Patent Description:
<CIT> discloses a configurable new radio (NR) RACH procedure that may be executed by a UE and a base station.

In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a user equipment (UE). In some aspects, the apparatus may receive, from a base station, at least one synchronization signal block (SSB). The apparatus may also determine a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB. Additionally, the apparatus may transmit, to the base station if the RSRP of all of the at least one SSB is less than a threshold, an indication of a reduced UE capability of the UE during a random access channel (RACH) procedure, the threshold being configured by the base station. The apparatus may also transmit, to the base station if the RSRP of one of the at least one SSB is greater than or equal to the threshold, the indication of the reduced UE capability of the UE after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure.

In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus may be a base station. In some aspects, the apparatus may transmit, to a UE, at least one synchronization signal block (SSB). The apparatus may also receive, from the UE, an indication of a reduced UE capability of the UE during a random access channel (RACH) procedure or after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH capability of the UE during a random access channel (RACH) procedure or after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure, the indication of the reduced UE capability being based on a threshold associated with a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB, the threshold being configured by the base station.

<FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG> represent unclaimed aspects.

The base stations <NUM> configured for 5GNR (collectively referred to as Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN)) may interface with core network <NUM> through second backhaul links <NUM>. In addition to other functions, the base stations <NUM> may perform one or more of the following functions: transfer of user data, radio channel ciphering and deciphering, integrity protection, header compression, mobility control functions (e.g., handover, dual connectivity), intercell interference coordination, connection setup and release, load balancing, distribution for non-access stratum (NAS) messages, NAS node selection, synchronization, radio access network (RAN) sharing, multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), subscriber and equipment trace, RAN information management (RIM), paging, positioning, and delivery of warning messages. The third backhaul links <NUM> may be wired or wireless.

The MBMS Gateway <NUM> may be used to distribute MBMS traffic to the base stations <NUM> belonging to a Multicast Broadcast Single Frequency Network (NMSFN) area broadcasting a particular service, and may be responsible for session management (start/stop) and for collecting eMBMS related charging information.

Referring again to <FIG>, in certain aspects, the UE <NUM> may include a transmission component <NUM> configured to receive, from a base station, at least one synchronization signal block (SSB). Transmission component <NUM> may also be configured to determine a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB. Transmission component <NUM> may also be configured to transmit, to the base station if the RSRP of the at least one SSB is less than a threshold, an indication of a UE capability of the UE during a random access channel (RACH) procedure. Transmission component <NUM> may also be configured to transmit, to the base station if the RSRP of the at least one SSB is greater than or equal to the threshold, the indication of the UE capability of the UE after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure.

Referring again to <FIG>, in certain aspects, the base station <NUM> may include a reception component <NUM> configured to transmit, to a user equipment (UE), at least one synchronization signal block (SSB). Reception component <NUM> may also be configured to receive, from the UE, an indication of a UE capability of the UE during a random access channel (RACH) procedure or after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure, the indication of the UE capability being based on a threshold associated with a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB.

In some aspects of wireless communication, capabilities of a UE can be signaled to a base station at a certain time, e.g., after an RRC connection. For instance, during the uplink transmission of an initial access procedure, e.g., a RACH procedure, a number of different capabilities may not yet be configured. For example, a PUSCH slot repetition, inter-slot frequency hopping, π/<NUM> binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation, low spectral efficiency (SE) modulation and coding scheme (MCS) tables, and/or multiple demodulation reference signal (DMRS) symbols may not be configured during the uplink transmission of an initial access procedure. Accordingly, in some aspects, during an initial access state, a base station may not be aware of certain capabilities of a UE.

The aforementioned UE capability signaling may be undesirable for coverage enhancements of certain UEs, e.g., cell-edge UEs, or relaxation of UE processing time and capabilities during an initial access procedure. For instance, based on the aforementioned UE capability signaling, UEs may be restricted to apply certain transmission or reception schemes that are independent of their UE capabilities. As such, a UE may not include a transmission or reception scheme that is best suited to its own capabilities. This can result in UE performance that is less than ideal. Based on this, there is a present need for early UE capability signaling that is adjustable based on the particular UE capabilities or the processing timeline of the initial access procedure.

For certain types of UEs with reduced capabilities, such as reduced capability (redcap) UEs or low/medium tier UEs, implicit or early indication and/or flexible switching of UE capabilities may be utilized. For instance, implicit or early indication and/or flexible switching of UE capabilities may be utilized to support coverage recovery, access control, and power savings for RRC idle or inactive states. In some aspects, UE capabilities can include at least one of bandwidth capability, transmit (Tx) or receive (Rx) antenna number, full-duplex or half-duplex FDD, power class, or a UE processing speed or timeline. For instance, a reduction in UE's capability can include bandwidth reduction, Tx or Rx antenna number reduction, half-duplex FDD, power class reduction, and/or a relaxation of a UE processing timeline or capability.

In some aspects, information related to a capability of a UE, i.e., UE capability information, can be organized as a data structure including multiple information elements (IEs). Also, each IE can be mapped to one set of UE features associated with corresponding UE capabilities, which can be used by a base station for scheduling. In some instances, in order to support the features associated with reduced UE capabilities, IEs can be added to the UE capability information. Further, a UE capability report, e.g., based on full or partial reporting, can be sent by a UE in number of different ways. For example, an implicit indication of reduced UE capabilities can occur before an RRC connection. In this case, a UE can communicate one or more IEs to a base station through the use of a RACH procedure, e.g., a two-step (<NUM>-step) or a four-step (<NUM>-step) RACH. In some aspects, a network can leverage an early indication to enhance the performance of a UE, e.g., a UE in an idle or inactive state, such as to improve coverage enhancement, access control, and/or power savings. Also, to reduce the signaling overhead of UE reporting, a UE may report a few features, rather than a full list of UE capability information.

