阅读说明：本技术 在rf暴露要求下增强新无线电中的rach操作 (Enhancing RACH operation in new radios under RF exposure requirements ) 是由 S-J·阿科拉 J·凯科南 T·科斯克拉 L·达尔斯加德 J·卡加莱南 M·埃内斯库 于 2020-04-15 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种在选择除DL RS之外的RO时考虑所需的输出功率降低或所需的占空比的差异的技术。输出功率降低和占空比两者均由UE自身独立地确定(即,UE需要能够自身确定所需的功率回退和/或占空比以便满足RF暴露要求)。有利地,UE独立地确定输出功率降低和占空比两者的RACH过程实现输出功率降低和占空比的更好选择,从而增强数据活动和覆盖。(A technique that takes into account a required output power reduction or a difference in required duty ratio when selecting an RO other than a DL RS. Both the output power reduction and the duty cycle are determined independently by the UE itself (i.e., the UE needs to be able to determine the required power back-off and/or duty cycle itself in order to meet the RF exposure requirements). Advantageously, the RACH procedure in which the UE independently determines both the output power reduction and the duty cycle enables a better selection of the output power reduction and the duty cycle, thereby enhancing data activity and coverage.)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a User Equipment (UE), from a network, Uplink (UL) resource information describing a plurality of UL resources;

determining, by the UE, a restriction on the UE resource associated with at least one of the plurality of UL resources upon receiving the UL resource information and for that UL resource;

selecting, by the UE, at least one of the plurality of UL resources based on a restriction of the UE resource associated with the at least one of the plurality of UL resources; and

transmitting, by the UE, data using the at least one of the plurality of selected UL resources.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of UL resources includes a location and size of a plurality of Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resources in time and frequency space over which data is to be transmitted to a base station (gNB).

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the UL resource information comprises a plurality of preambles to be transmitted over a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), and

wherein selecting the at least one of the plurality of UL resources comprises: performing a Random Access Channel (RACH) operation to generate a selected preamble, and a mapping from the selected preamble to a PUSCH resource of the plurality of PUSCH resources.

4. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the RACH operation is a four-step RACH operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the restriction on the UE resources associated with each of the plurality of UL resources comprises: a power determination operation is performed to produce a reduced output power value associated with the UL resource.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the restriction on the UE resources associated with each of the plurality of UL resources comprises: a duty cycle determination operation is performed to produce a value for a minimum duty cycle associated with the UL resource.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the UL resource information is received utilizing a plurality of Downlink (DL) Reference Signals (RSs), each DL RS of the plurality of DL RSs associated with a respective UL resource of the plurality of UL resources,

wherein the method further comprises performing a power measurement operation on each of the plurality of DL RSs to produce a plurality of Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) values, each of the plurality of RSRP values corresponding to a respective UL resource of the plurality of UL resources, and

wherein selecting the at least one of the plurality of UL resources comprises:

for each DL RS of the plurality of DL RSRs, adjusting the RSRP value of the plurality of RSRP values to produce an adjusted RSRP value corresponding to the RSRP value, the adjusted RSRP value based on the limitation of the UE resources.

8. The method of claim 1 or 7, wherein selecting the at least one of the plurality of UL resources further comprises: selecting the UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which the adjusted RSRP value corresponding to the UL resource is greater than a threshold value.

9. The method of any of claims 1, 7, and 8, wherein the UL resource information received from the network further comprises a value of the threshold.

10. The method of claim 1 or 7, wherein the adjusted RSRP values corresponding to the plurality of UL resources are all less than the threshold value, and

wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises: selecting the UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which a duty cycle associated with the UL resource is a maximum.

11. The method of claim 1 or 7, wherein a subset of the adjusted RSRP values corresponding to a respective subset of the plurality of UL resources is greater than the value of the threshold, and

wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises: selecting the UL resource of the subset of the plurality of UL resources for which the value of the duty cycle associated with that UL resource is a maximum value.

12. The method of claim 1 or 7, wherein a subset of the adjusted RSRP values corresponding to a respective subset of the plurality of UL resources is greater than the threshold, and

wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises: generating a priority ranking of the subset of the plurality of UL resources in descending order based on the value of a duty cycle associated with the UL resource.

13. The method of claim 1 or 7, wherein the UE comprises a plurality of antennas, each of the plurality of antennas corresponding to a beam through which a respective downlink reference signal of the plurality of downlink reference beams is delivered to the antenna.

14. The method according to any of claims 1, 7 and 13, wherein one of the restrictions on the UE resources is output power reduction, and

wherein the UE determining operation is performed in response to the UE exceeding a maximum power value determined from the output power reduction associated with at least one beam of the plurality of beams.

15. The method of any of claims 1, 7, and 13, wherein the UL determination operation is performed in response to the UE having a value of duty cycle that is less than a minimum duty cycle for at least one beam of the plurality of beams.

16. The method of any of claims 1, 7, and 13, further comprising sending a message to the gNB, the message including an indication of at least one of the plurality of beams having a power value that exceeds a maximum allowed transmission (MPE).

17. The method of any of claims 1, 7, 13, and 16, wherein the message is sent to the gNB within Msg3 of a RACH procedure defined by the UL determination operation.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of UL resources comprises: selecting the UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which a value of a duty cycle corresponding to the UL resource is less than a value of a threshold.

19. The method of claim 1 or 18, wherein the UL resource information received from the network further comprises a value of the threshold.

20. The method of claim 1 or 18, wherein one of the limits on the UE resources is an output power reduction,

wherein the values of the duty cycles corresponding to the plurality of UL resources are all greater than the value of the threshold, and

wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises: selecting the UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which the MPR associated with the UL resource is a minimum.

21. The method of claim 1 or 18, wherein one of the limits on the UE resources is an output power reduction,

wherein a subset of values of the duty cycle corresponding to respective subsets of the plurality of UL resources is less than a value of the threshold, and

wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises: selecting the UL resource of the subset of the plurality of UL resources for which a value of a MPR associated with the UL resource is a minimum.

