Patent Publication Number: US-11388761-B2

Title: Providing a system information block request and response

Description:
PRIORITY CLAIM 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/242,124, filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 19, 2016, which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/293,633 filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 10, 2016, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth below in their entirety and for all applicable purposes. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The technology discussed below relates generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to techniques for requesting a system information block (SIB) and providing a SIB response. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be multiple-access systems capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple-access systems include code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time-division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) systems, and orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) systems. 
     In some examples, a wireless multiple-access communication system may include a number of base stations, each simultaneously supporting communication for multiple communication devices, commonly known as user equipment (UE). In a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) or LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) network, a set of one or more base stations may define an eNodeB (eNB). In other examples (e.g., in a next generation or 5G network), a wireless multiple access communication system may include a number of smart radio heads (SRHs) in communication with a number of access node controllers (ANCs), where a set of one or more SRHs, in communication with an ANC, defines an eNB. A base station or SRH may communicate with a set of UEs on downlink channels (e.g., for transmissions from a base station/SRH to a UE) and uplink channels (e.g., for transmissions from a UE to a base station/SRH). 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES 
     The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects of the present disclosure, in order to provide a basic understanding of such aspects. 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 a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
     Aspects of the present disclosure provide various techniques for requesting a system information block (SIB) and providing a SIB response for a user equipment (UE) in a UE-centric wireless communication network. In some aspects of the disclosure, the network may transmit the SIB to the UEs in a broadcast mode or in an on-demand mode. 
     One aspect of the disclosure provides a method of wireless communication operable at a user equipment (UE). The method includes receiving a master information block (MIB) from an access network, where the MIB includes configuration information for the access network, and establishing a connection with the access network utilizing information in the MIB. The method further includes transmitting a chirp signal to the access network as part of a random access procedure, where the chirp signal includes a reference signal, and the chirp signal is configured as a system information request to facilitate the access network in determining one or more system information blocks that include other system information utilized by the UE. The method further includes receiving a system information response comprising the one or more system information blocks broadcasted in response to the chirp signal. 
     Another aspect of the disclosure provides a method of wireless communication operable at an access network that includes a plurality of base stations. The method includes transmitting a master information block (MIB) including configuration information for the access network. The method further includes receiving a chirp signal from a user equipment (UE) as part of a random access procedure, where the chirp signal includes a reference signal. The method further includes determining one or more system information blocks that include other system information, based on the chirp signal. The method further includes broadcasting a system information response that includes the one or more system information blocks to the UE in response to the chirp signal. 
     Another aspect of the disclosure provides a user equipment (UE) that includes a communication interface configured to communicate with an access network, a memory that stores executable code, and one or more processors operatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory. Here, the one or more processors are configured by the executable code to receive a master information block (MIB) from an access network, where the MIB includes configuration information for the access network. The one or more processors are further configured by the executable code to establish a connection with the access network utilizing information in the MIB. The one or more processors are further configured by the executable code to transmit a chirp signal to the access network as part of a random access procedure, where the chirp signal includes a reference signal, where the chirp signal is configured as a system information request to facilitate the access network in determining one or more system information blocks that include other system information utilized by the UE. The one or more processors are further configured by the executable code to receive a system information response that includes the one or more system information blocks broadcasted in response to the chirp signal. 
     Another aspect of the disclosure provides an access network node including a communication interface configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE), a memory that stores executable code, and one or more processors operatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory. Here, the one or more processors are configured by the executable code to transmit a master information block (MIB) that includes configuration information for the access network. The one or more processors are further configured by the executable code to receive a chirp signal from a user equipment (UE) as part of a random access procedure, where the chirp signal includes a reference signal. The one or more processors are further configured by the executable code to determine one or more system information blocks, which include other system information, based on the chirp signal. The one or more processors are further configured by the executable code to broadcast a system information response that includes the one or more system information blocks to the UE in response to the chirp signal. 
     These and other aspects of the invention will become more fully understood upon a review of the detailed description, which follows. 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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a wireless communication system in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a UE-centric call flow diagram between a user equipment (UE) and an access network (AN) in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a UE-centric call flow diagram between a UE and an access network in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a non-UE-centric call flow diagram between a UE and an access network in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  shows a block diagram of a UE for use in wireless communication in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  shows a block diagram of a network access device for use in wireless communication in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  shows a block diagram of an access network controller (ANC) for use in wireless communication in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 8  is a block diagram of a multi-input and multi-output (MIMO) communication system in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 9  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method for wireless communication at a UE-centric wireless network in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 10  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method for wireless communication at a non-UE-centric wireless network in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 11  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method for UE-centric wireless communication at an access network in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 12  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method for non-UE-centric wireless communication at an access network in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring such concepts. 
     Several aspects of telecommunication systems will now be presented with reference to various apparatus and methods. These apparatus and methods will be described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing by various blocks, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as “elements”). These elements may be implemented using electronic hardware, computer software, or any combination thereof. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. 
