It is understood, however, that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited in application to a particular standard and associated protocols. Rather, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternate, or additional, wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

In accordance with various embodiments, the BS 202 may be an evolved node B (eNB) , a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femto station, or a pico station, for example. In some embodiments, the UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user devices such as a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA) , tablet, laptop computer, wearable computing device, etc. The processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented, or realized, with a general purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. In this manner, a processor may be realized as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, or the like. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

Furthermore, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in a software module executed by processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or in any practical combination thereof. The memory modules 216 and 234 may be realized as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, such that the processors modules 210 and 230 can read information from, and write information to, memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. The memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into their respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, the memory modules 216 and 234 may each include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also each include non-volatile memory for storing instructions to be executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and/or other components of the base station 202 that enable bi-directional communication between base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communication with the base station 202. For example, network communication module 218 may be configured to support internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical deployment, without limitation, network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface such that base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a conventional Ethernet based computer network. In this manner, the network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connection to the computer network (e.g., Mobile Switching Center (MSC) ) . The terms “configured for, ” “configured to” and conjugations thereof, as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc., that is physically constructed, programmed, formatted and/or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Model (referred to herein as, “open system interconnection model” ) is a conceptual and logical layout that defines network communication used by systems (e.g., wireless communication device, wireless communication node) open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is broken into seven subcomponents, or layers, each of which represents a conceptual collection of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI Model also defines a logical network and effectively describes computer packet transfer by using different layer protocols. The OSI Model may also be referred to as the seven-layer OSI Model or the seven-layer model. In some embodiments, a first layer may be a physical layer. In some embodiments, a second layer may be a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, a third layer may be a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, a fourth layer may be a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, a fifth layer may be a Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, a sixth layer may be a Non Access Stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer being the other layer.

Various example embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying figures to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present solution. As would be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, after reading the present disclosure, various changes or modifications to the examples described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the present solution. Thus, the present solution is not limited to the example embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Additionally, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein are merely example approaches. Based upon design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes can be re-arranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Thus, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or acts in a sample order, and the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless expressly stated otherwise.

2. Systems and Methods for Determining an Access

In a wireless communication system, relays may be used to help base stations (BSs) to extend their coverage. For a relay which is in a relay assisted system, it is important to figure out that if the relay can serve a BS when the relay is trying to access the network through the BS. The meaning of deciding that whether a relay can serve a BS precisely in access period is to help the network to decide the subsequent operations. For example, a channel state information (CSI) estimation between a certain BS and a certain relay can be saved if the relay does not need to serve the BS. Another example, if a relay realizes that it is not needed by any BSs at the moment, the relay can turn off some functions to save energy. The present disclosure provides a method to help the system to decide which BSs that a relay can serve during an access period.

According to current protocol, a NR downlink synchronization channel and synchronization signal may consist of a few kinds of SS burst set. Each SS burst set may contend several synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) . A primary synchronization signal (PSS) , a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) , and a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) can be the content of a SSB. Beamforming can be introduced into the wireless communication system to enhance the coverage of a cell when the BS tries to send the SSB to the UE, especially in high frequency scenarios. A NR system may realize the SSB beam coverage by using SSB beam scan, which means that the BS sends one SSB beam in one direction at one moment and another SSB beam in another direction at another moment. When a UE tries to access the network, it may accept the SSB beams and choose/select the one with best performance. By sending specific preamble at a specific random access channel (RACH) occasion (RO) corresponding to the SSB beam that it has chosen, the UE may succeed in informing the BS of which SSB beam it has chosen.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of an example network controlled repeater (NCR) for determining an access, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The network-controlled repeater (NCR) can be modelled as FIG. 3, which includes the NCR-MT and NCR-Fwd. The NCR-MT can be defined as a function entity to communicate with a gNB via a control link (C-link) to enable exchange of control information (e.g. side control information at least for the control of NCR-Fwd) . The C-link can be based on NR Uu interface.

FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of an example integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node for determining an access, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. Integrated access and backhaul (IAB) may enable wireless relaying in NG-RAN. The relaying node, referred to as an IAB-node, may support access and backhauling via new radio (NR) . The IAB nodes may have a mobile termination (MT) part and a distributed unit (DU) part. The MT part can be used to connect to a parent DU (which can be the donor DU or the DU part of another IAB node) , while the DU part of an IAB node is used to serve UEs or the MT part of child IAB nodes. In many respects, the MT part of an IAB node may behave like a UE in the sense that it communicates with the parent DU very much like a UE. The relationship of parent-node and child-node relationship for IAB-node is as FIG. 4.