22. The method of claim 1 or 7, wherein one of the limits on the UE resources is an output power reduction,

wherein a subset of values of the duty cycle corresponding to a respective subset of the plurality of UL resources is greater than the threshold, and

wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises: generating a priority ranking of the subset of the plurality of UL resources in descending order based on the value of the output power reduction associated with that UL resource.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

receiving Uplink (UL) resource information describing a plurality of UL resources from a network;

determining, upon receiving the UL resource information and for at least one UL resource of the plurality of UL resources, a restriction on the UE resource associated with the UL resource;

selecting at least one of the plurality of UL resources based on a restriction on the UE resource associated with the at least one of the plurality of UL resources; and

transmitting data using the at least one of the plurality of selected UL resources.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the plurality of UL resources comprises a location and size of a plurality of Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resources in time and frequency space over which data is to be transmitted to a base station (gNB).

25. The apparatus of claim 23 or 24, wherein the UL resource information comprises a plurality of preambles to be transmitted over a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), and

wherein the control circuitry configured to select the at least one of the plurality of UL resources is further configured to: performing a Random Access Channel (RACH) operation to generate a selected preamble, and a mapping from the selected preamble to a PUSCH resource of the plurality of PUSCH resources.

26. The apparatus of any of claims 23-25, wherein the RACH operation is a four-step RACH operation.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the control circuitry configured to determine the limit for the UE resource associated with each of the plurality of UL resources is further configured to: a power determination operation is performed to produce a reduced output power value associated with the UL resource.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the control circuitry configured to determine the limit for the UE resource associated with each of the plurality of UL resources is further configured to: a duty cycle determination operation is performed to produce a value for a minimum duty cycle associated with the UL resource.

29. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the UL resource information is received utilizing a plurality of Downlink (DL) Reference Signals (RSs), each DL RS of the plurality of DL RSs associated with a respective UL resource of the plurality of UL resources,

wherein the control circuitry is further configured to perform a power measurement operation on each of the plurality of DL RSs to produce a plurality of Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) values, each of the plurality of RSRP values corresponding to a respective UL resource of the plurality of UL resources, and

wherein the circuitry configured to select the at least one of the plurality of UL resources is further configured to:

for each DL RS of the plurality of DL RSRs, adjusting the RSRP value of the plurality of RSRP values to produce an adjusted RSRP value corresponding to the RSRP value, the adjusted RSRP value based on the limitation of the UE resources.

30. The apparatus of claim 23 or 29, wherein the control circuitry configured to select the at least one of the plurality of UL resources is further configured to: selecting the UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which the adjusted RSRP value corresponding to the UL resource is greater than a threshold value.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the UL resource information received from the network further comprises a value of the threshold.

32. The apparatus of claim 23 or 29, wherein the adjusted RSRP values corresponding to the plurality of UL resources are all less than the threshold value, and

wherein the control circuitry configured to perform the UL determination operation is further configured to: selecting the UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which a duty cycle associated with the UL resource is a maximum.

33. The apparatus of claim 23 or 29, wherein a subset of the adjusted RSRP values corresponding to a respective subset of the plurality of UL resources is greater than the value of the threshold, and

wherein the control circuitry configured to perform the UL determination operation is further configured to: selecting the UL resource of the subset of the plurality of UL resources for which the value of the duty cycle associated with that UL resource is a maximum value.

34. The apparatus of claim 23 or 29, wherein a subset of the adjusted RSRP values corresponding to a respective subset of the plurality of UL resources is greater than the value of the threshold, and

wherein the control circuitry configured to perform the UL determination operation is further configured to: generating a priority ranking of the subset of the plurality of UL resources in descending order based on the value of the duty cycle associated with the UL resource.

35. The apparatus according to claim 23 or 29, wherein the UE comprises a plurality of antennas, each of the plurality of antennas corresponding to a beam through which a respective downlink reference signal of the plurality of downlink reference beams is delivered to the antenna.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein one of the limits on the UE resources is output power reduction, and

wherein the UE determining operation is performed in response to the UE exceeding a maximum power value determined from the output power reduction associated with at least one beam of the plurality of beams.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the UL determination operation is performed in response to the UE having a value of duty cycle that is less than a minimum duty cycle for at least one beam of the plurality of beams.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to send a message to the gNB including an indication of at least one of the plurality of beams having a power value exceeding a maximum allowed transmission (MPE).

39. The apparatus of claim 35 or 38, wherein the message is sent to the gNB within Msg3 of a RACH procedure defined by the UL determination operation.

40. The apparatus of claim 23, the control circuitry configured to select the at least one of the plurality of UL resources further configured to: selecting the UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which a value of a duty cycle corresponding to the UL resource is less than a value of a threshold.

41. The apparatus of claim 23 or 40, wherein the UL resource information received from the network further comprises a value of the threshold.

42. The apparatus of claim 23 or 40, wherein one of the limits on the UE resources is an output power reduction,

wherein the values of the duty cycles corresponding to the plurality of UL resources are all greater than a threshold, and

wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises: selecting the UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which the output power reduction associated with that UL resource is a minimum.

43. The apparatus of claim 23 or 40, wherein one of the limits on the UE resources is an output power reduction,

wherein a subset of values of the duty cycle corresponding to respective subsets of the plurality of UL resources is less than a value of the threshold, and

wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises: selecting the UL resource of the subset of the plurality of UL resources for which the value of the output power reduction associated with that UL resource is a minimum value.

44. The apparatus of claim 23 or 29, wherein one of the limits on the UE resources is an output power reduction,

wherein a subset of values of the duty cycle corresponding to a respective subset of the plurality of UL resources is greater than a value of the threshold, and

wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises: generating a priority ranking of the subset of the plurality of UL resources in descending order based on the value of the output power reduction associated with that UL resource.

45. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving Uplink (UL) resource information describing a plurality of UL resources from a network;

means for determining, upon receiving the UL resource information and for at least one of the plurality of UL resources, a restriction on the UE resource associated with that UL resource;

means for selecting at least one of the plurality of UL resources based on a restriction of the UE resource associated with the at least one of the plurality of UL resources; and

means for transmitting data using the at least one of the plurality of selected UL resources.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the plurality of UL resources include locations and sizes of a plurality of Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resources in time and frequency space over which data is to be transmitted to a base station (gNB).