     Aspects of the present disclosure provide various techniques for requesting a system information block (SIB) and providing a SIB response for a user equipment (UE) in a UE-centric wireless communication network. These techniques may be implemented with an access network supporting UE-centric MAC (media access control) or an access network not supporting UE-centric MAC. In some aspects of the disclosure, a UE-centric wireless network may forgo the regular broadcast of system information (e.g., SIB) because the regular broadcast of system information by a base station can contribute significantly to the power consumption of the base station. In some aspects of the disclosure, the network (e.g., a base station) may transmit the SIB to the UEs in a broadcast mode (e.g., where a base station transmits the SIB regardless of whether the SIB is requested or needed by any UEs within a certain coverage area) or in an on-demand mode. In the on-demand mode, the network transmits the SIB in response to receiving a request from one or more UEs. When transmitting the SIB in an on-demand mode, the network may forgo the broadcast of the SIB, which may conserve power. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a wireless communication system  100 , in accordance with various aspects of the disclosure. The wireless communication system  100  may include network access devices  105 , UEs  115 , and a core network  130 . The core network  130  may provide user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. At least some of the network access devices  105  (e.g., eNBs  105 - a  or ANCs  105 - b ) may interface with the core network  130  through backhaul links  132  (e.g., S1, S2, etc.) and may perform radio configuration and scheduling for communication with the UEs  115 . In various examples, the ANCs (access node controllers)  105 - b  may communicate, either directly or indirectly (e.g., through core network  130 ), with each other over backhaul links  134  (e.g., X1, X2, etc.), which may be wired or wireless communication links. Each ANC  105 - b  may also communicate with a number of UEs  115  through a number of smart radio heads (SRHs or RHs)  105 - c . A RH may include, for example, radio frequency (RF) components (e.g., one or more transceivers) and a modem. In an alternative configuration of the wireless communication system  100 , the functionality of an ANC  105 - b  may be provided by a RH  105 - c  or distributed across the radio heads  105 - c  of an eNB  105 - a . In another alternative configuration of the wireless communication system  100 , the RHs  105 - c  may be replaced with base stations, and the ANCs  105 - b  may be replaced by base station controllers (or links to the core network  130 ). 
     The ANCs  105 - b  may wirelessly communicate with the UEs  115  via one or more RHs  105 - c , with each RH  105 - c  having one or more antennas. Each of the RHs  105 - c  may provide communication coverage for a respective geographic coverage area  110 , and may provide one or more remote transceivers associated with an ANC  105 - b . In some aspects of the disclosure, a RH  105 - c  may perform many of the functions of a LTE/LTE-A base station or eNB, or similar functions. In some examples, an ANC  105 - b  may be implemented in distributed form, with a portion of the ANC  105 - b  being provided in each RH  105 - c . The geographic coverage area  110  for a RH  105 - c  may be divided into sectors making up only a portion of the coverage area (not shown). In some examples, the network access devices  105  may be replaced with alternative network access devices, such as base transceiver stations, radio base stations, access points, radio transceivers, NodeBs, eNodeBs (eNBs), Home NodeBs, Home eNodeBs, etc. The wireless communication system  100  may include RHs  105 - c  (or base stations or other network access devices) of different types (e.g., macro cell and/or small cell network access devices). The geographic coverage areas  110  of the RHs  105 - c  or other network access devices may overlap. In some examples, different eNBs  105 - a  may be associated with different radio access technologies. 
     In some examples, the wireless communication system  100  may include a 5G network. In other examples, the wireless communication system  100  may include a LTE/LTE-A network. The wireless communication system  100  may in some cases be a heterogeneous network, in which different types of eNBs, RHs  105 - c , and/or ANC  105 - b  provide coverage for various geographical regions. For example, each eNB  105 - a  or RH  105 - c  may provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a small cell, and/or other types of cell. The term “cell” is a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) term that can be used to describe a base station, a radio head, a carrier or component carrier associated with a base station or a radio head, or a coverage area (e.g., sector, etc.) of a carrier or base station, depending on context. 
     A macro cell may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., several kilometers in radius) and may allow unrestricted access by UEs  115  with service subscriptions with a network provider. A small cell may include a lower-powered radio head or base station, as compared with a macro cell, and may operate in the same or different frequency band(s) and/or radio access technology (RAT) as macro cells Small cells may include pico cells, femto cells, and micro cells according to various examples. A pico cell may cover a relatively smaller geographic area and may allow unrestricted access by UEs  115  with service subscriptions with a network provider. A femto cell also may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home or business premises) and may provide restricted access by UEs  115  having an association with the femto cell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs for users in the home, and the like). An eNB for a macro cell may be referred to as a macro eNB. An eNB for a small cell may be referred to as a small cell eNB, a pico eNB, a femto eNB or a home eNB. An eNB may support one or multiple (e.g., two, three, four, and the like) cells (e.g., component carriers). 
     The wireless communication system  100  may support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, the eNBs  105 - a  and/or RHs  105 - c  may have similar frame timing, and transmissions from different eNBs  105 - a  and/or RHs  105 - c  may be approximately aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, the eNBs  105 - a  and/or RHs  105 - c  may have different frame timings, and transmissions from different eNBs  105 - a  and/or RHs  105 - c  may not be aligned in time. The techniques described herein may be used for either synchronous or asynchronous operations. 
     The communication networks that may accommodate some of the various disclosed examples may be packet-based networks that operate according to a layered protocol stack. In the user plane, communications at the bearer or Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer may be IP-based. A Radio Link Control (RLC) layer may in some cases perform packet segmentation and reassembly to communicate over logical channels. A Medium Access Control (MAC) layer may perform priority handling and multiplexing of logical channels into transport channels. The MAC layer may also use Hybrid ARQ (HARQ) to provide retransmission at the MAC layer to improve link efficiency. In the control plane, the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol layer may provide establishment, configuration, and maintenance of an RRC connection between a UE  115  and a RH  105 - c , ANC  105 - b , or core network  130  supporting radio bearers for user plane data. At the Physical (PHY) layer, transport channels may be mapped to physical channels. 