Both the NCR and the IAB-node mentioned above are relays which are used in wireless communication systems. They both have MT parts which means they can work under the control of the BSs that they are serving and they can communicate with the BSs like a UE. This feature makes them able to extend the coverage of BSs better than traditional relays which do not have MT part and control link.

There can be a lot of new kinds of relays which are similar to the NCR and the IAB-node which are under the control of their serving BSs, such as reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) . The control link between the relays and the UE may be based on NR Uu interface. These relays can be call as smart relays. These smart relays may help the BSs that they are serving to extend the coverage. Before that, the question that which smart relays can serve which BSs needs be answered. The quality of communication link between a BS and a relay is one of the important factors can affect the answer of this question. There are also some other factors might affect the answer of the question (e.g., the capabilities of a smart relay) . These capabilities can include precoding in radio frequency, digital precoding, power amplification, caching, CSI estimation, analog-to-digital converter (ADC) /digital-to-analog converter (DAC) . Another example, whether a BS has the capability to support a smart relay and whether a BS is on the approval list of a smart relay which includes the BSs that the smart relay is allowed to serve can be also essential to make the decision that whether a smart relay can serve a BS or not.

Implementation Example 1: A BS INFORMS SMART RELAYS THE THRESHOLD OF RECEIVING POWER OF THE BEST SSB BEAM

If a BS can support smart relays, the BS may inform the smart relays a threshold of receiving power of the best SSB beam in master information block (MIB) /system information block type 1 (SIB1) .

FIG. 5 illustrates an example process for determining an access, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In access stage, each BS may send different SSB beams to different directions at different moments/timings to realize the coverage of a cell. A smart relay may receive SSB beams from different BSs. As shown in FIG 5, Smart Relay1 may receive SSB beams sending from a BS1 and a BS2. After Smart Relay1 gets the information that the BS1 and the BS2 can support smart relay, by calculating the receiving power of the receiving SSB beams, Smart Relay1 may decide/determine that BS1-SSB1 beam and BS2-SSB5 beam are the best SSB beams of BS1 and BS2. If Smart Relay1 gets the information that either of the BS1 or the BS2 cannot support smart repeater, Smart Relay1 may stop trying to access it. Smart Relay1 gets the thresholds of receiving power of the best SSB beam of the BS1 and the BS2, namely, threshold1 and threshold2. If the receiving power of BS1-SSB1 is smaller than threshold1, Smart Relay1 may stop trying to access BS1. If the receiving power of BS2-SSB5 is smaller than threshold2, Smart Relay1 may stop trying to access the BS2.

The BS1 and the BS2 may inform the thresholds of receiving power of the best SSB beams of the BS1 and the BS2 in MIB/SIB1 or other message. Smart Relay1 may decide/determine which BSs it can connect and serve based on receiving power of the best SSB beams of the BS1 and the BS2, threshold1 and threshold2, its load, its the capabilities, and other factors. These capabilities may include precoding in radio frequency, digital precoding, power amplification, caching, CSI estimation, ADC/DAC and other factors.

Implementation Example 2: A SMART RELAY GETS THE LIST OF THE BSS THAT IT CAN CONNECT AND SERVE FROM A BS

A BS may inform smart relays a list of BSs that can be served by smart relays and the threshold of receiving power of the best SSB beam in MIB/SIB1.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example process for determining an access, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In access stage, each BS may send different SSB beams to different directions at different moments to realize the coverage of a cell. A smart relay can receive SSB beams from different BSs. As shown in FIG. 5, Smart Relay1 may receive SSB beams sending from a BS1 and a BS2. By calculating the receiving power of the receiving SSB beams, Smart Relay1 may decide/determine that BS2-SSB5 beam is the best SSB beams of the BS2. Smart Relay1 may get/obtain the threshold of receiving power of the best SSB beam of the BS2, namely, threshold2. The BS1 may inform Smart Relay1 a list of BSs that can be served by smart relays in MIB/SIB1.