47. The apparatus of claim 45 or 46, wherein the UL resource information comprises a plurality of preambles to be transmitted over a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), and

wherein the means for selecting the at least one of the plurality of UL resources comprises: means for performing a Random Access Channel (RACH) operation to generate a selected preamble and a mapping from the selected preamble to a PUSCH resource of the plurality of PUSCH resources.

48. The apparatus of any of claims 45-47, wherein the RACH operation is a four-step RACH operation.

49. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the means for determining the limit for the UE resource associated with each of the plurality of UL resources comprises: means for performing a power determination operation to produce a reduced value of output power associated with the UL resource.

50. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the means for determining the limit for the UE resource associated with each of the plurality of UL resources comprises: means for performing a duty cycle determination operation to produce a value of a minimum duty cycle associated with the UL resource.

51. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the UL resource information is received utilizing a plurality of Downlink (DL) Reference Signals (RSs), each DL RS of the plurality of DL RSs associated with a respective UL resource of the plurality of UL resources,

wherein the apparatus further comprises means for performing a power measurement operation on each of the plurality of DL RSs to generate a plurality of Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) values, each of the plurality of RSRP values corresponding to a respective UL resource of the plurality of UL resources, and

wherein the means for selecting the at least one of the plurality of UL resources comprises:

means for adjusting, for each DL RS of the plurality of DL RSRs, the RSRP value of the plurality of RSRP values to produce an adjusted RSRP value corresponding to the RSRP value, the adjusted RSRP value based on the limitation of the UE resources.

52. The apparatus of claim 45 or 51, wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of UL resources further comprises: selecting the UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which the adjusted RSRP value corresponding to the UL resource is greater than a threshold value.

53. The apparatus of any of claims 45, 51, and 52, wherein the UL resource information received from the network further comprises a value of the threshold.

54. The apparatus of claim 45 or 51, wherein the adjusted RSRP values corresponding to the plurality of UL resources are all less than the threshold value, and

wherein the means for performing the UL determination operation further comprises: means for selecting the UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which a value of a duty cycle associated with the UL resource is a maximum.

55. The apparatus of claim 45 or 51, wherein a subset of the adjusted RSRP values corresponding to a respective subset of the plurality of UL resources is greater than the value of the threshold, and

wherein the means for performing the UL determination operation further comprises: means for selecting the UL resource of the subset of the plurality of UL resources for which the value of the duty cycle associated with that UL resource is a maximum.

56. The apparatus of claim 45 or 51, wherein a subset of the adjusted RSRP values corresponding to a respective subset of the plurality of UL resources is greater than the value of the threshold, and

wherein the means for performing the UL determination operation further comprises means for generating a priority ranking of the subset of the plurality of UL resources in descending order based on the value of a duty cycle associated with the UL resource.

57. The apparatus of claim 45 or 51, wherein the UE comprises a plurality of antennas, each of the plurality of antennas corresponding to a beam through which a respective downlink reference signal of the plurality of downlink reference beams is delivered to the antenna.

58. The apparatus of any one of claims 45, 51, and 57, wherein one of the limits on the UE resources is output power reduction, and

wherein the UE determining operation is performed in response to the UE exceeding a maximum power value determined from the output power reduction associated with at least one beam of the plurality of beams.

59. The apparatus of any of claims 45, 51, and 57, wherein the UL determination operation is performed in response to the UE having a value of duty cycle that is less than a minimum duty cycle for at least one beam of the plurality of beams.

60. The apparatus of any one of claims 45, 51 and 57, further comprising means for sending a message to the gNB, the message comprising an indication of at least one of the plurality of beams having a power value exceeding a maximum allowed transmission (MPE).

61. The apparatus of any one of claims 45, 51, 57, and 60, wherein the message is sent to the gNB within an Msg3 of a RACH procedure defined by the UL determination operation.

62. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the means for selecting the at least one of the plurality of UL resources comprises: means for selecting the UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which a value of a duty cycle corresponding to the UL resource is less than a threshold value.

63. The apparatus of claim 45 or 62, wherein the UL resource information received from the network further comprises a value of the threshold.

64. The apparatus of claim 45 or 51, wherein one of the limits on the UE resources is an output power reduction,

wherein the values of the duty cycles corresponding to the plurality of UL resources are all greater than the value of the threshold, and

wherein the means for performing the UL determination operation further comprises means for selecting the UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which the MPR associated with the UL resource is a minimum.

65. The apparatus of claim 45 or 51, wherein one of the limits on the UE resources is an output power reduction,

wherein a subset of values of the duty cycle corresponding to respective subsets of the plurality of UL resources is less than a value of the threshold, and

wherein the means for performing the UL determination operation further comprises: means for selecting the UL resource of the subset of the plurality of UL resources for which a value of an MPR associated with the UL resource is a minimum.

66. The apparatus of claim 45 or 51, wherein one of the limits on the UE resources is an output power reduction,

wherein a subset of values of the duty cycle corresponding to a respective subset of the plurality of UL resources is greater than a value of the threshold, an

Wherein the means for performing the UL determination operation further comprises means for generating a priority ranking of the subset of the plurality of UL resources in descending order based on the value of the output power reduction associated with that UL resource.

67. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and storing executable code that, when executed by at least one data processing apparatus, is configured to cause the at least one data processing apparatus to perform the method of any of claims 1 to 22.

68. An apparatus comprising means for performing the method of any one of claims 1-22.

Technical Field

This description relates to communications.

Background

A communication system may be a facility that enables communication between two or more nodes or devices, such as fixed or mobile communication devices. The signals may be carried on a wired or wireless carrier.

An example of a cellular communication system is an architecture that is being standardized by the third generation partnership project (3 GPP). The latest developments in this area are commonly referred to as the Long Term Evolution (LTE) of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) radio access technology. E-UTRA (evolved UMTS terrestrial radio Access) is the air interface for the LTE upgrade path of 3GPP for mobile networks. In LTE, a base station or an enhanced node Access Point (AP) (eNB) called an AP provides wireless access within a coverage area or cell. In LTE, a mobile device or mobile station is referred to as User Equipment (UE). LTE has included a number of improvements or developments.