In some aspects, UE reporting of reduced capabilities can occur after an RRC connection. For instance, a base station may send an inquiry to a UE. Upon receiving the inquiry, the UE may report or passively report its capability information. In some instances, switching a UE's capability can be initiated by the UE after the RRC connection, or may be instructed by the base station. Additionally, a mask can be introduced to the data structure of the UE capability information. Based on this mask, a base station may control the time and duration of the temporary switch, as well as which subset of UE capabilities are switched.

In some aspects, the co-existence of different UE capabilities may need to be addressed in a number of different RRC states. To compensate for the reduction of UE capabilities without compromising uplink coverage, a number of different features may be considered for reduced capability (redcap) UEs or light UEs. For example, slot repetition, inter-slot frequency hopping, π/<NUM> BPSK modulation, payload size scaling, and low SE MCS tables may be considered for reduced capability or light UEs. For instance, these features may be considered for reduced capability UEs in order to support the same uplink coverage as premium UEs.

Moreover, one or more IEs for a reduced UE capability may include a number of the aforementioned features for coverage enhancement or power savings. For instance, these IE features can include support for: a low SE MCS table, PUSCH slot repetitions with self-decodable redundancy versions (RVs), PUCCH repetitions on a symbol or slot level, inter-slot frequency hopping of a channel (e.g., PUCCH, PUSCH, or PRACH), low peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) modulation (e.g., π/<NUM> BPSK modulation, low PAPR DMRS, or DFT-s-OFDM waveforms), low PAPR waveforms (e.g., PUCCH or PUSCH formats for non-coherent communication without DMRS), uplink DMRS bundling, reduced PDCCH monitoring within an extended random access response (RAR) window, and/or small data transfers for low mobility or stationary UEs based on a RACH or pre-configured uplink resources.

Some types of UEs, e.g., premium UEs, may benefit from adjusting or reducing their UE capabilities. In some instances, a temporary reduction of UE capabilities may provide an extra mode of power savings for premium UEs. For instance, as premium UEs may not always utilize their entire bandwidth, a corresponding reduction in UE capabilities may help to save power at the UE. Accordingly, it may be beneficial for UEs to indicate a reduction in UE capability in order to reduce the amount of power utilized.

Aspects of the present disclosure can include an implicit indication of reduced UE capabilities for reduced capability (redcap) UEs or light UEs. This implicit indication of reduced UE capabilities may occur at a certain time period, e.g., prior to an RRC connection. By doing so, this reduction in UE capabilities can provide a coverage enhancement for redcap or light UEs during an initial access procedure. Also, a reduced UE capability reporting, e.g., before or after an RRC connection, can reduce the signaling overhead for redcap or light UEs. Moreover, aspects of the present disclosure can also switch UE capabilities for certain UEs, e.g., premium UEs, after an RRC connection. One motivation for this UE capability switch can be to facilitate power savings at the UE. Switching the UE capability can also allow for a different quality of service (QoS) class, such as with a higher efficiency of resource utilization.

Aspects of the present disclosure can include a number of different ways to facilitate the implicit indication and/or flexible switching of UE capabilities. For example, aspects of the present disclosure can partition RACH resources in time, frequency, or code domains. Additionally, aspects of the present disclosure can transmit specially configured reference signals or channels, including a physical RACH (PRACH), a PUSCH, DMRS, SRS, or a PUCCH. Aspects of the present disclosure can also include a MAC control element (MAC-CE) in a message A (msgA) payload of a <NUM>-step RACH. Also, in a <NUM>-step RACH, the MAC-CE can be included in a message <NUM> (msg1), a message <NUM> (msg3), or a message <NUM> (msg5). Further, the present disclosure can include a PUCCH or UCI multiplexed with a PUSCH. The aforementioned features can include a number of different benefits or advantages, such as assisting with more efficient resource utilization and/or the co-existence of multiple UE categories.

Aspects of the present disclosure can also include a variety of UE features for reduced capability (redcap) or light UEs. In order to compensate for a reduction in UE capabilities without compromising uplink coverage, several UE features can be utilized by redcap or light UEs. These UE features can be associated with, or indicated via, a number of different uplink channels. Also, as uplink coverage is related to UE transmission, and the UE capability reduction may have a direct impact on the uplink coverage and other aspects such as UE power savings and co-existence.

In some aspects, the aforementioned UE features can be associated with, or indicated via, a PUSCH. For example, these UE features can include slot repetition with self-decodable redundancy version (RV) combinations, inter-slot frequency hopping, π/<NUM> BPSK modulation, low SE MCS tables, and/or a UCI piggyback pattern. Also, a number of UE features can be associated with, or indicated via, a DMRS, such as a new waveform based on lower peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) sequences, multiple scrambling identifiers (IDs) per antenna port, group hopping or sequence hopping of DMRS sequences, and/or multiple DMRS symbols with an extended orthogonal cover code (OCC) or a configurable bundling size. For example, if a UE transmits via a reduced power, the base station may need multiple copies of DMRS symbols, a PRACH, a PUSCH, and a PUCCH.

Further, the aforementioned UE features can be associated with, or indicated via, a PUCCH, which can include PUCCH repetition, frequency hopping and a new waveform for coverage enhancement, supporting common and separately configured PUCCH formats, and/or channel state information (CSI) reporting with a reduced granularity or an increased number of cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits. In some aspects, a separate configuration can include a PUCCH with an extended OCC, increased repetition levels, and/or frequency hops. Additionally, the aforementioned UE features can be associated with, or indicated via, a PRACH, which can include supporting a shared RACH occasion (RO) and a dedicated RO, where a dedicated RO can be configured with a reduced bandwidth or subcarrier spacing (SCS), time domain OCC, increased repetition levels, and/or frequency hops. UE features associated with, or indicated via, a PRACH can also include supporting different SCS or PRACH formats on ROs that are separately configured for reduced capability or light UEs.