If the BS2 is on that list, Smart Relay1 may decide if it can connect and serve the BS2 based on receiving power of the best SSB beam of the BS2, threshold2, its load, its the capabilities, and other factors. These capabilities may include precoding in radio frequency, digital precoding, power amplification, caching, CSI estimation, ADC/DAC and other factors. If the BS2 is not on that list, the BS2 may not try to access the BS2.

Implementation Example 3: A SMART RELAY GETS THE LIST OF THE BSS THAT IT CAN CONNECT AND SERVE FROM UPPER LAYER

A smart relay may get/obtain the list of the BSs that it can connect and can serve from upper layer. If a BS is not on the list, the smart relay may stop trying to access it. A smart relay may decide/determine which BSs it can connect and serve based on the list of the BSs that it can serve and other factors.

Implementation Example 4: A BS INFORMS SMART RELAYS THAT IF IT CAN SUPPORT SMART RELAYS IN MIB/SIB1

A BS may inform smart relays that if it can support smart relays in MIB/SIB1.

Implementation Example 5: A SMART RELAY REPORTS INFORMATION TO ACCORDING BSS IN ACCESS STAGE_SCHEME 1

FIG. 5 illustrates an example process for determining an access, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In access stage, each BS may send different SSB beams to different directions at different moments to realize the coverage of a cell. A smart relay may receive SSB beams from different BSs. As shown in FIG. 5, Smart Relay1 may receive SSB beams sending from a BS1 and a BS2. After Smart Relay1 gets the information that the BS1 and the BS2 can support smart relay, by calculating the receiving power of the receiving SSB beams, Smart Relay1 may decides/determine that BS1-SSB1 beam and BS2-SSB5 beam are the best SSB beams of BS1 and BS2 and BS1-SSB1 beam is better than BS2-SSB5 beam. If Smart Relay1 gets the information that either of BS1 or BS2 cannot support a smart repeater, Smart Relay1 may stop trying to access it.

By sending specific preamble at a specific RO corresponding to BS1-SSB1 beam, Smart Relay1 may succeeds in informing the BS1 of which SSB beam it has chosen. Smart Relay1 may synchronize with the BS1 and may access the network through the BS1.

Smart Relay1 may report the receiving power of BS1-SSB1 beam and BS2-SSB5 beam to BS1. Smart Relay1 may report how many BSs is connected to it and its load caused by the BSs which are connected to it to BS1. Smart Relay1 may report its capabilities to BS1. These capabilities may include at least one of: a precoding in radio frequency, a digital precoding, a power amplification, a caching, CSI estimation, or an ADC/DAC. Smart Relay1 may report the information mentioned above in msg1/msg3 or other message to the BS1. The BS1 may share the receiving power of BS2-SSB5 beam of Smart Relay1, the load of Smart Relay1, the capabilities of Smart Relay1 with the BS2. The BS1 may decide/determine if Smart Relay1 can connect it and serve it based on the information that has been reported to it by Smart Relay1 and other factors. The BS2 may decide/determine if Smart Relay1 can connect it and serve it based on the information shared by the BS1 and other factors. The BS1 and the BS2 may inform the Smart Relay1 that if Smart Relay1 can connect them and serve them in msg2/msg4 or other message.

Implementation Example 6: A SMART RELAY REPORTS INFORMATION TO ACCORDING BSS IN ACCESS STAGE_SCHEME 2

FIG. 5 illustrates an example process for determining an access, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In access stage, each BS may send different SSB beams to different directions at different moments to realize the coverage of a cell. A smart relay may receive SSB beams from different BSs. As shown in FIG. 5, Smart Relay1 may receive SSB beams sending from a BS1 and a BS2. After Smart Relay1 gets the information that BS1 and BS2 can support smart relay, by calculating the receiving power of the receiving SSB beams, Smart Relay1 may decide/determine that BS1-SSB1 beam and BS2-SSB5 beam are the best SSB beams of the BS1 and the BS2 and BS1-SSB1 beam is better than BS2-SSB5 beam. If Smart Relay1 gets the information that either of the BS1 or the BS2 cannot support smart repeater, Smart Relay1 may stop trying to access it.

