Method, apparatus, and computer-readable medium for enhanced decoding of narrowband master information blocks (MIB-NB)

A wireless device comprising:

• power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the first network node;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to:
• receive, from a first network node, an indication of at least one repetition method used in a broadcast channel transmitted by a second network node, wherein the repetition method comprises:
• a first portion of an information block in first resources of the broadcast channel that are reserved for the information block;
• and
• a second portion of the information block, comprising at least a subset of the first portion, in second resources of the broadcast channel that are different from the first resources;
• receive the broadcast channel transmitted by the second network node;
• and
• decode the information block by combining the first portion and the second portion,
• the broadcast channel being a narrowband physical broadcast channel (NPBCH);
• the information block being a narrowband master information block (MIB-NB);
• the first resources comprising at least a portion of symbols that include the NPBCH;
• and
• the second resources comprising at least a portion of symbols that do not include the NPBCH.

A method for a first network node in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

• determining at least one repetition method used in a broadcast channel transmitted by a second network node, wherein the repetition method comprises:
• a first portion of an information block in first resources of the broadcast channel that are reserved for the information block;
• and
• a second portion of the information block, comprising at least a subset of the first portion, in second resources of the broadcast channel that are different from the first resources;
• sending, to a wireless device, an indication of the at least one repetition method;
• and
• receiving information concerning one or more measurements, related to the second network node, made by the wireless device subsequent to acquiring the information broadcast by the second network node,
• the broadcast channel being a narrowband physical broadcast channel (NPBCH);
• the information block being a narrowband master information block (MIB-NB);
• the first resources comprising at least a portion of symbols that include the NPBCH;
• and
• the second resources comprising at least a portion of symbols that do not include the NPBCH.