     The UEs  115  may be dispersed throughout the wireless communication system  100 , and each UE  115  may be stationary or mobile. A UE  115  may also include or be referred to by those skilled in the art as a mobile station, a subscriber station, a mobile unit, a subscriber unit, a wireless unit, a remote unit, a mobile device, a wireless device, a wireless communications device, a remote device, a mobile subscriber station, an access terminal, a mobile terminal, a wireless terminal, a remote terminal, a handset, a user agent, a mobile client, a client, or some other suitable terminology. A UE  115  may be a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless modem, a wireless communication device, a handheld device, a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a cordless phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a wireless wearable device, an Internet of Everything (IoE) device, a set-top box, a home appliance, or other electronic device having a wireless communication interface. A UE may be able to communicate with various types of eNBs  105 - a , RHs  105 - c , base stations, access points, or other network access devices, including macro eNBs, small cell eNBs, relay base stations, and the like. A UE may also be able to communicate directly with other UEs as peers (e.g., using a peer-to-peer (P2P) protocol). 
     The communication links  125  shown in the wireless communication system  100  may include uplink (UL) channels from a UE  115  to a RH  105 - c , and/or downlink (DL) channels, from a RH  105 - c  to a UE  115 . The downlink channels may also be called forward link channels, while the uplink channels may also be called reverse link channels. 
     One or more of the UEs  115  may include a wireless communication manager  120 . In some examples, the wireless communication manager  120  may be used to perform the functions and procedures illustrated in  FIGS. 2-4 and 9-12 . One or more of the network access devices  105  (e.g., one or more RHs  105 - c ) may include a communication manager  122 . One or more of the network access devices  105  (e.g., one or more ANCs  105 - b ) may include a communication manager  124 . In some examples, the communication managers  122  and  124  may be used to perform the functions and procedures illustrated in  FIGS. 2-4 and 9-12 . 
     Each communication link  125  may include one or more carriers, where each carrier may be a signal made up of multiple sub-carriers or tones (e.g., waveform signals of different frequencies) modulated according to one or more radio access technologies. Each modulated signal may be sent on a different sub-carrier and may carry control information (e.g., reference signals, control channels, etc.), overhead information, user data, etc. The communication links  125  may transmit bidirectional communications using FDD techniques (e.g., using paired spectrum resources) or Time Division Duplexing techniques (e.g., using unpaired spectrum resources). Different frame structures for FDD (e.g., frame structure type 1) and TDD (e.g., frame structure type 2) may be defined. 
     In some examples of the wireless communication system  100 , the RHs  105 - c  and/or UEs  115  may include multiple antennas for employing antenna diversity schemes to improve communication quality and reliability between RHs  105 - c  and UEs  115 . Additionally or alternatively, the RHs  105 - c  and/or UEs  115  may employ multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) techniques that may take advantage of multi-path environments to transmit multiple spatial layers or data streams carrying the same or different coded data. 
     The wireless communication system  100  may support operation on multiple cells or carriers, a feature which may be referred to as carrier aggregation (CA) or multi-carrier operation that may increase bandwidth and/or redundancy. A carrier may also be referred to as a component carrier (CC), a layer, a channel, etc. The terms “carrier,” “component carrier,” “cell,” and “channel” may be used interchangeably herein. A UE  115  may be configured with multiple downlink CCs and one or more uplink CCs for carrier aggregation. Carrier aggregation may be used with both FDD and TDD component carriers. 
     Some next-generation or 5G networks may support a UE-centric mobility model. In this model, a UE in a UE-centric access network may not measure its neighbor cells of the current serving cell. Instead, the network (e.g., a RH or eNB) measures a chirp signal (access signal) periodically transmitted from the UE and makes a mobility decision based on the measurements of UE&#39;s uplink chirp signal including the reference signal. In some examples, the chirp signal may include one or more of a pilot signal, a reference signal (e.g., a random access procedure reference signal), a UE identifier (ID), and/or a buffer status report (BSR). BSR may carry the information on how much data is in a UE buffer to be sent out. Based on the measurements of the chirp signal by the access network, the UE-centric network may identify a serving cell (e.g., base station, eNB, or RH) for the UE. As the UE moves within the UE-centric network, the network may make at least some mobility decisions for the UE transparently to the UE. By operating mobility in this way, the UE may save battery power by omitting neighbor cell measurement, and the network can save energy by omitting continuous reference signal transmission. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a UE-centric call flow diagram between a UE  202  and an access network (AN)  204  in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure. Initially, the access network  204  transmits synchronization information (Sync) and basic network configuration information  206  to the UE  202 . The access network  204  and UE  202  may be the access network and UE illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The synchronization information provides timing information and allows the UE to achieve coarse frequency synchronization with the access network. In an LTE example, two synchronization signals are transmitted to the UE. They may be the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and secondary synchronization signal (SSS). The basic network configuration information may be included in a master information block (MIB). The MIB may carry some physical layer information of the cell that allows the UE to perform an initial access of the network using for example one or more of an identification of the network, or an identification of a base station in the network. With the basic network information (e.g., synchronization and MIB), the UE  202  can receive additional network information contained in a system information block (SIB) from the access network  204 . 