By sending specific preambles at specific ROs corresponding to BS1-SSB1 beam and BS2-SSB5 beam, Smart Relay1 may succeed in informing the BS1 and the BS2 of which SSB beams it has chosen. Smart Relay1 can synchronize with the BS1 and the BS2. Smart Relay1 may access the network through the BS1 and the BS2.

Smart Relay1 may report the receiving power of BS1-SSB1 beam to the BS1 and receiving power of BS2-SSB5 beam to the BS2. Smart Relay1 may report how many BSs is connected to it and its load caused by the BSs which are connected to it to the BS1 and the BS2. Smart Relay1 may report its capabilities to the BS1 and the BS2. These capabilities may include at least one of following: a precoding in radio frequency, a digital precoding, a caching, a information storage, CSI estimation, or an ADC/DAC. Smart Relay1 may report the information mentioned above in msg1/msg3 or other message to according BSs. The BS1 and the BS2 may decide if Smart Relay1 can connect them and serve them based on the information that has been reported to them by Smart Relay1 and other factors. The BS1 and the BS2 may inform the Smart Relay1 that if Smart Relay1 can connect them and serve them in msg2/msg4 or other message.

Implementation Example 7: A SMART RELAY REPORTS INFORMATION TO ACCORDING BSS IN ACCESS STAGE_SCHEME 3

FIG. 5 illustrates an example process for determining an access, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In access stage, each BS may send different SSB beams to different directions at different moments to realize the coverage of a cell. A smart relay may receive SSB beams from different BSs. As shown in FIG. 5, Smart Relay1 may receive SSB beams sending from a BS1 and a BS2. After Smart Relay1 gets the information that the BS1 and the BS2 can support smart relay, by calculating the receiving power of the receiving SSB beams, Smart Relay1 may decide/determine that BS1-SSB1 beam and BS2-SSB5 beam are the best SSB beams of BS1 and BS2 and BS1-SSB1 beam is better than BS2-SSB5 beam. If Smart Relay1 gets the information that either of the BS1 or the BS2 cannot support smart repeater, Smart Relay1 may stop trying to access it.

By sending specific preambles at specific ROs corresponding to BS1-SSB1 beam and BS2-SSB5 beam, Smart Relay1 may succeed in informing the BS1 and the BS2 of which SSB beams it has chosen. Smart Relay1 may synchronize with the BS1 and the BS2. Smart Relay1 may access the network through the BS1 and the BS2.

Smart Relay1 may report the receiving power of BS1-SSB1 beam to the BS1 and receiving power of BS2-SSB5 beam to the BS2. Smart Relay1 may report how many BSs is connected to it and its load caused by the BSs which are connected to it to the BS1. BS1 may share this information with the BS2. Smart Relay1 may report its capabilities to the BS1. The BS1 may share this information with the BS2. These capabilities may include at least one of following: a precoding in radio frequency, a digital precoding, a power amplification, a caching, a CSI estimation, or an ADC/DAC. Smart Relay1 may report the information mentioned above in msg1/msg3 or other message to according BSs. The BS1 may decide if Smart Relay1 can connect it and serve it based on the information that has been reported to it by Smart Relay1 and other factors. The BS2 may decide if Smart Relay1 can connect it and serve it based on the information that has been reported to it by Smart Relay1, the information shared by the BS1 and other factors. The BS1 and the BS2 may inform the Smart Relay1 that if Smart Relay1 can connect them and serve them in msg2/msg4 or other message.

Implementation Example 8: A SMART RELAY REPORTS INFORMATION TO ACCORDING BSS IN ACCESS STAGE_SCHEME 4

FIG. 5 illustrates an example process for determining an access, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In access stage, each BS may send different SSB beams to different directions at different moments to realize the coverage of a cell. A smart relay may receive SSB beams from different BSs. As shown in FIG. 5, Smart Relay1 may receive SSB beams sending from a BS1 and a BS2. After Smart Relay1 gets the information that the BS1 and the BS2 can support smart relay, by calculating the receiving power of the receiving SSB beams, Smart Relay1 may decide that BS1-SSB1 beam and BS2-SSB5 beam are the best SSB beams of the BS1 and the BS2 and BS1-SSB1 beam is better than BS2-SSB5 beam. If Smart Relay1 gets the information that either of BS1 or BS2 cannot support smart repeater, Smart Relay1 may stop trying to access it.