Aspects of the present disclosure can also simplify one or more physical layer (PHY) procedures. For instance, aspects of the present disclosure can separately configure RRC parameters for power control of a PRACH, a PUSCH, SRS, or a PUCCH. Aspects of the present disclosure can also utilize the aforementioned features in stand-alone (SA) mode and/or single connectivity. Further, aspects of the present disclosure can simplify beam management. Aspects of the present disclosure can also reduce the monitoring of a PDCCH within a random access response (RAR) window and relax the PDCCH processing time, e.g., a message <NUM> (msg2) in a <NUM>-step RACH or message B (msgB) in a <NUM>-step RACH, or a contention resolution timer, e.g., a message <NUM> (msg4) in a <NUM>-step RACH. For example, aspects of the present disclosure can defer the starting point of DCI monitoring via a semipersistently configured slot-level offset, as well as re-designing a Hash function for SS configuration.

Aspects of the present disclosure can also relax a HARQ timeline. For example, this can be implemented by deferring the PUCCH transmission by a semipersistently configured slot-level offset, which can increase the bit-width of "k", or re-designing the lookup table (LUT) for delta or "Δ" (e.g., with a timing device). As indicated above, aspects of the present disclosure can include different configurations of PHY procedures, which can be signaled to the UE, and the UE can determine its category of capability prior to the RRC connection. Aspects of the present disclosure can also include an implicit indication of UE capabilities. Based on the RSRP measurement of a synchronization signal block (SSB) and a network configured threshold, a reduced capability or light UE can determine whether to indicate its capability implicitly or explicitly.

<FIG> is a diagram <NUM> illustrating an example synchronization signal (SS)/physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block, i.e., an SSB. As shown in <FIG>, diagram <NUM> includes a primary synchronization signal (PSS) <NUM>, a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) <NUM>, and a PBCH <NUM>. <FIG> depicts that PBCH <NUM>, which carries a MIB, may be grouped with PSS <NUM> and SSS <NUM> to form a SS/PBCH block, i.e., an SSB. As illustrated in <FIG>, the SSB including PSS <NUM>, SSS <NUM>, and PBCH <NUM> comprises a number of resource blocks (RBs). These resource blocks can span both time and frequency. For instance, PBCH <NUM> may span <NUM> RBs in frequency, and the PSS <NUM> and SSS <NUM> may span <NUM> RBs in frequency.

In some aspects, if an SSB-based RSRP measurement is less than a threshold, a reduced capability or light UE can report its capability implicitly during an initial access stage by utilizing one or more options. For instance, a UE can transmit PRACH preambles on RACH occasions dedicated to reduced capability or light UEs. Also, a UE can transmit a msg3, msg5, or a msgA PUSCH with DMRS resources dedicated to reduced capability or light UEs. In some aspects, the DMRS resources can include a DMRS port or DMRS sequences. For example, a UE can select a certain DMRS port or DMRS sequence in order to implicitly indicate the capability of the UE. Further, a UE can map information including a UE capability to a bit level scrambling ID of a PUSCH, a CRC mask of PUSCH, the payload of a msg3 or a msgA PUSCH, e.g., a dedicated MAC header or sub-header and a dedicated MAC sub-PDU format, or a dedicated UCI piggyback pattern.

In some aspects, if an SSB-based RSRP measurement is greater than or equal to a threshold, a reduced capability or light UE can report its capability after an initial access stage. Optionally, a UE can report its capability implicitly prior to an RRC connection in a similar manner compared to when an SSB-based RSRP measurement is less than a threshold. Additionally, in some aspects, after an RRC connection is established, a reduced capability or light UE which has implicitly reported its capability can select a number of different options. In some instances, a UE can waive or skip the reporting of its UE capability. For example, if all the UE capability information has been reported during the initial access period, there may be no need to report any further UE capability information. Also, a UE can refine or reaffirm the reporting of the UE capability.

Aspects of the present disclosure can also include a switch of UE capabilities. For instance, for premium UEs, e.g., UEs equipped with more advanced capabilities than reduced capability or light UEs, a temporary switch to reduced capabilities may help to improve power savings and/or radio resource utilization efficiency. In some instances, a base station can transmit a PDCCH to instruct one or more UEs to reduce their capabilities within a configurable time interval. Further, the DCI can include the UE identifiers and/or the time interval when a capability reduction may take effect. Also, the UE can request a capability reduction within a configurable time interval.

In some aspects, a UE capability switch request can be triggered by a premium UE using a number of different options. For instance, a UE can transmit a single-bit or multi-bit toggling signal or sequence on SRS, a PUCCH, or a PUSCH. For example, a multi-bit signal or sequence may indicate the different capabilities of the UE. Additionally, the UE can perform a <NUM>-step or <NUM>-step RACH procedure, e.g., contention-based random access (CBRA) or contention-free random access (CFRA), and send the request in a msgA of the <NUM>-step RACH, or a msg1, msg3, or msg5 of the <NUM>-step RACH. Moreover, a single bit or multiple bit indication can be transmitted in a <NUM>-step or a <NUM>-step RACH procedure. More specifically, for a <NUM>-step RACH procedure, the indication can be transmitted via a msgA preamble (PRACH) or a msgA payload (PUSCH). Also, for a <NUM>-step RACH procedure, the indication can be transmitted via a msg1 (PRACH), a msg3 (PUSCH), a msg5 (PUSCH), or a PUCCH.

