US 12,075,377 B2
Synchronization signal blocks for inter-integrated backhaul access (IAB) discovery and measurements
Lili Wei, Cupertino, CA (US); Qian Li, Cupertino, CA (US); and Geng Wu, Cupertino, OR (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/593,740
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 27, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/025504
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 23, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/198692, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 1, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/825,404, filed on Mar. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0174630 A1, Jun. 2, 2022
Int. Cl. H04W 56/00 (2009.01)
CPC H04W 56/0015 (2013.01) 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating an Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) node comprising:
transmitting, by an IAB-node, first synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) for access user equipment (UEs); and
transmitting, by the IAB-node, second SSBs for inter-IAB-node discovery and measurement, wherein transmitting the second SSBs for inter-IAB-node discovery and measurement comprises:
using time-overlapping SSB resources such that different IAB-nodes transmit SSBs for discovery and measurement at overlapping times;
measuring one or more third SSBs for inter-IAB-node discovery and measurement based on a muting pattern in one or more SSB measurement time configuration (SMTC) windows, wherein the IAB-node is among a group of IAB-nodes (N), where N is a number, and a number of SMTC windows configured for measuring of the IAB-nodes is based on N; and
muting transmission of the second SSBs according to the muting pattern when measuring the one or more third SSBs, wherein the muting pattern includes a SSB periodicity of T milliseconds and an inter-IAB SMTC periodicity of N*T milliseconds.