TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to physical layer aspects of hierarchical mobility.

INTRODUCTION

Wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and the like. These wireless networks may be multiple-access networks capable of supporting multiple users by sharing the available network resources. Such networks, which are usually multiple access networks, support communications for multiple users by sharing the available network resources.

A wireless communication network may include a number of base stations or node Bs that can support communication for a number of user equipments (UEs). A UE may communicate with a base station via downlink and uplink. The downlink (or forward link) refers to the communication link from the base station to the UE, and the uplink (or reverse link) refers to the communication link from the UE to the base station.

A base station may transmit data and control information on the downlink to a UE and/or may receive data and control information on the uplink front the UE. On the downlink, a transmission front the base station may encounter interference due to transmissions from neighbor base stations or from other wireless radio frequency (RF) transmitters. On the uplink, a transmission from the UE may encounter interference from uplink transmissions of other UEs communicating with the neighbor base stations or from other wireless RF transmitters. This interference may degrade performance on both the downlink and uplink.

As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, the possibilities of interference and congested networks grows with more UEs accessing the long-range wireless communication networks and more short-range wireless systems being deployed in communities. Research and development continue to advance wireless communication technologies not only to meet the growing demand for mobile broadband access, but to advance and enhance the user experience with mobile communications.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

The following summarizes some aspects of the present disclosure to provide a basic understanding of the discussed technology. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated features of the disclosure, and is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of all aspects of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of any or all aspects of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects of the disclosure in summary form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

In one aspect of the disclosure, a method for wireless communication at a UE is provided. The method of embodiments includes operating in at least one of an idle state or a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state of a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode and identifying, based at least in part on the UE operating in the at least one of the idle state or the RRC inactive state, a network comprising a plurality of cells corresponding to a portion of cells of an update area zone. The method of embodiments further includes receiving a network synchronization signal (SS) broadcast by the plurality of cells over the network and monitoring for a network wake up signal (WUS) broadcast by the plurality of cells over the network.

In an additional aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus configured for wireless communication at a UE is provided. The apparatus of embodiments includes means for operating in at least one of an idle state or a RRC inactive state of a DRX mode and means for identifying, based at least in part on the UE operating in the at least one of the idle state or the RRC inactive state, a network comprising a plurality of cells corresponding to a portion of cells of an update area zone. The apparatus of embodiments further includes means for receiving a network SS broadcast by the plurality of cells over the network and monitoring for a network WUS broadcast by the plurality of cells over the network.

In an additional aspect of the disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon for wireless communication at a UE is provided. The program code of embodiments includes code to operate in at least one of an idle state or a RRC inactive state of a DRX mode and to identify, based at least in part on the UE operating in the at least one of the idle state or the RRC inactive state, a network comprising a plurality of cells corresponding to a portion of cells of an update area zone. The program code of embodiments further includes code to receive a network SS broadcast by the plurality of cells over the network and to monitor for a network WUS broadcast by the plurality of cells over the network.

In an additional aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus configured for wireless communication at a UE is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor, and a memory coupled to the processor. The at least one processor of embodiments is configured to operate in at least one of an idle state or a RRC inactive stale of a DRX mode, and to identify, based at least in part on the UE operating in the at least one of the idle state or the RRC inactive state, a network comprising a plurality of cells corresponding to a portion of cells of an update area zone. The at least one processor of embodiments is further configured to receive a network SS broadcast by the plurality of cells over the network, and to monitor for a network WUS broadcast by the plurality of cells over the network.

In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, the foregoing systems, methods, and apparatuses may be implemented in combination with one or more additional features, such as the following features whether alone or in combination. For example, the above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include detecting the network WUS and receiving a page over the network and switching to cell-level mobility in response to detecting the network WUS. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include detecting the network WUS and, in response to detecting the network WUS, switching to cell-level mobility, identifying a serving cell, and receiving a cell-specific page by monitoring a paging search space for the identified serving cell. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include a minimum gap between the network WUS and the cell-specific page indicated by the network WUS. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include monitoring for the network WUS every DRX cycle in place of paging monitoring. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include receiving one or more synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) broadcast by the plurality or cells over the network, wherein the SSBs carry a network identity instead of a physical cell identity, and a waveform of the SSBs has one symbol carrying a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and two or more symbols carrying a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), at least one of the two or more symbols carrying the SSS preceding the symbol carrying the PSS, and performing a channel measurement procedure based at least in part on the one or more SSBs received over the network. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include an update area zone comprising a radio access network area code (RAN-AC), and the network identity being a RAN-AC identity. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include receiving a channel over the network, the channel including the network SS, and determining that channel characteristics of another channel over the network are the same as the received channel, wherein the other channel includes a network page. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include the channel and the another channel having a same subcarrier spacing. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include the network being a single frequency network (SFN).