In some instances, the base station can respond to the UE's capability switch request via DCI or a RAR. In some aspects, the base station can transmit an ACK and a capability recheck timer. By doing so, the base station can acknowledge the UE's request, and the UE can be allowed to switch its capability within the time interval given by the timer. For example, if the timer expires, the UE may monitor a PDCCH for the reduced capability response. Additionally, the base station can transmit a NACK to the UE, e.g., to decline the UE's request, such that the UE may not be allowed to switch capabilities. For example, the base station may transmit downlink data to the UE, such that the base station may not allow the UE to switch its capability.

<FIG> is a diagram <NUM> illustrating communication between a UE <NUM> and a base station <NUM>. The UE <NUM> may correspond to UE <NUM>, <NUM>, and apparatus <NUM>, and the base station <NUM> may correspond to base station <NUM>/<NUM>, <NUM>, and apparatus <NUM>.

At <NUM>, base station <NUM> may transmit, to UE <NUM>, at least one synchronization signal block (SSB), e.g., SSB <NUM>. At <NUM>, UE <NUM> may receive, from base station <NUM>, at least one SSB, e.g., SSB <NUM>.

At <NUM>, UE <NUM> may determine or measure a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB, e.g., SSB <NUM>. In an example, UE <NUM> may determine whether a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB, e.g., SSB <NUM>, is less than a threshold, the threshold being configured by the base station. In some instances, the threshold may be configured by a base station and received via system information (SI) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

At <NUM>, UE <NUM> may establish a RACH procedure, e.g., RACH procedure <NUM>, with the base station <NUM>. Likewise, at <NUM>, base station <NUM> may establish the RACH procedure, e.g., RACH procedure <NUM>, with the UE <NUM>.

At <NUM>, UE <NUM> may transmit, to the base station <NUM>, an indication of a UE capability of the UE, e.g., indication <NUM>. For example, the UE may transmit, to the base station if the RSRP of the at least one SSB, e.g., SSB <NUM>, is less than a threshold, an indication of a UE capability of the UE, e.g., indication <NUM>, during a RACH procedure <NUM>, the threshold being configured by the base station. Also, the UE may transmit, to the base station if the RSRP of the at least one SSB, e.g., SSB <NUM>, is greater than or equal to the threshold, the indication of the UE capability of the UE, e.g., indication <NUM>, after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure <NUM>. At <NUM>, base station <NUM> may receive, from the UE <NUM>, an indication of a UE capability of the UE, e.g., indication <NUM>, during a RACH procedure or after entering into a RRC connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure, the indication of the UE capability being based on a threshold associated with a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB, e.g., SSB <NUM>.

In some aspects, if the indication of the UE capability is transmitted during the RACH procedure, the indication may correspond to a message A (msgA) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) when the RACH procedure is a <NUM>-step RACH procedure, or a message <NUM> (msg3) and a message <NUM> (msg5) PUSCH when the RACH procedure is a <NUM>-step RACH procedure. The msgA payload, the msg3, or the msg5 may be transmitted via one or more demodulation reference signal (DMRS) resources associated with reduced capability (redcap) UEs. Further, if the indication of the UE capability is transmitted during the RACH procedure, the indication may correspond to one or more physical RACH (PRACH) preambles on one or more RACH occasions associated with reduced capability (redcap) UEs. The indication of the UE capability may also be transmitted on a msgA preamble or a msg1 during the RACH procedure when the RSRP of the at least one SSB, e.g., SSB <NUM>, is greater than or equal to the threshold. Also, at least one of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port or DMRS sequence scrambling identifier may be associated with the indication of the UE capability.

In some instances, the UE may map information associated with the indication of the UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, during the RACH procedure. For instance, transmitting the indication of the UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, during the RACH procedure may comprise mapping information associated with the indication of the UE capability during the RACH procedure. Also, the information associated with the indication of the UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be mapped to at least one of a bit level scrambling identifier (ID) of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) mask of a PUSCH, a payload of a message A (msgA) PUSCH or a message <NUM> (msg3) PUSCH, a medium access control (MAC) header or sub-header, a MAC sub-packet data unit (sub-PDU) format, or an uplink control information (UCI) piggyback pattern.

Additionally, the indication of the UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be transmitted via at least one of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or a physical RACH (PRACH). The indication of the UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be transmitted via the PUSCH associated with at least one of: slot repetition with redundancy version (RV) combinations, inter-slot frequency hopping, binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation, one or more modulation and coding scheme (MCS) tables, or an uplink control information (UCI) piggyback pattern. Also, the indication of the UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be transmitted via the DMRS associated with at least one of: reduced peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) sequences, one or more scrambling identifiers (IDs) associated with a DMRS port, group or sequence hopping, or multiple DMRS symbols including a bundling size or an extension of orthogonal cover code size. The indication of the UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be transmitted via the PUCCH associated with at least one of: an extension of repetition levels, an extension of orthogonal cover code size, an enhancement of frequency hopping patterns, an updated waveform or updated PUCCH format, supporting common and separately configured PUCCH formats, or channel state information (CSI) reporting with a reduced granularity or an increased amount of cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits. Further, the indication of the UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be transmitted via the PRACH associated with supporting a shared RACH occasion (RO) and a dedicated RO, where a subcarrier spacing or subcarrier format of the PRACH is separately configured on the dedicated RO for reduced capability (redcap) UEs.