Smart Relay1 may report the receiving power of BS1-SSB1 beam and BS2-SSB5 beam to the BS1. Smart Relay1 may report how many BSs is connected to it and its load caused by the BSs which are connected to it to the BS1. Smart Relay1 may report its capabilities to the BS1. These capabilities may include at least one of following: a precoding in radio frequency, a digital precoding, a power amplification, a caching, a CSI estimation, or an ADC/DAC. Smart Relay1 may report the information mentioned above in msg1/msg3 or other message to the BS1. The BS1 may share the receiving power of BS2-SSB5 beam of Smart Relay1, the load of Smart Relay1, and/or the capabilities of Smart Relay1 with the BS2. The BS1 may decide if Smart Relay1 can connect it and serve it based on the information that has been reported to it by Smart Relay1 and other factors. The BS2 may decide if Smart Relay1 can connect it and serve it based on the information shared by BS1 and other factors. The BS1 and the BS2 may inform the Smart Relay1 that if Smart Relay1 can connect them and may serve them in msg2/msg4 or other message.

It should be understood that one or more features from the above implementation examples are not exclusive to the specific implementation examples, but can be combined in any manner (e.g., in any priority and/or order, concurrently or otherwise) .

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram for determining an access, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The method 600 may be implemented using any one or more of the components and devices detailed herein in conjunction with FIGs. 1-5. In overview, the method 600 may be performed by a second wireless communication node (e.g., a smart rely (SR) ) , in some embodiments. Additional, fewer, or different operations may be performed in the method 600 depending on the embodiment. At least one aspect of the operations is directed to a system, method, apparatus, or a computer-readable medium.

A second wireless communication node (e.g., a smart rely (SR) ) determine information related to access according to a received first message from a first wireless communication node (e.g., a base station (BS) ) or according to a rule. The second wireless communication node may determine a third wireless communication node to access according to the information related to access. The second wireless communication node may access to the third wireless communication node, if any. The second wireless communication node can be a type of middle wireless communication nodes between the first wireless communication node and a fourth wireless communication node.

In some embodiments, the information related to access in the received first message may include at least one of: whether the first wireless communication node support the type of middle wireless communication nodes to access; whether the first wireless communication node is a candidate cell to access for the type of middle wireless communication nodes; a list of candidate cells to access for the type of middle wireless communication nodes; or a parameter restriction for the type of middle wireless communication nodes. The parameter of the parameter restriction may include at least one of: a number of reflecting elements of the type of middle wireless communication nodes; or a receiving quality of a signal received by the type of middle wireless communication nodes from the first wireless communication node. In the case where the parameter includes the receiving quality of a signal received by the second wireless communication node from the first wireless communication node, the second wireless communication node may determine whether the receiving quality of the signal received by the second wireless communication node satisfies the parameter restriction for the type of middle wireless communication nodes. In the case where the parameter includes the receiving quality of a signal received by the second wireless communication node from the first wireless communication node, the second wireless communication node may determine the third wireless communication node is the first wireless communication node in the case where the receiving quality of the signal received by the second wireless communication node satisfies the parameter restriction for the type of middle wireless communication nodes.

While various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams may depict an example architectural or configuration, which are provided to enable persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand example features and functions of the present solution. Such persons would understand, however, that the solution is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Additionally, as would be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, one or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described illustrative embodiments.

It is also understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as "first, " "second, " and so forth does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations can be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to first and second elements does not mean that only two elements can be employed, or that the first element must precede the second element in some manner.

Additionally, a person having ordinary skill in the art would understand that information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits and symbols, for example, which may be referenced in the above description can be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods and functions described in connection with the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., a digital implementation, an analog implementation, or a combination of the two) , firmware, various forms of program or design code incorporating instructions (which can be referred to herein, for convenience, as "software" or a "software module) , or any combination of these techniques. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware or software, or a combination of these techniques, depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans can implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions do not cause a departure from the scope of the present disclosure.

Furthermore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that various illustrative logical blocks, modules, devices, components and circuits described herein can be implemented within or performed by an integrated circuit (IC) that can include a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP) , an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) , a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, or any combination thereof. The logical blocks, modules, and circuits can further include antennas and/or transceivers to communicate with various components within the network or within the device. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration to perform the functions described herein.

