Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for random access procedures, for example when operating in unlicensed band, are provided. One method may include starting a retransmission opportunities transmission timer when LBT failure is detected at a UE for one or more initial msg 3 transmission opportunities. The method may also include determining whether a retransmission grant is received before expiry of retransmission timer when LBT the retransmission timer.

Abstract: Various communication systems may benefit from improved random access operations. For example, certain embodiments may benefit from improved random access in which multiple bandwidth parts are configured to a user equipment within one cell. A method, in certain embodiments, may include triggering a random access procedure at a user equipment. The method may also include switching at the user equipment from a first uplink bandwidth part that does not support a random access channel to a second uplink bandwidth part that has the random access channel configured after the triggering of the random access procedure. The switching may be autonomously performed by the user equipment. In addition, the method may include performing the random access procedure at the user equipment using the random access channel configured at the second uplink bandwidth part.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices, methods, apparatuses and computer readable storage medium for selection of a channel access priority. In example embodiments, a subset of data units from a set of data units is selected for multiplexing into a data packet. The selecting is at least in part based on a channel access priority associated with each of the subset of data unit. The subset of data units is multiplexed into the data packet, and then the data packet is transmitted.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to random access in a communication system. A first device receives a criterion to select a random access type for performing random access to a second device. The first device further determines whether the first device is allocated a contention-free random access resource for a certain random access type, and then performs the random access to the second device based on the determination and conditionally based on the criterion. As such, in the case where contention-free random access resource has been allocated for a certain random access type, the device can conditionally apply the criterion for selection of the random access type and can thus perform random access with improved efficiency.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method may include determining, by a user equipment, a beam management group comprising one or more serving cells. The method may further include detecting, by the user equipment, a beam failure on at least one serving cell of the beam management group. The method may further include transmitting, by the user equipment, a beam failure recovery request to the at least one serving cell of the beam management group.

Abstract: Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate to logical channel prioritization. A method includes obtaining an uplink grant from a network device, the uplink grant indicating uplink resources for transmission to the network device and selecting a logical channel prioritization setting from a plurality of logical channel prioritization settings based on a predetermined policy related to the uplink grant, the logical channel prioritization settings defining different sets of prioritization parameters for uplink data in at least one logical channel and uplink control information in occupying the uplink resources. The method further includes generating, based on the logical channel prioritization setting, a packet data unit including at least one of the uplink control information or at least one part of the uplink data for transmission to the network device using the uplink resources. In this way, adaptive and dynamic prioritization across logical channels can be achieved at the terminal device.

Abstract: In accordance with the example embodiments of the invention there is at least a method and apparatus to performing determining, by a device of a communication network, that at least one PDCP PDU of a PDCP sublayer is duplicated for transmission over at least one logical channel; signaling to an RLC sublayer an indication of the at least one PDCP PDU that is duplicated; and based on the signaling, controlling duplication of the at least one PDCP PDU for transmission over the at least one logical channel. Further, performing receiving, at a device of a communication network, an indication through a received signaling indicating that at least one PDCP PDU of a PDCP sublayer is to be duplicated; determining to duplicate the at least one PDCP PDU; duplicating the at least one PDCP PDU based on the determination; and transmitting the duplicated PDCP PDU over at least one logical channel.

Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, a method may include selecting, by a user equipment, at least one random access occasion associated with at least one contention based random access resource and at least one random access occasion associated with at least one contention free random access resource. The method may further include detecting, by the user equipment, a predetermined number of listen before talk failures associated with one or more of the at least one random access occasion associated with at least one contention free random access resource. The method may further include transmitting, by the user equipment, in response to detecting a predetermined number of listen before talk failures, according to the selected at least one random access occasion associated with at least one contention based random access resource.

Abstract: Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for random access procedures are provided. One method may include provide at least one random access channel occasion (RO) to at least one lower layer. The method may optionally include receiving at least one indication of the at physical layer least one RO from the at least one lower layer. The method may further include initiating at least one timer configured to monitor at least one control channel based on the at least one indication.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to: in response to a determination of a failure of one or more communication beams between the apparatus and a second apparatus, initiate a beam recovery procedure by transmitting a message to a third apparatus, the message comprising information of the failure of one or more communication beams; start a timer in response to the transmitting a message to the third apparatus; and determine whether a beam failure acknowledgement is received from the third apparatus before the timer expires.