     The UE  202  may transmit a chirp signal  208  to the access network  204 . For example, the chirp signal  208  may include a reference signal, a UE ID, and a BSR. The chirp signal may be transmitted by the UE periodically or at any predetermined time intervals. In response to the chirp signal  208 , the access network  204  transmits a keep-alive (KA) signal  210  to the UE. For example, the KA signal may be a page signal (e.g., 1-bit page) transmitted by a RH or base station currently acting as the serving cell of the UE. The KA signal may be used to check that the connection between the UE  202  and the access network  204  is operating correctly and/or to keep the connection from disconnecting. The chirp signal may be received and monitored by a set of base stations or RHs of the access network  204 . For example, the RHs may be similar to those illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Each of the RHs may report its measurement result of the chirp signal  208  back to an ANC (e.g., ANC  105 - b  in  FIG. 1 ). Based on the measurement results (e.g., signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR), signal strength, etc.), the ANC and/or RH can select (block  211 ) or change the serving cell or RH. 
     The access network  204  (e.g., a serving eNB or cell) also transmits connection setup information  212  to the UE  202 . For example, the connection setup information may include a cell identifier (ID), a timing advance, a C-RNTI (Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier), uplink (UL)/downlink (DL) assignment, etc. The cell ID may be different from the identifier or ID of the current serving cell due to the mobility of the UE. For example, the cell ID may identify a different serving RH or cell. If the connection setup information  212  indicates a different serving cell or RH, the UE may perform a handover (HO) procedure to switch to the new serving cell or RH. 
     The access network  204  also transmits an SIB response  214  to the UE  202 . The SIB response  214  includes one or more SIBs. The SIBs carry relevant system information for the UE, which helps the UE  202  to access a cell/RH and/or perform cell re-selection if needed. The SIBs also may carry information related to Intra-frequency, Inter-frequency, and Inter-RAT cell selections. In general, the SIBs provide the information utilized by the UE to attach to the access network  204 . In some aspects of the disclosure, the SIB may indicate which radio access technologies (RATs) are available in a region and how the UE is to select an available RAT. The SIB may indicate which services are available in a region and how the UE is to obtain an available service. 
     In one example, the SIB response  214  may be transmitted as a unicast RRC message after the UE  202  has established an RRC dedicated state with the network. A unicast message is a message that is sent to a single network destination (e.g., a UE) identified by a unique address (e.g., UE-ID, C-RNTI). In an RRC dedicated state, certain network resources (e.g., transport channels, physical channels) are dedicated or allocated to the UE for UL and/or DL communication. In this example, the UE  202  does not specifically identify or transmit an SIB request to the access network because the access network  204  makes the decision on mobility and selects the serving cell based on the chirp signal  208 . That is, the access network  204  may transmit the SIB response  214  as a unicast RRC message to the UE  202  without receiving a specific request from the UE. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates a UE-centric call flow diagram between a UE  302  and an access network  304  in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure. The access network  304  and UE  302  may be the same as the access network and UE illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The flow diagrams of  FIGS. 2 and 3  are similar, and redundant information may be omitted for brevity. Initially, the access network  304  transmits synchronization information and basic network configuration information  306  to the UE  302 . The synchronization information provides timing information that allows the UE  302  to achieve coarse frequency synchronization with the access network. The basic network configuration information may be included in an MIB. With the basic network information (e.g., synchronization and MIB), the UE  302  can receive additional network information contained in one or more SIBs from the access network  304 . 
     The UE  302  may transmit a chirp signal  308  to the access network  304 . For example, the chirp signal  308  may include a reference signal, a UE ID, and a BSR. The chirp signal may be transmitted by the UE  302  periodically or at any predetermined time intervals. The chirp signal  308  may be received and monitored by a set of base stations or RHs of the access network  304 . For example, the RHs may be similar to those illustrated in  FIG. 1 . Each of the RHs may report its measurement result of the chirp signal back to an ANC (e.g., ANC  105 - b  in  FIG. 1 ). Based on the measurement results, the ANC can select  311  or change the serving cell, eNB, or RH. In response to the chirp signal  308 , the access network  304  transmits a keep-alive (KA) signal  310  to the UE as a unicast message. 
     The access network  304  (e.g., a serving eNB or cell) also transmits connection setup information  312  to the UE  302  as a unicast message. For example, the connection setup information may include a cell ID, timing advance, C-RNTI, UL/DL assignment, etc. The cell ID may be different from the ID of the current serving cell, eNB, or RH due to the mobility of the UE. For example, the cell ID may identify a different serving RH. If the connection setup information  312  indicates a different serving cell, eNB, or RH, the UE may perform a handover (HO) procedure to switch to the new serving cell, eNB, or RH. 
     The access network  304  also transmits an SIB response  314  to the UE  302 . The SIB response  314  may include one or more SIBs. In this example, the SIB response  314  may be transmitted as a broadcast RRC message. For example, the SIB response  314  may be scrambled with the serving cell ID and transmitted to a predetermined broadcast address. In this case, the broadcast address may be a fixed UE ID or C-RNTI that may allow one or more UEs to receive the broadcasted SIB response  314 . In this example, the UE-centric UE  302  does not specifically identify or transmit an SIB request to the access network  304  because the access network selects the serving cell for the UE based on the chirp signal  308 . That is, the access network  304  may transmit the SIB response  314  to the UE without receiving an SIB request. In the above described UE-centric call flows illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the access network makes the cell selection for the UE. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates a non-UE-centric call flow diagram between a UE  402  and an access network  404  in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure. Different from the UE-centric call flow diagrams of  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the UE  402  makes the cell selection in this non-UE-centric call flow example. Initially, the access network  404  transmits synchronization information and basic network configuration information  406  to the UE  402 . The access network  404  and UE  402  may be the same as the access network and UE illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The synchronization information provides timing information that allows the UE  402  to achieve coarse frequency synchronization with the network  404 . The basic network configuration information may be included in an MIB that may carry some physical layer information of the cell. With the basic network information (e.g., synchronization information and MIB), the UE  402  can receive additional information contained in one or more SIBs from the access network  404 . The access network  404  may also broadcast a discovery reference signal (DRS) to the UE  402 . The DRS may be included in the synchronization information  406  or a separate signal. DRS is a signal that allows the UE to identify the cell, eNB, or RH. In one example, the DRS may include a primary reference signal (PSS), a secondary reference signal (SSS), and/or a cell-specific reference signal. 
