Method, base station, and non-transitory computer-readable medium for wake-up behavior indication

Abstract

Wireless communication devices, systems, and methods are provided for handling wake-up actions for power saving, including during discontinuous reception (DRX) operation. For example, a wireless communication method may include the steps of: receiving a preset wake-up configuration associated with discontinuous reception (DRX) operation; monitoring for WUS during a Wake-up Signal (WUS) timing period; determining whether a WUS is received during the WUS timing period; and performing physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring based on the preset wake-up configuration and whether a WUS is received during the WUS timing period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 16 / 947,715, filed on August 13, 2020, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 888,352, filed on August 16, 2019, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes.

[0002] The present invention relates to wireless communication systems, and more particularly to methods (and associated apparatus and systems) for handling wake-up behavior for power conservation, including during discontinuous reception (DRX) operation. Prior Art

[0003] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and more. These systems can support communications with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). A wireless multiple access communication system may include several base stations (BSs), each of which simultaneously supports communications with multiple communication devices, also known as user equipment (UE).

[0004] Due to the power demands placed on wireless communication devices associated with voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and other communications, it is desirable to limit the use of device components and conserve power whenever possible. DRX is a technique in which a UE can enter a sleep mode for a certain period of time and an awake mode for another period of time. Sleep mode allows the UE to power down certain radio components, or at least switch certain radio components to a lower power state than the active state. Accordingly, the use of DRX can provide power savings at the UE. Similarly, discontinuous transmission (DTX) is a technique that a UE can use to suppress transmission signals in certain situations. When using DTX to suppress transmission signals, the UE can power down certain radio components, switch certain radio components to a lower power state than the active state, or otherwise reduce the UE's power requirements. Similarly, DRX and / or DTX techniques can be applied to base stations to conserve power and / or other system resources. Furthermore, by suppressing transmission signals using DTX, network traffic and the potential for interference can be reduced. With UEs and / or BSs operating in DRX and DTX modes, there is a need to ensure that the devices communicate in a manner that provides the user with the desired communication latency and throughput levels while also providing power savings and extended battery life. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following summarizes some aspects of the present invention to provide a basic understanding of the technology discussed. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of all contemplated features of the present invention, nor is it intended to identify key or critical elements of all aspects of the present invention, nor is it intended to define the scope of any or all aspects of the present invention. Its sole purpose is to provide some concepts of one or more aspects of the present invention in summary form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided later.

[0006] Various aspects of the present disclosure provide solutions for how a user equipment (UE) should perform wakeup when no wakeup signal (WUS) is received from a base station (BS), while maintaining the power savings benefits associated with discontinuous reception (DRX) and discontinuous transmission (DTX) operation. In some examples, when no WUS is received from the BS during a WUS opportunity, the UE utilizes a preset wakeup configuration. In this regard, the preset wakeup configuration may cause the UE to skip PDCCH monitoring (e.g., remain in sleep mode) during an on-duration associated with the WUS opportunity. Alternatively, the preset wakeup configuration may cause the UE to actively perform PDCCH monitoring during the on-duration associated with the WUS opportunity. The preset wakeup configuration may be dynamically and / or semi-statically configured to select whether the UE should skip or actively perform PDCCH monitoring during the on-duration associated with the WUS opportunity.

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, a wireless communication method includes the following steps: receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a preset wake-up configuration associated with a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation from a base station (BS); monitoring, by the UE, during a wake-up signal (WUS) opportunity to search for a WUS from the BS; determining, by the UE, whether the WUS is received from the BS during the WUS opportunity; and performing, by the UE, physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring based on the preset wake-up configuration and whether the WUS is received from the BS during the WUS opportunity.

[0008] In an additional aspect of the present invention, a wireless communication method includes the following steps: transmitting, by a base station (BS), to a user equipment (UE), a preset wake-up configuration associated with discontinuous reception (DRX) operation; determining, by the BS based on traffic load, whether to transmit a wake-up signal (WUS) to the UE during a WUS opportunity; and transmitting, by the BS, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal during a duration associated with the WUS opportunity.

