A Resource Optimization for Two-Step Random Access in 5G New Radio

Abstract

This paper presents a resource optimization method for the 2-step random access (RA) procedure in the 5th generation new radio (5G NR). In 2-step RA, the MsgA includes a sequence as a preamble on the physical random access channel (PRACH) and uplink payload on the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). The mapping between PRACH slots and PUSCH slots is specified by system configuration parameters. The network reserves the corresponding PUSCH resource fixedly, regardless of the random access occasion (RO) occupancy rate and the uplink data traffic request. It deprives the uplink scheduling resource efficiency in cases of some RO unoccupied. To achieve higher utilization efficiency, this paper studies the reusing of the PUSCH slots and occasions fixed to RACH in MsgA. By detecting the preambles in RO before the corresponding PUSCH slots, the network acquires the occupancy of the RO. Then the PUSCH occasion (PO) in reserved PUSCH can be released, which conforms to the RO detection result. The release of the previously reserved PUSCH occasions can be rescheduled and reused by the user equipment (UE) for uplink data transmission. Hence more wireless resources can be scheduled in contrast to the existing allocation of uplink share channel in 2-step type random access. It suggests that using the method improves the efficiency of resource utilization.