     Based on the synchronization information, DRS and MIB, the UE  402  may select a cell, eNB, or RH by performing a cell selection procedure  407 . Any generally known cell selection procedure may be used. For example, the UE  402  may select the cell/RH with the best or strongest signal, which may be based on a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a signal-to-interference plus noise ratio (SINR), and/or a pathloss, for example. Then, the UE  402  may transmit a chirp signal  408  to the access network  404 . For example, the chirp signal  408  may include a request (SIB-request) for one or more SIBs from the access network  404 , and the chirp signal may be scrambled using the cell ID of the selected cell. The chirp signal  408  may be transmitted by the UE  402  periodically or at any predetermined time intervals. In one aspect of the disclosure, the chirp signal  408  may include an SIB-request bitmap that includes one or more bits (e.g., 20 bits). Each bit of the bitmap may correspond to one or more SIBs. For example, if a certain bit is set to a predetermined value (e.g., bit=1), the corresponding SIB(s) is requested from the access network  404 . 
     In response to the chirp signal  408 , the access network  404  transmits an SIB response  410  including the requested SIB(s) to the UE  402 . In one example, the SIB response  410  may be scrambled with a cell ID of the selected cell and transmitted to a predetermined broadcast address. In some examples, the broadcast address may be a fixed value, a fixed UE ID, or a C-RNTI. If the UE  402  has selected a different serving cell, eNB, or RH, the UE may perform a handover (HO) procedure based on the requested SIBs to switch to the new serving cell/RH. In this example, the UE  402  can specifically identify the requested SIBs to the access network  404  because the UE selects the serving cell and transmits the SIB-request to the network. 
       FIG. 5  shows a block diagram of a UE  500  for use in wireless communication, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. The UE  500  may be the UEs illustrated in any of  FIGS. 1-4 . In some examples, the UE  500  may be included or be part of a personal computer (e.g., a laptop computer, a netbook computer, a tablet computer, etc.), a cellular telephone, a PDA, a DVR, an internet appliance, a gaming console, an e-reader, a vehicle, a home appliance, a lighting or alarm control system, an IoE device, etc. The UE  500  may, in some examples, have an internal power supply (not shown), such as a small battery, to facilitate mobile operation. The UE  500  may be configured to implement at least some of the UE or apparatus techniques and functions described with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 and 9-12 . 
     The UE  500  may include a processor  502 , a memory  504 , at least one transceiver (represented by transceiver(s)  506 ) or a communication interface, at least one antenna (represented by antenna(s)  508 ), and a wireless communication manager  510 . Each of these components may be in communication with each other, directly or indirectly, over one or more buses  512 . In some aspects of the disclosure, the wireless communication manager  510  may be implemented by or included in the processor  502   
     The memory  504  may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and/or a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The memory  504  may store computer-readable, computer-executable code  514  containing instructions that are configured to, when executed, cause the processor  502  and/or wireless communication manager  510  to perform various functions described herein related to wireless communication, including, for example, at least some of the UE techniques and functions described with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 and 9-12 . Alternatively, the computer-executable code  514  may not be directly executable by the processor  502  but be configured to cause the UE  500  (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform various of the functions described herein. 
     The processor  502  may include an intelligent or programmable hardware device, e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an ASIC, etc. The processor  502  may process information received through the transceiver(s)  506  or information to be sent to the transceiver(s)  506  for transmission through the antenna(s)  508 . The processor  502  may handle, alone or in connection with the wireless communication manager  510 , various aspects of communication over (or managing communications over) one or more radio frequency spectrum bands. 
     The transceiver(s)  506  may include a modem configured to modulate packets and provide the modulated packets to the antenna(s)  508  for transmission, and to demodulate packets received from the antenna(s)  508 . The transceiver(s)  506  may, in some examples, be implemented as one or more transmitters and one or more separate receivers. The transceiver(s)  506  may support communications in one or more radio frequency spectrum bands and/or radio access technology. The transceiver(s)  506  may be configured to communicate bi-directionally, via the antenna(s)  508 , with one or more of the network access devices (e.g., one or more of the radio heads) described with reference to  FIG. 1-4  or other wireless devices (e.g., peer-to-peer (P2P) devices). While the UE  500  may include a single antenna, there may be examples in which the UE  500  may include multiple antennas for diversity and/or MIMO operations. 
     The wireless communication manager  510  may be configured to perform or control some or all of the UE or apparatus techniques or functions described with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 and 9-12  related to wireless communication over one or more radio frequency spectrum bands. The wireless communication manager  510 , or portions of it, may include a processor, or some or all of the functions of the wireless communication manager  510  may be performed by the processor  502  or in connection with the processor  502 . In some examples, the wireless communication manager  510  may be included in the processor  502 . 