For example, global bandwidth shortages towards wireless carriers have prompted consideration of the underutilized millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum for future broadband cellular communication networks. For example, mmWave (or very high frequency) may include a frequency range between 30 and 300 gigahertz (GHz). For example, radio waves in this frequency band may have a wavelength of 10 to 1 millimeter, which is called a millimeter wave band or millimeter wave. The amount of wireless data will likely increase significantly in the coming years. Various techniques have been used in an attempt to address challenges including obtaining more spectrum, having smaller cell sizes, and implementing improved techniques that achieve more bits/s/Hz. One important element that can be used to obtain more spectrum is to move to higher frequencies, e.g. above 6 GHz. For fifth generation wireless systems (5G), an access architecture for deploying cellular radio devices employing mmWave radio spectrum has been proposed. Other example frequency spectrums may also be used, such as the cmWave radio spectrum (e.g., 3-30 GHz).

Disclosure of Invention

According to an example implementation, a method includes receiving, by a User Equipment (UE), Uplink (UL) resource information describing a plurality of UL resources from a network; determining, by the UE, upon receiving the UL resource information and for at least one UL resource of the plurality of UL resources, a restriction on a UE resource associated with the UL resource; selecting, by the UE, at least one of the plurality of UL resources based on a restriction of UE resources associated with the at least one of the plurality of UL resources; and transmitting, by the UE, data using at least one UL resource of the plurality of selected UL resources.

According to an example implementation, an apparatus includes at least a memory and control circuitry coupled to the memory, the control circuitry configured to receive, from a network, Uplink (UL) resource information describing a plurality of UL; determining, upon receiving the UL resource information and for at least one UL resource of the plurality of UL resources, a restriction on UE resources associated with the UL resource; selecting at least one of the plurality of UL resources based on a restriction on UE resources associated with the at least one of the plurality of UL resources; and transmitting data using at least one UL resource of the plurality of selected UL resources.

According to an example implementation, an apparatus includes means for receiving Uplink (UL) resource information describing a plurality of UL resources from a network; means for determining, upon receiving the UL resource information and for at least one UL resource of the plurality of UL resources, a restriction on UE resources associated with the UL resource; means for selecting at least one of a plurality of UL resources based on a restriction of UE resources associated with the at least one of the plurality of UL resources; and means for transmitting data using at least one UL resource of the plurality of selected UL resources.

According to an example implementation, a computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium and storing executable code that, when executed by at least one data processing apparatus, is configured to cause the at least one data processing apparatus to: receiving Uplink (UL) resource information describing a plurality of UL from a network; determining, upon receiving UL resource information and for at least one UL resource of a plurality of UL resources, a restriction on the UE resource associated with the UL resource; selecting at least one of the plurality of UL resources based on a restriction on UE resources associated with the at least one of the plurality of UL resources; and transmitting data using at least one UL resource of the plurality of selected UL resources.

The details of one or more examples of an implementation are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless network according to an example implementation.

Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating a multi-beam environment in accordance with an example implementation.

Figure 3 is a flow diagram illustrating UE operation based on MPE related parameters provided by the network according to an example implementation.

Figure 4 is a flow diagram illustrating UE operation based on preconfigured MPE-related parameters according to an example implementation.

Fig. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of enhancing RACH operation in NR under RF exposure (exposure) requirements according to an example implementation.

Fig. 6 is a block diagram of a node or wireless station (e.g., base station/access point, relay node, or mobile station/user equipment) implemented according to an example.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless network 130 according to an example implementation. In wireless network 130 of fig. 1. Referring to fig. 1, user equipments 131, 132, 133, and 135, which may also be referred to as Mobile Stations (MSs) or User Equipments (UEs), may connect with (and communicate with) a Base Station (BS)134, which Base Station (BS)134 may also be referred to as an Access Point (AP), an enhanced node b (enb), a gNB (which may be a 5G base station), or a network node. At least part of the functionality of an Access Point (AP), Base Station (BS) or (e) node b (enb) may also be performed by any node, server or host operatively coupled to a transceiver, such as a remote radio head. BS (or AP)134 provides radio coverage within cell 136, including radio coverage to user devices 131, 132, 133, and 135. Although only four user devices are shown connected or attached to BS 134, any number of user devices may be provided. BS 134 is also connected to core network 150 via interface 151. This is only a simple example of a wireless network and other examples may be used.

User equipment (user terminal, User Equipment (UE)) may refer to portable computing devices, including wireless mobile communication devices that operate with or without a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile Stations (MS), mobile phones, cellular phones, smart phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), handheld devices, devices using wireless modems (alarm or measurement devices, etc.), notebook and/or touch screen computers, tablet phones, game consoles, notebooks, and multimedia devices are examples. It should be understood that the user device may also be a nearly exclusive uplink-only device, an example of which is a camera or camcorder that loads images or video clips to the network.

In LTE (as an example), the core network 150 may be referred to as an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), which may include a Mobility Management Entity (MME), which may handle or assist mobility/handover of user equipment between BSs, one or more gateways that may forward data and control signals between BSs and a packet data network or the internet, and other control functions or blocks.

Various example implementations may be applied to a wide variety of wireless technologies, wireless networks, such as LTE, LTE-a, 5G (new radio or NR), cmWave, and/or mmWave band networks, or any other wireless network or use case. LTE, 5G, cmWave, and mmWave band networks are provided as illustrative examples only, and various example implementations may be applied to any wireless technology/wireless network. The various example implementations may also be applied to a variety of different applications, services, or use cases, such as, for example, ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), internet of things (IoT), enhanced mobile broadband, Mass Machine Type Communication (MMTC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-device, and so forth. Each of these use cases or UE types may have its own set of requirements.

