Nr (new radio) prach (physical random access channel) configuration and multi-beam operation

An apparatus configured to be employed in a UE (User Equipment), comprising:

• a memory interface;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to:
• process higher layer signaling indicating a NR (New Radio) random access configuration;
• generate a random access preamble sequence based at least in part on the random access configuration;
• map the random access preamble sequence to a set of resources for each of a plurality of sets of beamforming weights;
• process N RARs (Random Access Responses) associated with the random access preamble sequence, wherein N is an integer greater than one;
• generate a random access Msg3 (message 3);
• map N copies of the random access Msg3 to a PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel);
• and
• send the NR random access configuration to a memory via the memory interface.

An apparatus configured to be employed in a gNB (next generation Node B), comprising:

• a memory interface;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to:
• generate higher layer signaling indicating a NR (New Radio) random access configuration;
• process N identical random access preamble sequences, wherein the random access preamble sequences are based at least in part on the random access configuration, wherein N is an integer greater than one;
• generate N RARs (Random Access Responses) associated with the N identical random access preamble sequences;
• process one or more random access Msg3s (Message 3s) associated with one or more UEs (User Equipments), wherein the one or more random access Msg3s are based at least in part on the N RARs;
• and
• send the NR random access configuration to a memory via the memory interface.

An apparatus configured to be employed in a UE (User Equipment), comprising:

• a memory interface;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to:
• process higher layer signaling indicating a configuration for a NR (New Radio) PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel) comprising an indication of a first set of resources for the NR PRACH, wherein the configuration for the NR PRACH is based at least in part on a configuration for a SSB (Synchronization Signal Block) comprising an indication of a second set of resources associated with the SSB;
• generate a random access preamble;
• map the random access preamble to a PRACH occasion of the first set of resources;
• and
• send an indication of the first set of resources to a memory via the memory interface.

An apparatus configured to be employed in a gNB (next generation Node B), comprising:

• a memory interface;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to:
• generate higher layer signaling indicating a first set of resources for a NR (New Radio) PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel), wherein the configuration for the NR PRACH is based at least in part on a second set of resources associated with a SSB (Synchronization Signal Block);
• process a random access preamble from a PRACH occasion of the first set of resources;
• and
• send the random access preamble to a memory via the memory interface.