     In some aspects of the disclosure, the wireless communication manager  510  may include one or more of a network access block  516 , a chirp signal block  518 , and a mobility block  520 . The network access block  516  may be configured to receive and/or process synchronization information and/or basic network configuration information of an access network. The synchronization information provides timing information that allows the UE to achieve coarse frequency synchronization with the access network. With the basic network information (e.g., MIB), the UE (e.g., the processor  502  and/or network access block  516 ) can determine and receive additional network information contained in one or more SIB s from the access network. The chirp signal block  518  may be configured to generate and transmit (via the transceiver  506  and antenna  508 ) a chirp signal to the access network. In some examples, the chirp signal may include one or more of a pilot signal, a reference signal, a UE ID, and/or a buffer status report (BSR). The chirp signal (or access signal) is configured to facilitate the access network in determining a system information response (one or more SIBs) based on the chirp signal. The mobility block  520  may be configured to select a serving cell based on the synchronization information and/or basic network configuration information of the access network. In some aspects of the disclosure, the serving cell may be selected by the access network (e.g., an UE-centric network). 
       FIG. 6  shows a block diagram of a network access device  600  for use in wireless communication, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the network access device  600  may be a radio head (RH) or an eNB as described with reference to  FIG. 1 . The network access device  600  may be configured to implement at least some of the network access device, radio head, or apparatus techniques and functions described with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 and 9-12 . 
     The network access device  600  may include a processor  602 , a memory  604 , at least one transceiver or communication interface (represented by transceiver(s)  606 ), at least one antenna (represented by antenna(s)  608 ), and a communication manager  610 . Each of these components may be in communication with each other, directly or indirectly, over one or more buses  612 . In some aspects of the disclosure, the communication manager  610  may be implemented by or included in the processor  602 . 
     The memory  604  may include RAM, ROM, or a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The memory  604  may store computer-readable, computer-executable code  614  containing instructions that are configured to, when executed, cause the processor  602  to perform various functions described herein related to wireless communication, including, for example, at least some of the network access device, radio head, or apparatus techniques and functions described with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 and 8-12 . Alternatively, the computer-executable code  614  may not be directly executable by the processor  602  but be configured to cause the network access device  600  (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform various of the functions described herein. 
     The processor  602  may include an intelligent or programmable hardware device, e.g., a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, etc. The processor  602  may process information received through the transceiver(s)  606  or information to be sent to the transceiver(s)  606  for transmission through the antenna(s)  608 . The processor  602  may handle, alone or in connection with the communication manager  610 , various aspects of communicating over (or managing communications over) one or more radio frequency spectrum bands and/or radio access technology. 
     The transceiver(s)  606  may include a modem configured to modulate packets and provide the modulated packets to the antenna(s)  608  for transmission, and to demodulate packets received from the antenna(s)  608 . The transceiver(s)  606  may, in some examples, be implemented as one or more transmitters and one or more separate receivers. The transceiver(s)  606  may support communications in one or more radio frequency spectrum bands and/or radio access technology. The transceiver(s)  606  may be configured to communicate bi-directionally, via the antenna(s)  608 , with one or more of the UEs described with reference to  FIGS. 1-5 . While the network access device  600  may include a single antenna, there may be examples in which the network access device  600  may include multiple antennas  608  for diversity and/or MIMO operations. 
     The communication manager  610  may be configured to perform or control some or all of the network access device, radio head, eNB, or apparatus techniques or functions described with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 and 8-12  related to wireless communication over one or more radio frequency spectrum bands and/or radio access technology. The communication manager  610  may also be used to manage communications with an ANC associated with the network access device  600 . The communications with the ANC may be over wired or wireless communication links, for example, depending on the implementation. The communication manager  610 , or portions of it, may include a processor, or some or all of the functions of the communication manager  610  may be performed by the processor  602  or in connection with the communication manager  610 . In some examples, the communication manager  610  may be included in the processor  602 . 
     In some aspects of the disclosure, the wireless communication manager  610  may include one or more of a network access block  616 , a chirp signal block  618 , and a mobility block  620 . The network access block  616  may be configured to transmit to and/or provide an UE with the synchronization information and/or basic network configuration information of an access network. The synchronization information provides timing information that allows the UE to achieve coarse frequency synchronization with the access network. The network access block  616  may further be configured to transmit additional network information contained in one or more SIBs. The chirp signal block  618  may be configured to receive (via the transceiver  506  and antenna  508 ), monitor, and/or decode a chirp signal (or an access signal) from an UE. In some examples, the chirp signal may include one or more of a pilot signal, a reference signal, an UE ID, and/or a buffer status report (BSR). The chirp signal is configured to facilitate or assist the access network in determining a system information response (one or more SIB s) based on the chirp signal. The mobility block  620  may be configured to select a serving cell for a UE in an UE-centric network. 
       FIG. 7  shows a block diagram of an access network controller (ANC)  700  for use in wireless communication, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the ANC  700  may be an example of the ANCs described with reference to  FIG. 1 . The ANC  700  may be configured to implement or facilitate at least some of the techniques and functions described with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 and 8-12 . 
     The ANC  700  may include a processor  702 , a memory  704 , and a communication manager  706 . Each of these components may be in communication with each other, directly or indirectly, over one or more buses  708 . The memory  704  may include RAM, ROM, and/or a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The memory  704  may store computer-readable, computer-executable code  710  containing instructions that are configured to, when executed, cause the processor  702  to perform various functions described herein related to wireless communication, including, for example, the techniques and functions described with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 and 8-12 . Alternatively, the computer-executable code  710  may not be directly executable by the processor  702  but be configured to cause the ANC  700  (e.g., when compiled and executed) to perform various of the functions described herein. 