Random access procedures (e.g., RACH) are used by User Equipments (UEs) in idle or inactive or connected state for accessing the network, e.g., requesting to establish a connection. A RACH including a four-step procedure ("four-step RACH") is implemented. 1) Step 1(Msg1) includes preamble transmission from the UE to the base station (gNB), i.e. physical rach (prach). 2) Step 2(Msg2) includes the transmission of a Random Access Response (RAR) from the gNB to the UE. 3) Step 3(Msg3) includes the scheduled transmission of data from the UE to the gNB. 4) Step 4(Msg4) includes transmission of a contention resolution solution from the gNB to the UE.

Some UEs implement a RACH procedure that takes into account the transmission factor in the form of maximum allowed exposure (MPE). In frequency range 2(FR2), MPE requires a high degree of directivity due to "beam" based operation at the UE. A UE is typically equipped with multiple antenna panels, each having multiple antenna elements for generating beams for transmission and reception. NB frequency range 1(FR1) is determined in TS38.101 as the frequency range from 450MHz to 6000 MHz. Accordingly, in TS38.101, frequency range 2(FR2) is determined as a frequency range of 24250MHz to 52600 MHz.

To ensure compliance with applicable electromagnetic energy absorption requirements and to address unwanted emissions, RAN4 (radio performance and protocol aspects (systems) — RF parameters and BS conformance working group) has so far agreed on two approaches. The first way involves using the maximum allowed output power reduction (P-MPR) and the second way involves using the uplink duty cycle. However, the use of both methods negatively impacts uplink performance. To address this issue, the UE capability maxuplinkdtycycle is approved, where it allows the UE to signal its preferred maximum UL duty cycle to the network.

NR supports receive beamforming for PRACH preamble reception by allocating multiple RACH Occasions (ROs), for which the gNB may use different receive beams. The PRACH opportunity and PRACH preamble selection are also signaled by the UE for the preferred SS/PBCH (physical broadcast channel) block beams to be used for Msg2 and Msg4 transmissions.

The allocation is accomplished by configuring associations between SS/PBCH blocks and one or more RACH occasions and sets of PRACH preambles within each associated occasion. Based on DL measurements on the SS/PBCH block(s), in a conventional RACH procedure, the UE determines a RACH occasion and a PRACH preamble within the time associated with the selected SS/PBCH block from which the UE selects a preamble for transmission. The current specification allows a UE to select a RACH occasion in CBRA (contention-based random access) corresponding to any SSB whose RSRP (reference signal received power) exceeds a configured threshold (e.g., RSRP-threshold SSB). Accordingly, in the case of CFRA (contention free random access), the UE may select any SSB (or CSI-RS) that exceeds the configured threshold from the configured candidate list (candidabeamrslist).

However, for example in FR2, it is generally assumed that a UE is equipped with multiple antenna panels, and that the UE operates in both downlink and uplink using narrower beams than the omni-directional beam that is generally assumed to be used by each antenna in FR 1. When operating with beams in the uplink, a common output power reduction and/or duty cycle is not feasible to apply, since different beams have different conditions that cause RF exposure problems: some beams may propagate toward the human body while some other beams may not. The former requires a higher output power reduction and/or a lower duty cycle than the latter.

Note that in some implementations, the amount of output power reduction is determined based on the maximum output power that can be used for UL transmission within a particular time to ensure compliance with applicable electromagnetic energy absorption requirements. In some implementations, the amount of output power reduction is autonomously determined by the UE240, assuming that the UE240 continuously transmits on UL resources, a particular portion of UL resources from a particular antenna, antenna panel, or beam.

Note that in some implementations, the duty cycle (i.e., UL duty cycle) is determined as the highest portion of the UL symbol that can be used for UL transmission in a particular time and ensures compliance with applicable electromagnetic energy absorption requirements. In some implementations, the UL duty cycle is autonomously determined by the UE240, assuming that the UE240 is to be transmitted at its maximum output power, within a particular range of maximum output power from a particular antenna, antenna panel, or beam.

Correspondingly, in the conventional RACH procedure described above, if done based on DL RS RSRP only, selecting RO based on DL measurements (e.g., based on SS/PBCH blocks or CSI-RS) may not give the desired result from the perspective of the MPE target. This can result in an undesirably large output power reduction or small duty cycle, thereby impeding data activity or coverage.

In contrast to the conventional RACH procedure described above, the improved technique involves taking into account the required output power reduction or the required difference in duty cycle when selecting ROs other than DL RSs. Both the output power reduction and the duty cycle are determined independently by the UE itself (i.e., the UE needs to be able to determine the required power back-off and/or duty cycle itself in order to meet the RF exposure requirements). Advantageously, the RACH procedure in which the UE independently determines both the output power reduction and the duty cycle enables better selection of the output power reduction and the duty cycle to enhance data activity and coverage.

Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating a multi-beam environment 200. In environment 200, UE240 receives UL resource information from the gNB at transmission points 210 and 220, each of which generates DL RSs 215 and 225, respectively. In the conventional RACH approach, the UE240 performs measurement of DL RSRP for each of the DL RSs 215 and 225 and selects UL resources based on the measurement. Instead, the UE240 determines a limit on the UE resources (e.g., signal power) for each of the plurality of UL resources, which may affect the selection of the UL resources on which the UE240 transmits data. The UL has multiple antennas, each of which corresponds to one of DL RSs 215 and 225 and UL beam 230.

As shown in fig. 2, there are several UL beams 230, each having a different direction. Some UL beams 230 are directed away from user 242 and some UL beams 230 are directed toward user 242. In this case, UL beams 230 pointing away from user 242 should be able to use more power in transmission than those beams pointing towards user 242.

As shown in fig. 2, UL resources are associated with UL beams 230. For example, in some implementations, each beam 230 is associated with a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resource and a preamble. In some implementations, the UE240 determines the output power reduction via a power determination operation. In such power determination operations, in some implementations, the UE240 generates a respective output power reduction for each of the DL RSs 215 and 225. In some implementations, the output power reduction associated with the DL RS is determined based on how many DL RSs pass through or are absorbed by the user 240. In such implementations, the UE240 uses sensors to determine the proximity of the UE240 to the head or other portion of the user 242. Once the output power reduction for each DL RS is determined, UE240 then adjusts the respective RSRP associated with each DL RS to form a respective adjusted RSRP associated with the RSRP. In some implementations, the adjusting includes subtracting the applied output power reduction from the RSRP.