In one aspect of the disclosure, a method for wireless communication at a base station is provided. The method of embodiments includes determining that the base station is a part of a network comprising a plurality of cells corresponding to a portion of cells of an update area zone configured for a UE. The method of embodiments further includes determining whether there is a grant for paging, transmitting a network SS to the UE over the network, and transmitting a network WUS over the network and a page in response to determining that there is a grant for paging.

In an additional aspect of the disclosure, apparatus configured for wireless communication at a base station is provided. The apparatus of embodiments includes means for determining that the base station is a part of a network comprising a plurality of cells corresponding to a portion of cells of an update area zone configured for a UE. The apparatus of embodiments further includes means for determining whether there is a grant for paging, means for transmitting a network SS to the UE over the network, and means for transmitting a network WUS over the network and a page in response to determining that there is a grant for paging.

In an additional aspect of the disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon for wireless communication at a base station is provided. The program code of embodiments includes code to determine that the base station is a part of a network comprising a plurality of cells corresponding to a portion of cells of an update area zone configured for a UE. The program code of embodiments further includes code to determine whether there is a grant for paging, to transmit a network SS to the UE over the network, and to transmit a network WUS over the network and a page in response to determining that there is a grant for paging.

In an additional aspect of the disclosure, an apparatus configured for wireless communication at a base station is provided. The apparatus includes at least one processor, and a memory coupled to the processor. The at least one processor is configured to determine that the base station is a part of a network comprising a plurality of cells corresponding to a portion of cells of an update area zone configured for a UE. The at least one processor of embodiments is further configured to determine whether there is a grant for paging, to transmit a network SS to the UE over the network, and to transmit a network WUS over the network and a page in response to determining that there is a grant for paging.

In accordance with aspects of the disclosure, the foregoing systems, methods, and apparatuses may be implemented in combination with one or more additional features, such as the following features whether alone or in combination. For example, the above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include the page being a network page and is transmitted over the network. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include the page being a cell-specific page, and implementing a minimum gap between the network WUS and the page sufficient to allow the UE enough time to switch to cell-level mobility, identify a serving cell, and begin monitoring a paging search space for the identified serving cell. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include the minimum gap being indicated as a part of the network WUS. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include transmitting one or more cell-specific SSBs to the UE, wherein the network SS transmitted to the UE over the network includes one or more SSBs that carry a network identity instead of a physical cell identity, and a waveform of the SSBs of the network SS transmitted over the network has one symbol carrying a PSS and two or more symbols carrying a SSS, at least one of the two or more symbols carrying the SSS preceding the symbol carrying the PSS. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include the update area zone comprising a RAN-AC, and the network identity being a RAN-AC identity. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include the waveform of the SSBs of the network SS has a SSS followed immediately by a PSS and the PSS is followed immediately by one or more repetition of the SSS. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include transmitting a channel over the network, the channel including the network SS, and transmitting another channel over the network, the other channel including a network page, wherein the channel and the another channel have same channel characteristics. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include the channel and the another channel having a same subcarrier spacing. The above systems, methods, and apparatuses may include the network being a SFN.

Other aspects, features, and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, upon reviewing the following description of specific, exemplary embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. While features of the present invention may be discussed relative to certain embodiments and figures below, all embodiments of the present invention can include one or more of the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, while one or more embodiments may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more of such features may also be used in accordance with the various embodiments of the invention discussed herein. In similar fashion, while exemplary embodiments may be discussed below as device, system, or method embodiments it should be understood that such exemplary embodiments can be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods.