     The processor  702  may include an intelligent or programmable hardware device, e.g., a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, etc. The processor  702  may process information received through the communication manager  706  from a core network  712 , or from one or more other network access devices  600  (e.g., from one or more radio heads or from one or more other ANCs). The processor  702  may also process information to be sent to the communication manager  706 , for transmission to the core network  712  or to one or more other network access devices  714  (e.g., to one or more radio heads or to one or more other ANCs). The processor  702  may handle, alone or in connection with the communication manager  706 , various aspects of communicating over (or managing communications over) one or more radio frequency spectrum bands. 
     The communication manager  706  may be configured to perform or control some or all of the techniques or functions described with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 and 8-12  related to wireless communication over one or more radio frequency spectrum bands and/or radio access technology. The communication manager  706  may also be used to manage communications with a core network, one or more radio heads, or one or more other ANCs, for example as shown in  FIGS. 1, 5, and 6 . The communications with the network, radio heads, or other ANCs may be over wired or wireless communication links, for example, depending on the implementation. The communication manager  706 , or portions of it, may include a processor, or some or all of the functions of the communication manager  706  may be performed by the processor  702 . In some examples, the communication manager  706  may be included in the processor  702 . 
     By way of example, an element, or any portion of an element, or any combination of elements may be implemented with a “processing system” that includes one or more processors. Examples of processors include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionality described throughout this disclosure. One or more processors in the processing system may execute software. Software shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise. The software may reside on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. A non-transitory computer-readable medium include, by way of example, a magnetic storage device (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic strip), an optical disk (e.g., compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD)), a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., card, stick, key drive), random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable PROM (EPROM), electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), a register, a removable disk, and any other suitable medium for storing software and/or instructions that may be accessed and read by a computer. The computer-readable medium may be resident in the processing system, external to the processing system, or distributed across multiple entities including the processing system. The computer-readable medium may be embodied in a computer-program product. By way of example, a computer-program product may include a computer-readable medium in packaging materials. Those skilled in the art will recognize how best to implement the described functionality presented throughout this disclosure depending on the particular application and the overall design constraints imposed on the overall system. 
     In some examples, the wireless communication system  100  may utilize MIMO communication techniques.  FIG. 8  is a block diagram of a MIMO communication system  800  in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. The MIMO communication system  800  may include a network access device  802  and an UE  804 . The MIMO communication system  800  may illustrate aspects of the wireless communication system  100  shown in  FIG. 1 . In some examples, the network access device  802  may be an example of one or more aspects of a network access device  600  (e.g., an eNB, an ANC, a radio head, or a base station), such as one of the network access devices described with reference to  FIGS. 1-4 and 6 . The network access device  802  may be equipped with antennas  806 - a  through  806 - x , and the UE  804  may be equipped with antennas  808 - a  through  808 - n . In the MIMO communication system  800 , the network access device  802  may be able to send data over multiple communication links or spatial streams at the same time. Each communication link may be called a “layer,” and the “rank” of the communication link may indicate the number of layers used for communication. For example, in a 2×2 MIMO communications system where network access device  802  transmits two “layers,” the rank of the communication link between the network access device  802  and the UE  804  is two. 
     At the network access device  802 , a transmit processor  810  may receive data from a data source. The transmit processor  810  may process the data. The transmit processor  810  may also generate control symbols and/or reference symbols. A transmit (Tx) MIMO processor  812  may perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on data symbols, control symbols, and/or reference symbols, if applicable, and may provide output symbol streams to the transmit modulator/demodulators  814 - a  through  814 - x . Each modulator/demodulator  814  may process a respective output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator/demodulator  814  may further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and upconvert) the output sample stream to obtain a DL signal. In one example, DL signals from modulator/demodulators  814 - a  through  814 - x  may be transmitted via the antennas  806 - a  through  806 - x , respectively. 
     At the UE  804 , the antennas  808 - a  through  808 - n  may receive the DL signals from the network access device  802  and may provide the received signals to the modulator/demodulators  816 - a  through  816 - n , respectively. Each modulator/demodulator  816  may condition (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) a respective received signal to obtain input samples. Each modulator/demodulator  816  may further process the input samples (e.g., for OFDM, etc.) to obtain received symbols. A MIMO detector  818  may obtain received symbols from all the modulator/demodulators  816 - a  through  816 - n , perform MIMO detection on the received symbols, if applicable, and provide detected symbols. A receive processor  820  may process (e.g., demodulate, deinterleave, and decode) the detected symbols, providing decoded data for the UE  804  to a data output, and provide decoded control information to a processor  822 , or memory  824 . 
     The processor  822  may in some cases execute stored instructions to instantiate a wireless communication manager  826 . In some examples, the wireless communication manager  826  may include components of, or may be used to perform functions of, the wireless communication manager  510  described with reference to  FIG. 5 . 