UE240 then selects the DL RS whose adjusted RSRP is above the threshold power. In some implementations, the threshold power is defined in the specification. In some implementations, the threshold power is defined by the network. In some implementations, the network sends the specification with the threshold power of UL resource information via the gNB.

In some implementations, the UE240 determines a minimum duty cycle for each DL RS. In some implementations, the minimum duty cycle is derived independently of the output power reduction, although the duty cycle is derived based on MPE requirements for exposure to radiation. Since the way the beam interacts with the user differs in terms of MPE requirements related to radiation exposure, it is unlikely that a common output power reduction and duty cycle across DL RSs can be achieved. In some implementations, the UE240 selects the DL RS based on a maximum duty cycle that is greater than a minimum duty cycle.

In some implementations, the UE selects the RS associated with the largest duty cycle when no adjusted RSRP is greater than the threshold power.

The UE240 maps the DL RS, the output power reduction, and the duty cycle to the RACH Occasion (RO). In some implementations, the UE240 ranks ROs corresponding to DL RSs that exceed the power threshold based on the required duty cycles such that ROs corresponding to DL RSs with the highest duty cycles are prioritized. In some implementations, the RSRP power threshold evaluation may also be based on a required output power reduction.

In some implementations, in RACH RO selection, only those ROs with a required duty cycle greater than a defined duty cycle threshold may be considered or prioritized. In some implementations, if the duty cycle threshold cannot be met without MPR for any DL RS, the UE240 may select the DL RS with the lowest MPR.

In some implementations, the network may indicate (e.g., in system information along with RACH resource provisioning or using dedicated signaling) how the UE240 should prioritize the selection of RO selection. That is, the network may indicate DL RSs for which a minimum output power reduction may be satisfied (regardless of duty cycle) (i.e., with preferential coverage), or DL RSs for which a maximum duty cycle may be used (e.g., 100%) regardless of required output power reduction (i.e., with prioritized scheduling flexibility).

In some implementations, different RO or UL resources may be configured for different allowed/tolerated output power reduction or duty cycle levels. This may enable the network to properly recognize and interpret MPE-related limitations from the outset. In some implementations, a maximum output power reduction threshold or minimum duty cycle limit is defined for a particular UL resource.

In some implementations, the RACH procedure described above is triggered as a result of the UE240 reaching a maximum output power reduction threshold for at least one, for a subset, or for all UL beams.

In some implementations, the RACH procedure described above is triggered as a result of the UE240 reaching a minimum duty cycle limit. That is, for example, the duty cycle due to MPE requirements is below the limit, where the limit may be 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100%.

In some implementations, the UE240 may trigger beam failure recovery for the CFRA beam when the maximum MPR threshold/duty cycle minimum is reached, wherein the UE excludes CFRA candidates having a duty cycle below a limit value. In some implementations, reaching any of these limits indicates a duty cycle value or duty cycle limit associated with the SSB/CSI-RS selected in the RACH procedure.

In some implementations, if the UE has a valid C-RNTI, the UE240 includes the C-RNTI in the Msg3 of the (4-step) RACH procedure.

In some implementations, for output power reduction, the UE240 reduces the transmission power by 2dB to meet MPE limits. In some implementations, for the duty cycle, the UE240 limits its transmission to 50% of the time within a 10ms period to meet the MPE limit.

Note that for lower frequency bands (e.g., <3GHz), the MPE limits can be set by the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), which determines the RF power absorbed by a specific mass (living body) like material in units of watts/kg. For over 6GHz, the MPE limits are directed to the maximum incident power density (W/m ^2) measured/averaged over a particular area (e.g., 20cm ^ 2).

The maximum allowed transmission power that meets the MPE limits is also determined by the given distance, based on the antenna or antenna array gain used. In some implementations, the distance is determined by the above requirements and antenna/antenna array gain achieved from a given device.

Thus, for example, when a particular object is within a particular distance, the above requirements may be used to determine the maximum allowed transmission power to meet the transmission limits. This may then be used to determine a power backoff (P-MPR, MPR) as the separation between the actual maximum transmission power capability of the UE and the maximum allowed transmission power that meets the MPE limitations. Alternatively, when transmission is determined within a certain time period, the required time domain limits of the transmission power may be determined to meet the MPE limits.

Figure 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a UE operation 300 in an example implementation based on network provided MPE related parameters.

At 302, the network transmits a signal containing data representing MPE parameters, including a duty cycle threshold and an MPR threshold.

At 304, the UE determines that at least one of the MPE parameters does not meet a threshold criterion, e.g., the MPR is greater than a threshold or the duty cycle is less than a threshold.

At 306, the UE selects at least one RO that satisfies MPE threshold criteria (e.g., the transmission exposure is less than MPE).

At 308, the UE triggers a RACH procedure on the selected RO.

At 310, in some implementations, the UE indicates a trigger during or after the RACH procedure.

Figure 4 is a flow diagram illustrating UE operation 400 based on preconfigured MPE-related parameters in an example implementation.

At 402, the UE determines values for thresholds for MPE parameters, including a duty cycle threshold and an MPR threshold.

At 404, the UE determines that at least one of the MPE parameters does not meet a threshold criterion, e.g., the MPR is greater than a threshold or the duty cycle is less than a threshold.

At 406, the UE selects at least one RO that satisfies MPE threshold criteria (e.g., the transmit exposure is less than MPE).

At 408, the UE triggers a RACH procedure on the selected RO.

At 410, in some implementations, the UE indicates a trigger during or after the RACH procedure.

Example 1: fig. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method 500 of performing an improved technique. Operation 510 comprises receiving, by a User Equipment (UE), Uplink (UL) resource information describing a plurality of UL resources from a network. Operation 520 includes determining, by the UE, a restriction on a UE resource associated with the UL resource after receiving the UL resource information and for at least one UL resource of the plurality of UL resources. Operation 530 comprises selecting, by the UE, at least one of the plurality of UL resources based on a restriction of UE resources associated with the at least one of the plurality of UL resources. Operation 540 comprises transmitting, by the UE, data using at least one of the plurality of selected UL resources.