At <NUM>, UE <NUM> may transmit a confirmation of the UE capability, e.g., confirmation <NUM>. For example, upon establishing the RACH procedure and transmitting the indication of the UE capability during the RACH procedure, the UE may transmit a confirmation of the UE capability, e.g., confirmation <NUM>. In some aspects, the UE may transmit the confirmation of the UE capability after an RRC connection is established. In some instances, upon establishing the RACH procedure and transmitting the indication of the UE capability during the RACH procedure, the transmission of the confirmation of the UE capability may be skipped. At <NUM>, base station <NUM> may receive a confirmation of the UE capability, e.g., confirmation <NUM>. For example, upon establishing the RACH procedure and receiving the indication of the UE capability during the RACH procedure, the base station may receive a confirmation of the UE capability, e.g., confirmation <NUM>. In some instances, upon establishing the RACH procedure and receiving the indication of the UE capability during the RACH procedure, the confirmation of the UE capability may not be received.

At <NUM>, UE <NUM> may communicate with the base station based on the indication of the UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>. Likewise, at <NUM>, base station <NUM> may communicate with the UE based on the indication of the UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>.

At <NUM>, base station <NUM> may transmit, to the UE, a UE capability reduction instruction, e.g., instruction <NUM>, via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), where the UE capability reduction instruction includes an identifier of the UE and a capability reduction time period, where capability reduction time period is a time period where the UE capability reduction takes effect. In some instances, the request is received within the capability reduction time period. At <NUM>, UE <NUM> may receive, from the base station, a UE capability reduction instruction, e.g., instruction <NUM>, via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), where the UE capability reduction instruction includes an identifier of the UE and a capability reduction time period, where the request is transmitted within the capability reduction time period.

At <NUM>, UE <NUM> may transmit, to a base station <NUM>, a request to switch the UE capability from a first UE capability to a second UE capability, e.g., request <NUM>. In some aspects, the second UE capability may be reduced as compared to the first UE capability. At <NUM>, base station <NUM> may receive, from the UE <NUM>, a request to switch the UE capability from a first UE capability to a second UE capability, e.g., request <NUM>. In some aspects, the request may be transmitted via one of sounding reference signals (SRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). The request may be associated with an updated random access channel (RACH) procedure, the updated RACH procedure being initiated to transmit the request. Further, the request may correspond to a message A (msgA) when the updated RACH procedure is a <NUM>-step RACH procedure, and the request corresponds to a message <NUM> (msg1) when the updated RACH procedure is a <NUM>-step RACH procedure.

At <NUM>, base station <NUM> may transmit, to the UE, one of an acknowledgement (ACK) or a negative ACK (NACK) based on the received request, e.g., ACK/NACK <NUM>. At <NUM>, UE <NUM> may receive, from the base station, one of an acknowledgement (ACK) or a negative ACK (NACK) based on the transmitted request, e.g., ACK/NACK <NUM>. One of the ACK or the NACK may be received via downlink control information (DCI) or a random access response (RAR). The UE may communicate with the base station based on the second UE capability upon receiving the ACK or based on the first UE capability upon receiving the NACK, where the second UE capability is a reduced capability compared to the first UE capability. Likewise, the base station may communicate with the UE based on the second UE capability upon transmitting the ACK or based on the first UE capability upon transmitting the NACK, where the second UE capability is a reduced capability compared to the first UE capability.

<FIG> is a flowchart <NUM> of a method of wireless communication. The method may be performed by a UE or a component of a UE (e.g., the UE <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>; apparatus <NUM>). Optional aspects are illustrated with a dashed line. The methods described herein can provide a number of benefits, such as improving communication signaling, resource utilization, and/or power savings.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may receive, from a base station, at least one synchronization signal block (SSB), as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, UE <NUM> may receive SSB <NUM> from base station <NUM>. The at least one SSB, e.g., SSB <NUM>, may correspond to the SS/PBCH block in <FIG> including PSS <NUM>, SSS <NUM>, and PBCH <NUM>. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may determine or measure a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB. In an example, the apparatus may determine whether the reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB is less than a threshold, the threshold being configured by the base station, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, UE <NUM> may determine whether a RSRP of the at least one SSB <NUM> is less than a threshold. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>. In some instances, the threshold may be configured by a base station, e.g., base station <NUM> in <FIG>, and received via system information (SI) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may establish a RACH procedure with the base station, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, UE <NUM> may establish a RACH procedure <NUM> with base station <NUM>. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may transmit, to the base station, an indication of a reduced UE capability of the UE, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, UE <NUM> may transmit, to base station <NUM>, an indication <NUM> of a reduced UE capability. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>. For instance, the UE may transmit, to the base station, e.g., base station <NUM>, if the RSRP of all of the at least one SSB is less than a threshold, an indication of a reduced UE capability of the UE, e.g., indication <NUM>, during a random access channel (RACH) procedure, the threshold being configured by the base station, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. Also, the apparatus may transmit, to the base station, e.g., base station <NUM>, if the RSRP of one of the at least one SSB is greater than or equal to the threshold, the indication of the reduced UE capability of the UE, e.g., indication <NUM>, after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure.

In some aspects, if the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, is transmitted during the RACH procedure, the indication may correspond to a message A (msgA) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) when the RACH procedure is a <NUM>-step RACH procedure or a message <NUM> (msg3) PUSCH when the RACH procedure is a <NUM>-step RACH procedure. The msgA or the msg3 may be transmitted via one or more demodulation reference signal (DMRS) resources associated with or dedicated to reduced capability (redcap) UEs. Further, if the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, is transmitted during the RACH procedure, the indication may correspond to one or more physical RACH (PRACH) preambles on one or more RACH occasions associated with or dedicated to reduced capability (redcap) UEs. The indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may also be transmitted during the RACH procedure when the RSRP of all of the at least one SSB is less than or equal to the threshold, and the at least one SSB is measured after a cell selection. Also, at least one of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port or DMRS sequence scrambling identifier may be associated with the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>.