     On the uplink (UL), at the UE  804 , a transmit processor  828  may receive and process data from a data source. The transmit processor  828  may also generate reference symbols for a reference signal. The symbols from the transmit processor  828  may be precoded by a transmit MIMO processor  830  if applicable, further processed by the modulator/demodulators  816 - a  through  816 - n  (e.g., for SC-FDMA, etc.), and be transmitted to the network access device  802  in accordance with the transmission parameters received from the network access device  802 . At the network access device  802 , the UL signals from the UE  804  may be received by the antennas  806 , processed by the modulator/demodulators  814 , detected by a MIMO detector  832  if applicable, and further processed by a receive processor  834 . The receive processor  834  may provide decoded data to a data output and to the processor  836  and/or memory  838 . The processor  836  may in some cases execute stored instructions to instantiate a communication manager  840 . In some examples, the communication manager  840  may include components of, or may be used to perform functions of, the communication manager  610  or  706  described with reference to  FIG. 6 or 7 . 
     The components of the UE  804  may, individually or collectively, be implemented with one or more ASICs adapted to perform some or all of the applicable functions in hardware. Each of the noted modules may be a means for performing one or more functions related to the operation of the MIMO communication system  800 . Similarly, the components of the network access device  802  may, individually or collectively, be implemented with one or more ASICs adapted to perform some or all of the applicable functions in hardware. Each of the noted components may be a means for performing one or more functions related to the operation of the MIMO communication system  800 . 
       FIG. 9  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method  900  for wireless communication operable at an UE in an UE-centric access network, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the method  900  may be performed by an UE illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 , and/or  5 . At block  902 , the UE may receive network information from an access network. For example, the network information includes synchronization information and basic network configuration information of the access network. For example, the network information may include the synchronization information and basic network configuration information  206  of  FIG. 2  or synchronization information (Sync) and basic network configuration information  306  of  FIG. 3 . At block  904 , the UE may transmit an access signal to the access network according to the network information. For example, the access signal may include a chirp signal (e.g., chirp signal  208  or chirp signal  308  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 or 3 ). The access signal may be configured to facilitate the access network in determining a system information response based on the access signal. The system information response may include one or more SIBs and/or other network information needed for accessing the network. 
     At block  906 , the UE may receive connection setup information from the access network. The connection setup information includes information related to establishing a connection with a serving cell that is determined by the access network based on the access signal. For example, the connection setup information may be the connection setup information  212  or connection setup information  312  as illustrated in  FIG. 2 or 3 . At block  908 , the UE may receive a system information response from the access network. For example, the system information response may include one or more SIBs illustrated in  FIG. 2 or 3 . The SIBs provides the UE with the network information and/or configuration to facilitate access to the access network. 
       FIG. 10  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method  1000  for wireless communication operable at an UE in a non-UE centric access network, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the method  1000  may be performed by an UE illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 4 , and/or  5 . At block  1002 , the UE may receive network information from an access network. The network information may include synchronization information and basic network configuration information of the access network. For example, the network information may include the sync/DRS signal  406  illustrated in  FIG. 4 . At block  1004 , the UE may select a cell based on the network information (e.g., DRS). For example, the UE may be in a non-UE centric access network, and performs a cell selection procedure based on the reference signal. 
     At block  1006 , the UE may transmit an access signal to the access network. The access signal may include a system information request corresponding to the selected cell and is configured to facilitate the access network in determining a system information response based on the access signal. For example, the access signal may be a chirp signal  408  illustrated in  FIG. 4 . At block  1008 , the UE may receive a system information response that may include one or more system information blocks (SIBs) configured to facilitate access of the access network. For example, the system information response may be the SIB response  410  illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 11  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method  1100  for wireless communication operable at an UE-centric access network in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the method  1100  may be performed by an access network (AN) or network access device illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 . The access network may include one or more radio heads (SHRs or HRs) and/or ANCs illustrated in  FIGS. 1, 6, and 7 . At block  1102 , the access network may transmit network information to a UE. The network information may include synchronization information and basic network configuration information of the access network. For example, the network information may include the synchronization information  206  or  306  illustrated in  FIG. 2 or 3 . At block  1104 , the access network may receive an access signal from the UE according to the network information. The access signal may be configured to facilitate the access network in determining a system information response based on the access signal. For example, the access signal may be the chirp signal  208  or  308  illustrated in  FIG. 2 or 3 . Based on the access signal, the access network may select a serving cell for the UE. 
     At block  1106 , the access network may transmit connection setup information to the UE. The connection setup information includes serving cell information that is determined by the access network based on the access signal. For example, the connection setup information may be the connection setup information  212  or  312  illustrated in  FIG. 2 or 3 . At block  1108 , the access network may transmit a system information response to the UE. The system information response may include one or more system information blocks (SIB s) configured to facilitate access of the access network. For example, the system information response may include the SIB response  214  or  314  illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and/or 3 . 
       FIG. 12  is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method  1200  for wireless communication operable at a non-UE centric access network in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, the method  1200  may be performed by an access network (AN), eNB, or RH illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 4 . At block  1202 , the access network may transmit network information to a UE. The network information may include synchronization information and basic network configuration information of the access network. For example, the network information may include the sync/DRS signal  406  illustrated in  FIG. 4 . Based on the network information, the UE may select a serving cell. At block  1204 , the access network may receive an access signal from the UE according to the network information. For example, the access signal may be the chirp signal  408  illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The access signal may include a system information request corresponding to a cell selected by the UE based on the network information, and may be configured to facilitate the access network in determining a system information response based on the access signal. At block  1206 , the access network may transmit a system information response that includes one or more system information blocks (SIB s) configured to facilitate access of the access network. For example, the system information response may include the SIB response  410  illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
     It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the processes disclosed is an illustration of exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the processes may be rearranged. The accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented. 
     The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later come to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the claims. Moreover, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether such disclosure is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is recited using the phrase “step for.”