Example 2: the example implementation of example 1, wherein the plurality of UL resources includes locations and sizes of a plurality of Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) resources in time and frequency space over which data is to be transmitted to the base station (gNB).

Example 3: the example implementation of example 1 or 2, wherein the UL resource information includes a plurality of preambles to be transmitted over a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH), and wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of UL resources includes performing a Random Access Channel (RACH) operation to produce the selected preamble and a mapping from the selected preamble to a PUSCH resource of the plurality of PUSCH resources.

Example 4: the example implementation according to any one of examples 1 to 3, wherein the RACH operation is a four-step RACH operation.

Example 5: the example implementation of example 1, wherein determining the restriction on the UE resource associated with each of the plurality of UL resources comprises performing a power determination operation to produce a reduced value of output power associated with the UL resource.

Example 6: the example implementation of example 1, wherein determining the restriction on the UE resources associated with each of the plurality of UL resources comprises performing a duty cycle determination operation to produce a value for a minimum duty cycle associated with the UL resource.

Example 7: the example implementation of example 1, wherein the UL resource information is received utilizing a plurality of Downlink (DL) Reference Signals (RSs), each DL RS of the plurality of DL RSs being associated with a respective UL resource of the plurality of UL resources, wherein the method further comprises performing a power measurement operation on each DL RS of the plurality of DL RSs to produce a plurality of Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) values, each RSRP value of the plurality of RSRP values corresponding to a respective UL resource of the plurality of UL resources, and wherein selecting at least one UL resource of the plurality of UL resources comprises: for each DL RS of the plurality of DL RSs, adjusting an RSRP value of the plurality of RSRP values to produce an adjusted RSRP value corresponding to the RSRP value, the adjusted RSRP value based on the limitation of the UE resources.

Example 8: the example implementation of example 1 or 7, wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of UL resources further comprises selecting UL resources of the plurality of UL resources for which an adjusted RSRP value corresponding to the UL resource is greater than a threshold value.

Example 9: the example implementation according to any one of examples 1, 7, and 8, wherein the UL resource information received from the network further includes a value of the threshold.

Example 10: the example implementation of example 1 or 7, wherein the adjusted RSRP values corresponding to the plurality of UL resources are all less than a threshold value, and wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises selecting an UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which the value of the duty cycle associated with the UL resource is a maximum value.

Example 11: the example implementation of example 1 or 7, wherein the subset of adjusted RSRP values corresponding to the respective subset of the plurality of UL resources is greater than a value of a threshold, and wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises selecting a UL resource of the subset of the plurality of UL resources for which the value of the duty cycle associated with the UL resource is a maximum.

Example 12: the example implementation of example 1 or 7, wherein the subset of adjusted RSRP values corresponding to the respective subset of the plurality of UL resources is greater than a threshold value, and wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises generating a priority ranking of the subset of the plurality of UL resources in descending order based on the value of the duty cycle associated with the UL resource.

Example 13: the example implementation of example 1 or 7, wherein the UE includes a plurality of antennas, each antenna of the plurality of antennas corresponding to a beam to which a respective downlink reference signal of the plurality of downlink reference beams is delivered through the beam.

Example 14: the example implementation of any one of examples 1, 7, and 13, wherein one of the limits on UE resources is an output power reduction, and wherein the UE determination operation is performed in response to the UE exceeding a maximum power value determined from the output power reduction associated with at least one beam of the plurality of beams.

Example 15: the example implementation of any one of examples 1, 7, and 13, wherein the UL determination operation is performed in response to the UE having a value of a duty cycle that is less than a minimum duty cycle for at least one of the plurality of beams.

Example 16: an example implementation according to any one of examples 1, 7, and 13, further comprising sending a message to the gNB, the message including an indication of at least one of the plurality of beams having a power value exceeding a maximum allowed transmission (MPE).

Example 17: the example implementation according to any one of examples 1, 7, 13 and 16, wherein the message is sent to the gNB within the Msg3 of the RACH procedure defined by the UL determination operation.

Example 18: the example implementation of example 1, wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of UL resources comprises selecting an UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which a value of a duty cycle corresponding to the UL resource is less than a value of a threshold.

Example 19: the example implementation according to example 1 or 18, wherein the UL resource information received from the network further includes a value of the threshold.

Example 20: the embodiment of embodiments 1 or 18 wherein one of the restrictions on the UE resources is output power reduction, wherein values of duty cycles corresponding to the plurality of UL resources are all greater than a value of a threshold, and wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises selecting a UL resource of the plurality of UL resources for which the MPR associated with the UL resource is a minimum.

Example 21: the example implementation of example 1 or 18, wherein one of the restrictions on the UE resources is output power reduction, wherein a subset of values of duty cycles corresponding to respective subsets of the plurality of UL resources is less than a value of a threshold, and wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises selecting a UL resource of the subset of the plurality of UL resources for which the value of the MPR associated with the UL resource is a minimum.

Example 22: the example implementation of example 1 or 18, wherein one of the restrictions on the UE resources is an output power reduction, wherein a subset of values of duty cycles corresponding to respective subsets of the plurality of UL resources is greater than a value of a threshold, and wherein performing the UL determination operation further comprises generating a priority ranking of the subsets of the plurality of UL resources in a descending order based on the value of the output power reduction associated with the UL resource.

Example 23: an apparatus comprising means for performing the method of any one of examples 1 to 22.

Example 24: a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and storing executable code that, when executed by at least one data processing apparatus, is configured to cause the at least one data processing apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

Further example implementations and/or example details will now be provided.