If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media including any medium that can be enabled to transfer a computer program or code from one place to another. A storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

In this document, the term "module" as used herein, refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purpose of discussion, the various modules are described as discrete modules; however, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the associated functions according embodiments of the present solution.

Additionally, memory or other storage, as well as communication components, may be employed in embodiments of the present solution. It will be appreciated that, for clarity purposes, the above description has described embodiments of the present solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements or domains may be used without detracting from the present solution. For example, functionality illustrated to be performed by separate processing logic elements, or controllers, may be performed by the same processing logic element, or controller. Hence, references to specific functional units are only references to a suitable means for providing the described functionality, rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as recited in the claims below.

Claims

A wireless communication method, comprising:

determining, by a second wireless communication node_,information related to access according to a received first message from a first wireless communication node or according to a rule;

determining, by the second wireless communication node, a third wireless communication node to access according to the information related to access;

accessing, by the second wireless communication node, to the third wireless communication node, if any;

wherein the second wireless communication node is a type of middle wireless communication nodes between the first wireless communication node and a fourth wireless communication node.
The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to access in the received first message includes at least one of:

whether the first wireless communication node support the type of middle wireless communication nodes to access;

whether the first wireless communication node is a candidate cell to access for the type of middle wireless communication nodes;

a list of candidate cells to access for the type of middle wireless communication nodes; or

a parameter restriction for the type of middle wireless communication nodes.
The method of claim 2, wherein the parameter of the parameter restriction includes at least one of:

a number of reflecting elements of the type of middle wireless communication nodes;

a receiving quality of a signal received by the type of middle wireless communication nodes from the first wireless communication node.
The method of claim 3, wherein in the case where the parameter includes the receiving quality of a signal received by the second wireless communication node from the first wireless communication node, further comprising:

determining, by the second wireless communication node, whether the receiving quality of the signal received by the second wireless communication node satisfies the parameter restriction for the type of middle wireless communication nodes;

determining, by the second wireless communication node, the third wireless communication node is the first wireless communication node in the case where the receiving quality of the signal received by the second wireless communication node satisfies the parameter restriction for the type of middle wireless communication nodes.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the first message is a system information.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the second wireless communication node to the first wireless communication node, a second message, wherein the second message reports information including at least one of: respective receiving powers of one or more best signals received from the first wireless communication node and at least one fifth wireless communication node, a load of the second wireless communication node, or a capability of the second wireless communication node.
The wireless communication method of claim 6, wherein the information reported in the second message is shared by the first wireless communication node to the at least one fifth wireless communication node.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the second wireless communication node to the first wireless communication node and at least one fifth wireless communication node, a second message and a third message, respectively, wherein the second message reports information including at least one of: receiving power of one or more best signals received from the first wireless communication node, a load of the second wireless communication node, or a capability of the second wireless communication node, and wherein the third message reports information including at least one of: receiving power of one or more best signals received from the at least one fifth wireless communication node, the load of the second wireless communication node, or the capability of the second wireless communication node.
The wireless communication method of claim 1, in response to receiving the first message, further comprising:

sending, by the second wireless communication node to the first wireless communication node and at least one fifth wireless communication node, a second message and a third message, respectively, wherein the second message reports information including at least one of: receiving power of one or more best signals received from the first wireless communication node, a load of the second wireless communication node, or a capability of the second wireless communication node, and wherein the third message reports information including receiving power of one or more best signals received from the at least one fifth wireless communication node.
The wireless communication method of claim 9, wherein the information reported in the second message is shared by the first wireless communication node to the at least one fifth wireless communication node.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 6 to 10, wherein the one or more best signals each include a synchronization signal or a reference signal.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 1 to 11, wherein the type of middle wireless communication nodes support at least one of following capabilities:

reflecting a signal from the first wireless communication node to the fourth wireless communication node;

reflecting a signal from the fourth wireless communication node to the first wireless communication node;

refracting a signal from the first wireless communication node to the fourth wireless communication node;

refracting a signal from the fourth wireless communication node to the first wireless communication node;

power amplifying;

caching;

analogy to digital converting; or

digital to analogy converting.
The wireless communication method of any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the type of middle wireless communication nodes is at least one of:

a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) ;

a network controlled repeater (NCR) ; or

an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node.
The method of claim 1, wherein the third wireless communication node is the first wireless communication node.
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1-14.
An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1-14.