In some instances, the UE may map information associated with the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, during the RACH procedure, e.g., RACH procedure <NUM>. For instance, transmitting the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, during the RACH procedure may comprise mapping information associated with the indication of the reduced UE capability during the RACH procedure. Also, the information associated with the indication of the reduced UE capability may be mapped to at least one of a bit level scrambling identifier (ID) of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) mask of a PUSCH, a payload of a message A (msgA) PUSCH or a message <NUM> (msg3) PUSCH, a medium access control (MAC) header or sub-header, a MAC sub-packet data unit (sub-PDU) format, or an uplink control information (UCI) piggyback pattern.

Additionally, the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be transmitted via at least one of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or a physical RACH (PRACH). The indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be transmitted via the PUSCH associated with at least one of: slot repetition with redundancy version (RV) combinations, inter-slot frequency hopping, binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation, one or more modulation and coding scheme (MCS) tables, or an uplink control information (UCI) piggyback pattern. Also, the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be transmitted via the DMRS associated with at least one of: reduced peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) sequences, one or more scrambling identifiers (IDs) associated with a DMRS port, group or sequence hopping, or multiple DMRS symbols including a bundling size or an extension of orthogonal cover code size. The indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be transmitted via the PUCCH associated with at least one of: an extension of repetition levels, an extension of orthogonal cover code size, an enhancement of frequency hopping patterns, an updated waveform or updated PUCCH format, supporting common and separately configured PUCCH formats, or channel state information (CSI) reporting with a reduced granularity or an increased amount of cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits. Further, the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be transmitted via the PRACH associated with supporting a shared RACH occasion (RO) and a dedicated RO, where a subcarrier spacing or subcarrier format of the PRACH is separately configured on the dedicated RO for reduced capability (redcap) UEs.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may transmit a confirmation of the reduced UE capability, e.g., confirmation <NUM>. For example, upon establishing the RACH procedure and transmitting the indication of the reduced UE capability during the RACH procedure, the UE may transmit a confirmation of the reduced UE capability, e.g., confirmation <NUM>, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For instance, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, UE <NUM> may transmit a confirmation of the reduced UE capability, e.g., confirmation <NUM>. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>. In some instances, upon establishing the RACH procedure and transmitting the indication of the reduced UE capability during the RACH procedure, the transmission of the confirmation of the reduced UE capability may be skipped after an RRC connection establishment.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may communicate with the base station based on the indication of the reduced UE capability and within a downlink and uplink bandwidth part (BWP) configuration associated with a corresponding UE capability, wherein the downlink and uplink BWP configuration is broadcast in system information of the base station, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, UE <NUM> may communicate with the base station <NUM> based on the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may receive, from the base station, a UE capability reduction instruction via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), where the UE capability reduction instruction includes an identifier of the UE and a capability reduction time period, where the request is transmitted within the capability reduction time period, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, UE <NUM> may receive, from the base station <NUM>, a UE capability reduction instruction via a PDCCH, e.g., instruction <NUM>. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may transmit, to a base station, a request to switch a UE capability from a first UE capability to a second UE capability, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, UE <NUM> may transmit, to a base station <NUM>, a request to switch the UE capability from a first UE capability to a second UE capability, e.g., request <NUM>. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>. In some aspects, the request, e.g., request <NUM>, may be transmitted via one of sounding reference signals (SRS), a physical random access channel (PRACH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). The request, e.g., request <NUM>, may be associated with an updated type of random access channel (RACH) procedure, the updated type of RACH procedure being initiated to transmit the request. Further, the request, e.g., request <NUM>, may correspond to a message A (msgA) when the updated type of RACH procedure is a <NUM>-step RACH procedure, and the request may correspond to a message <NUM> (msg1) when the updated type of RACH procedure is a <NUM>-step RACH procedure.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may receive, from the base station, one of an acknowledgement (ACK) or a negative ACK (NACK) based on the transmitted request, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, UE <NUM> may receive, from the base station, <NUM> one of ACK/NACK <NUM> based on the transmitted request <NUM>. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>. The UE may communicate with the base station based on the second UE capability upon receiving the ACK, or the UE may communicate based on the first UE capability upon receiving the NACK, where the second UE capability is a reduced capability compared to the first UE capability. Also, one of the ACK or the NACK may be received via downlink control information (DCI) or a random access response (RAR).

<FIG> is a flowchart <NUM> of a method of wireless communication. The method may be performed by a base station or a component of a base station (e.g., the base station <NUM>/<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>; apparatus <NUM>). Optional aspects are illustrated with a dashed line. The methods described herein can provide a number of benefits, such as improving communication signaling, resource utilization, and/or power savings.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may transmit, to a UE, at least one synchronization signal block (SSB), as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, base station <NUM> may transmit SSB <NUM> to UE <NUM>. The at least one SSB, e.g., SSB <NUM>, may correspond to the SS/PBCH block in <FIG> including PSS <NUM>, SSS <NUM>, and PBCH <NUM>. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may establish a RACH procedure with the UE, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, base station <NUM> may establish a RACH procedure, e.g., RACH procedure <NUM>, with the UE <NUM>. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may receive, from the UE, an indication of a reduced UE capability of the UE during a random access channel (RACH) procedure or after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure, where the indication of the reduced UE capability may be based on a threshold associated with a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB, the threshold being configured by the base station, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, base station <NUM> may receive, from the UE <NUM>, an indication of a reduced UE capability <NUM>. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>. The threshold may be configured by a base station and transmitted via system information (SI) or radio resource control (RRC) signaling.