Example abbreviation list:

3 GPP: third generation partnership project

4G: fourth generation mobile communication technology

5G: fifth generation mobile communication technology

5 GMM: 5GS mobility management

5 GS: 5G system

5 GSM: 5GS session management

ACB: access class barring

AMF: access and mobility management functions

CSFB: circuit switched fallback

DM: device management

DN: data network

DNN: data network name

EHPLMN: equivalent HPLMN

eMBB: enhanced mobile broadband

eNB: evolved node B

EPS: evolved packet system

And g NB: next generation node B (uncertain)

HPLMN home PLMN

IMS: IP multimedia subsystem

IoT: internet of things

IP: internet protocol

MME: mobility management entity

MMTel: IMS multimedia telephony service

NAS: non-access stratum

And (3) NGAP: next generation application protocol

NSSAI: network slice selection assistance information

OAM: operation, administration and management

OMA: open mobile alliance

And OS: operating system

PCF: policy control function

PDU: protocol data unit

PLMN public land mobile network

RAN: radio access network

RRC: radio resource control

S-NSSAI: single NSSAI

SD: section differentiator

SMS: short message service

SMSoNAS: SMS over NAS

SMSoIP: SMS over IP

SSAC: service specific access control

SST: slice/service type

UDM: user data management

UE: user equipment

UPF: user plane functionality

URLLC: ultra-reliable and low latency communication

VPLMN: accessed PLMN

Fig. 6 is a block diagram of a wireless station (e.g., AP, BS, eNB, UE, or user equipment) 1200 implemented according to an example. The wireless station 1200 may include, for example, one or two RF (radio frequency) or wireless transceivers 602A, 602B, each of which includes a transmitter to transmit signals and a receiver to receive signals. The wireless station also includes a processor or control unit/entity (controller) 604 to execute instructions or software and control transmission and reception of signals, and a memory 606 to store data and/or instructions.

Processor 604 may also make decisions or determinations, generate frames, packets, or messages for transmission, decode received frames or messages for further processing, and other tasks or functions described herein. For example, processor 604, which may be a baseband processor, may generate messages, packets, frames, or other signals for transmission via wireless transceiver 602(602A or 602B). Processor 904 can control transmission of signals or messages over the wireless network, and can control reception of signals or messages via the wireless network, and the like (e.g., after being down-converted by wireless transceiver 602). The processor 604 may be programmable and capable of executing software or other instructions stored on a memory or other computer medium to perform the various tasks and functions described above, such as one or more of the tasks or methods described above. Processor 604 may be (or may include), for example, hardware, programmable logic, a programmable processor executing software or firmware, and/or any combination of these. For example, using other terminology, processor 604 and transceiver 602 may together be considered a wireless transmitter/receiver system.

Additionally, referring to fig. 6, a controller (or processor) 608 may execute software and instructions and may provide overall control for the station 600, and may provide control for other systems not shown in fig. 12, such as controlling input/output devices (e.g., display, keyboard), and/or may execute software for one or more applications that may be provided on the wireless station 600, such as, for example, an email program, audio/video applications, a word processor, voice over IP application, or other applications or software.

Additionally, a storage medium may be provided that includes stored instructions, which when executed by a controller or processor may cause processor 604 or other controllers or processors to perform one or more of the functions or tasks described above.

According to another example implementation, RF or wireless transceiver(s) 602A/602B may receive signals or data and/or transmit signals or data. Processor 604 (and possibly transceivers 602A/602B) may control RF or wireless transceivers 602A or 602B to receive, transmit, broadcast, or transmit signals or data.

However, the embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, but a person skilled in the art may apply the solution to other communication systems. Another example of a suitable communication system is the 5G concept. It is assumed that the network architecture in 5G will be very similar to that of LTE-advanced. 5G is likely to use Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antennas, many more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro-sites operating in conjunction with smaller base stations, and possibly also employing various radio technologies for better coverage and enhanced data rates.

It should be appreciated that future networks will likely utilize Network Function Virtualization (NFV), which is a network architecture concept that suggests virtualizing network node functions as "building blocks" or entities that may be operatively connected or linked together to provide services. A Virtualized Network Function (VNF) may comprise one or more virtual machines running computer program code using standard or generic type servers instead of custom hardware. Cloud computing or data storage may also be utilized. In radio communication, this may mean that the node operations may be performed at least partially in a server, host, or node operatively coupled to the remote radio heads. Node operations may also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. It should also be understood that the labor allocation between core network operation and base station operation may be different from, or even non-existent, as in LTE.

Implementations of the various techniques described herein may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of them. Implementations may be implemented as a computer program product, i.e., a computer program tangibly embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a machine-readable storage device or in a propagated signal, for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers. Implementations may also be provided on a computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium, which may be a non-transitory medium. Implementations of the various techniques may also include implementations provided via transitory signals or media, and/or program and/or software implementations, which may be downloaded via the internet or other network(s) (wired and/or wireless networks). Additionally, implementations may be provided via Machine Type Communication (MTC) and also via internet of things (IOT).

The computer program may be in source code form, object code form, or in some intermediate form, and it may be stored on some carrier, distribution medium, or computer-readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers include, for example, record media, computer memory, read-only memory, electro-optical and/or electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals and software distribution packages. Depending on the required processing power, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or may be distributed over a plurality of computers.

Further, implementations of the various techniques described herein may use a network physical system (CPS) (a system in which cooperating computing elements control physical entities). CPS may enable the implementation and utilization of a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processor microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects at different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems, where the physical system in question has inherent mobility, are a sub-category of cyber-physical systems. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronics transported by humans or animals. The rise in popularity of smart phones has increased interest in the area of mobile network physical systems. Accordingly, various implementations of the techniques described herein may be provided via one or more of these techniques.

A computer program, such as the computer program(s) described above, can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit or part suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

Method steps may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing a computer program or portion of a computer program to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. Method steps can also be performed by, and apparatus can be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer, chip or chip set. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. Elements of a computer may include at least one processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. Information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.

To provide for interaction with a user, implementations may be implemented on a computer having a display device (e.g., a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) or Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitor) for displaying information to the user and a user interface, such as a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices may also be used to provide for interaction with a user; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.

Implementations may be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component (e.g., as a data server), or that includes a middleware component (e.g., an application server), or that includes a front-end component (e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation), or any combination of such back-end, middleware, or front-end components. The components may be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of communication networks include a Local Area Network (LAN) and a Wide Area Network (WAN), such as the Internet.

While certain features of the described implementations have been illustrated as described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes, and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the various embodiments.