Abstract: Various communication systems may benefit from improved random access operations. For example, certain embodiments may benefit from improved random access in which multiple bandwidth parts are configured to a user equipment within one cell. A method, in certain embodiments, may include triggering a random access procedure at a user equipment. The method may also include switching at the user equipment from a first uplink bandwidth part that does not support a random access channel to a second uplink bandwidth part that has the random access channel configured after the triggering of the random access procedure. The switching may be autonomously performed by the user equipment. In addition, the method may include performing the random access procedure at the user equipment using the random access channel configured at the second uplink bandwidth part.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to mechanism for first random access mode falling back to second random access mode. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the fallback to second random access mode is indicated in messageB and the user equipment only needs to monitor the messageB for the quick mode on the downlink control signal which is addressed to an identifier. The user equipment does not need to monitor the downlink control channel for the second random access mode. In this way, the user equipment is allowed to fall back to the second random access mode without further retry of the quick node, thereby reducing overload and latency.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising circuitry for performing: receiving a configuration message from a base station, wherein the configuration message includes instructions to use at least one first path for uplink transmission of a first group of data packets, and to use at least one configured grant in at least one second path for uplink transmission of duplicate packets of the first group of data packets; and in response to determining that at least one event has occurred, modifying at least one condition of the at least one configured grant for the uplink transmission of the duplicated packets.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method, device and computer readable medium for contention resolution in RACH. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the terminal devices transmit random access requests in random access channels and the network device transmits the response to the random access requests on the downlink control channel addressed to the common identifier. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, there is one to multiple mapping for contention resolution radio network temporary identifier (CR-RNTI) and physical RACH (PRACH). In this way, the number of RNTIs is decreased and the overhead is reduced.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to mechanism for interactions for entering into the sleep mode. According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the network device transmits the information of go-to-sleep, GTS, to the terminal device on a lower layer (for example, the physical layer). The lower protocol layer informs the higher protocol layer (for example, the MAC layer) of the information of GTS. The terminal device determines how to monitor the physical downlink channel based on the information of GTS. Further, the terminal device may switch bandwidth part based on the information of GTS. In this way, the GTS is able to significantly save power.

Abstract: There is disclosed an apparatus. The apparatus comprises means for using a first random access type in a random access procedure; and in response to determining that a threshold number of failed random access attempts has been reached using the first random access type, determining whether to switch to using a second random access type which is different from the first random access type.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a device, a method, an apparatus and a computer readable storage medium for bandwidth part (BWP) switching. In example embodiments, a method is provided. The method comprises determining, at a terminal device, whether continuous Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) failures occur on a first bandwidth part (BWP), the terminal device operating on the first BWP. The method further comprises in response to the continuous LBT failures occurring on the first BWP, switching to a second BWP different from the first BWP. Instead of triggering a re-establishment procedure once continuous LBT failures are detected, switching to another BWP on different LBT sub-channels can be much more efficient than going through the whole re-establishment and reconfiguration procedures.

Abstract: Example embodiments relate to communication of uplink control information. A method implemented at a terminal device comprises obtaining a plurality of uplink grants available for uplink transmission to a network device, the plurality of uplink grants indicating resources for the uplink transmission; determining prioritization of the plurality of uplink grants in transmission of uplink control information based on a predetermined prioritization policy; and selecting, based on the determined prioritization, an uplink grant from the plurality of uplink grants for transmission of the uplink control information to the network device. In such a way, it is possible to increase a probability of transmission of the uplink control information and/or a probability of improving power efficiency of the terminal device.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus, said apparatus including circuitry for operating in a first discontinuous reception mode including at least one awake period and at least one sleep period, receiving, during operation in the at least one awake period, a first indication from a network to perform at least one of pausing operation of the first discontinuous reception mode such that the apparatus continues operation in the at least one awake period and disabling operation of the first discontinuous reception mode such that the apparatus continues operation in a second discontinuous reception mode.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to random access in a communication system. A first device determines whether a contention-free random access resource is allocated from a second device for a first random access type. In accordance with a determination that the contention-free random access resource is allocated, the first device compares a target transport block size corresponding to the contention-free random access resource with a first transport block size configured for a first group of preambles available for the first random access type, and performs random access to the second device based on a result of the comparison.