In some instances, if the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, is received during the RACH procedure, the indication may correspond to a message A (msgA) physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) when the RACH procedure is a <NUM>-step RACH procedure or a message <NUM> (msg3) PUSCH when the RACH procedure is a <NUM>-step RACH procedure. The msgA or the msg3 may be received via one or more demodulation reference signal (DMRS) resources associated with reduced capability (redcap) UEs. Also, if the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, is received during the RACH procedure, the indication may correspond to one or more physical RACH (PRACH) preambles on one or more RACH occasions associated with reduced capability (redcap) UEs. Further, the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be received during the RACH procedure when the RSRP of all of the at least one SSB is less than or equal to the threshold, and the at least one SSB is measured after a cell selection. The indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may also be received after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure when the RSRP of one of the at least one SSB is greater than or equal to the threshold.

In some aspects, the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be associated with information that is mapped during the RACH procedure. The information associated with the indication of the reduced UE capability may be mapped to at least one of a bit level scrambling identifier (ID) of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) mask of a PUSCH, a payload of a message A (msgA) PUSCH or a message <NUM> (msg3) PUSCH, a medium access control (MAC) header or sub-header, a MAC sub-packet data unit (sub-PDU) format, or an uplink control information (UCI) piggyback pattern. Additionally, at least one of a demodulation reference signal (DMRS) port or DMRS sequence scrambling identifier may be associated with the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>.

Moreover, the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be received via at least one of a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), a demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or a physical RACH (PRACH). The indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be received via the PUSCH associated with at least one of: slot repetition with redundancy version (RV) combinations, inter-slot frequency hopping, binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation, one or more modulation and coding scheme (MCS) tables, or an uplink control information (UCI) piggyback pattern. Also, the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be received via the DMRS associated with at least one of: reduced peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) sequences, one or more scrambling identifiers (IDs) associated with a DMRS port, group or sequence hopping, or multiple DMRS symbols including a bundling size or an extension of orthogonal cover code size. The indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may be received via the PUCCH associated with at least one of: an extension of repetition levels, an extension of orthogonal cover code size, an enhancement of frequency hopping patterns, an updated waveform or updated PUCCH format, supporting common and separately configured PUCCH formats, or channel state information (CSI) reporting with a reduced granularity or an increased amount of cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits. The indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>, may also be received via the PRACH associated with supporting a shared RACH occasion (RO) and a dedicated RO, where a subcarrier spacing or subcarrier format of the PRACH is separately configured on the dedicated RO for reduced capability (redcap) UEs.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may receive a confirmation of the reduced UE capability, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, base station <NUM> may receive a confirmation <NUM> of the reduced UE capability. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>. For instance, upon establishing the RACH procedure and receiving the indication of the reduced UE capability during the RACH procedure, the apparatus may receive a confirmation of the reduced UE capability, e.g., confirmation <NUM>. In some instances, upon establishing the RACH procedure and receiving the indication of the reduced UE capability during the RACH procedure, the confirmation of the reduced UE capability may not be received after an RRC connection establishment.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may communicate with the UE based on the indication of the reduced UE capability and within a downlink and uplink bandwidth part (BWP) configuration associated with a corresponding UE capability, wherein the downlink and uplink BWP configuration is broadcast in system information of the base station, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, base station <NUM> may communicate with the UE <NUM> based on the indication of the reduced UE capability, e.g., indication <NUM>. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may transmit, to the UE, a UE capability reduction instruction via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), where the UE capability reduction instruction includes an identifier of the UE and a capability reduction time period, where the request is received within the capability reduction time period, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, base station <NUM> may transmit, to the UE <NUM>, a UE capability reduction instruction <NUM> via a PDCCH. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may receive, from the UE, a request to switch a UE capability from a first UE capability to a second UE capability, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, base station <NUM> may receive, from the UE <NUM>, a request <NUM> to switch the UE capability from a first UE capability to a second UE capability. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>. The request, e.g., request <NUM>, may be received via one of sounding reference signals (SRS), a physical random access channel (PRACH), a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). Also, the request, e.g., request <NUM>, may be associated with an updated type of random access channel (RACH) procedure, the updated type of RACH procedure being initiated based on the request. The request, e.g., request <NUM>, may correspond to a message A (msgA) when the updated type of RACH procedure is a <NUM>-step RACH procedure, and the request may correspond to a message <NUM> (msg1) when the updated type of RACH procedure is a <NUM>-step RACH procedure.

At <NUM>, the apparatus may transmit, to the UE, one of an acknowledgement (ACK) or a negative ACK (NACK) based on the received request, as described in connection with the examples in <FIG> and <FIG>. For example, as described in <NUM> of <FIG>, base station <NUM> may transmit, to the UE <NUM>, one of ACK/NACK <NUM> based on the received request <NUM>. Further, <NUM> may be performed by determination component <NUM> from <FIG>. The apparatus may communicate with the UE based on the second UE capability upon transmitting the ACK, or the apparatus may communicate based on the first UE capability upon transmitting the NACK, where the second UE capability is a reduced capability compared to the first UE capability. One of the ACK or the NACK, e.g., ACK/NACK <NUM>, may be transmitted via downlink control information (DCI) or a random access response (RAR).

The communication manager <NUM> includes a determination component <NUM> that may be configured to receive, from a base station, at least one synchronization signal block (SSB), e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to determine a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to establish the RACH procedure with the base station, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to transmit, to the base station if the RSRP of the at least one SSB is less than a threshold, an indication of a UE capability of the UE during a random access channel (RACH) procedure; and transmit, to the base station if the RSRP of the at least one SSB is greater than or equal to the threshold, the indication of the UE capability of the UE after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to transmit a confirmation of the UE capability, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to communicate with the base station based on the indication of the UE capability, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to receive, from the base station, a UE capability reduction instruction via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), where the UE capability reduction instruction includes an identifier of the UE and a capability reduction time period, where the request is transmitted within the capability reduction time period, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to transmit, to a base station, a request to switch the UE capability from a first UE capability to a second UE capability, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to receive, from the base station, one of an acknowledgement (ACK) or a negative ACK (NACK) based on the transmitted request, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>.

In one configuration, the apparatus <NUM>, and in particular the cellular baseband processor <NUM>, includes means for receiving, from a base station, at least one synchronization signal block (SSB); means for determining a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB; means for transmitting, to the base station if the RSRP of the at least one SSB is less than a threshold, an indication of a UE capability of the UE during a random access channel (RACH) procedure; means for transmitting, to the base station if the RSRP of the at least one SSB is greater than or equal to the threshold, the indication of the UE capability of the UE after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure; means for mapping information associated with the indication of the UE capability during the RACH procedure; means for establishing the RACH procedure with the base station; means for transmitting a confirmation of the UE capability; means for communicating with the base station based on the indication of the UE capability; means for transmitting, to a base station, a request to switch the UE capability from a first UE capability to a second UE capability; means for receiving, from the base station, one of an acknowledgement (ACK) or a negative ACK (NACK) based on the transmitted request; means for communicating with the base station based on the second UE capability upon receiving the ACK or based on the first UE capability upon receiving the NACK, where the second UE capability is a reduced capability compared to the first UE capability; and means for receiving, from the base station, a UE capability reduction instruction via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), where the UE capability reduction instruction includes an identifier of the UE and a capability reduction time period, where the request is transmitted within the capability reduction time period. The aforementioned means may be one or more of the aforementioned components of the apparatus <NUM> configured to perform the functions recited by the aforementioned means. As described supra, the apparatus <NUM> may include the TX Processor <NUM>, the RX Processor <NUM>, and the controller/processor <NUM>.

The apparatus <NUM> is a base station (BS) and includes a baseband unit <NUM>. The baseband unit <NUM> may communicate through a cellular RF transceiver <NUM> with the UE <NUM>. The baseband unit <NUM> may include a computer-readable medium / memory. The baseband unit <NUM> is responsible for general processing, including the execution of software stored on the computer-readable medium / memory. The software, when executed by the baseband unit <NUM>, causes the baseband unit <NUM> to perform the various functions described supra. The computer-readable medium / memory may also be used for storing data that is manipulated by the baseband unit <NUM> when executing software. The baseband unit <NUM> further includes a reception component <NUM>, a communication manager <NUM>, and a transmission component <NUM>. The components within the communication manager <NUM> may be stored in the computer-readable medium / memory and/or configured as hardware within the baseband unit <NUM>. The baseband unit <NUM> may be a component of the BS <NUM> and may include the memory <NUM> and/or at least one of the TX processor <NUM>, the RX processor <NUM>, and the controller/processor <NUM>.

The communication manager <NUM> includes a determination component <NUM> that may be configured to transmit, to a user equipment (UE), at least one synchronization signal block (SSB), e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to establish the RACH procedure with the UE, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to receive, from the UE, an indication of a UE capability of the UE during a random access channel (RACH) procedure or after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure, the indication of the UE capability being based on a threshold associated with a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to receive a confirmation of the UE capability, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to communicate with the UE based on the indication of the UE capability, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to transmit, to the UE, a UE capability reduction instruction via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), where the UE capability reduction instruction includes an identifier of the UE and a capability reduction time period, where the request is received within the capability reduction time period, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to receive, from the UE, a request to switch the UE capability from a first UE capability to a second UE capability, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>. Determination component <NUM> may also be configured to transmit, to the UE, one of an acknowledgement (ACK) or a negative ACK (NACK) based on the received request, e.g., as described in connection with <NUM> in <FIG>.

In one configuration, the apparatus <NUM>, and in particular the baseband unit <NUM>, includes means for transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), at least one synchronization signal block (SSB); means for establishing the RACH procedure with the UE; means for receiving, from the UE, an indication of a UE capability of the UE during a random access channel (RACH) procedure or after entering into a radio resource control (RRC) connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure, the indication of the UE capability being based on a threshold associated with a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the at least one SSB; means for receiving a confirmation of the UE capability; means for communicating with the UE based on the indication of the UE capability; means for transmitting, to the UE, a UE capability reduction instruction via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), where the UE capability reduction instruction includes an identifier of the UE and a capability reduction time period, where the request is received within the capability reduction time period; means for receiving, from the UE, a request to switch the UE capability from a first UE capability to a second UE capability; means for transmitting, to the UE, one of an acknowledgement (ACK) or a negative ACK (NACK) based on the received request; and means for communicating with the UE based on the second UE capability upon transmitting the ACK or based on the first UE capability upon transmitting the NACK, where the second UE capability is a reduced capability compared to the first UE capability. The aforementioned means may be one or more of the aforementioned components of the apparatus <NUM> configured to perform the functions recited by the aforementioned means. As described supra, the apparatus <NUM> may include the TX Processor <NUM>, the RX Processor <NUM>, and the controller/processor <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A method of wireless communication of a user equipment, UE, comprising:
receiving (<NUM>), from a base station, at least one synchronization signal block, SSB;
determining (<NUM>) a reference signal received power, RSRP, of the at least one SSB;
transmitting, to the base station if the RSRP of all of the at least one SSB is less than a threshold, an indication of a reduced UE capability of the UE during a random access channel, RACH, procedure, the threshold being configured by the base station; and
transmitting (<NUM>), to the base station if the RSRP of one of the at least one SSB is greater than or equal to the threshold, the indication of the reduced UE capability of the UE after entering into a radio resource control, RRC, connected state upon completion of the RACH procedure.