[0009] In an additional aspect of the present invention, a user equipment (UE) includes: a transceiver configured to: receive a preset wake-up configuration associated with discontinuous reception (DRX) operation from a base station (BS); and monitor for a wake-up signal (WUS) from the BS during a WUS opportunity; and a processor in communication with the transceiver, the processor configured to: determine whether a WUS is received from the BS during the WUS opportunity; and perform physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring based on the preset wake-up configuration and whether the WUS is received from the BS during the WUS opportunity.

[0010] In an additional aspect of the present invention, a base station includes: a transceiver configured to transmit a preset wake-up configuration associated with discontinuous reception (DRX) operation to a user equipment (UE); and transmit a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal during a duration associated with a wake-up signal (WUS) opportunity; and a processor in communication with the transceiver, the processor configured to determine whether to transmit a WUS to the UE during the WUS opportunity based on traffic load.

[0011] In an additional aspect of the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable medium has program code recorded thereon, the code including: code for causing a user equipment (UE) to receive a preset wake-up configuration associated with discontinuous reception (DRX) operation from a base station (BS); code for causing the UE to monitor for a wake-up signal (WUS) from the BS during a WUS opportunity; code for causing the UE to determine whether a WUS is received from the BS during the WUS opportunity; and code for causing the UE to perform physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring based on the preset wake-up configuration and whether a WUS is received from the BS during the WUS opportunity.

[0012] In an additional aspect of the present invention, a non-transitory computer-readable medium has program code recorded thereon, the code including: code for causing a base station (BS) to transmit a default wake-up configuration associated with discontinuous reception (DRX) operation to a user equipment (UE); code for causing the BS to determine whether to transmit a wake-up signal (WUS) to the UE during a WUS opportunity based on traffic load; and code for causing the BS to transmit a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal during a duration associated with the WUS opportunity.

[0013] Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the following description of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Although features of the present invention may be discussed below with respect to certain examples and drawings, all embodiments of the present invention may include one or more of the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, although one or more embodiments may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more such features may also be used in accordance with various other embodiments of the present invention discussed herein. Similarly, although exemplary embodiments may be discussed below as device, system, or method embodiments, it should be understood that such exemplary embodiments may be implemented in a variety of devices, systems, and methods. Simple diagram description

[0014] FIG1 illustrates a wireless communication network according to some aspects of the present invention.

[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a scheduling / transmission configuration of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] FIG3 illustrates a message structure of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present invention.

[0017] FIG4 is a block diagram of a user equipment (UE) according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0018] FIG5 is a block diagram of an exemplary base station (BS) according to various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0019] FIG. 6 illustrates a scheduling / transmission configuration of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 7A illustrates a scheduling / transmission configuration of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 7B illustrates a scheduling / transmission configuration of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 8A illustrates a protocol diagram of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 8B illustrates a protocol diagram of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 9 illustrates a protocol diagram of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 10 illustrates a protocol diagram of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 11 illustrates a protocol diagram of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 12 illustrates a flow chart of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 13 illustrates a flow chart of a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Implementation Method

[0029] The detailed description set forth below, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. This detailed description includes specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring such concepts.

[0030] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communication systems, also known as wireless communication networks. In various embodiments, the techniques and devices can be used in wireless communication networks, such as code division multiple access (CDMA) networks, time division multiple access (TDMA) networks, frequency division multiple access (FDMA) networks, orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks, LTE networks, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks, fifth-generation (5G) or new radio (NR) networks, and other communication networks. As described herein, the terms "network" and "system" may be used interchangeably.

[0031] OFDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, and Flash OFDM. UTRA, E-UTRA, and GSM are part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). Specifically, Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a version of UMTS that uses E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, GSM, UMTS, and LTE are described in documents from an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), while CDMA2000 is described in documents from the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). These various radio technologies and standards are either known or under development. For example, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaboration among various telecommunications associations that aims to define globally applicable third-generation (3G) mobile phone specifications. 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a 3GPP project aimed at improving the UMTS mobile phone standard. 3GPP defines specifications for next-generation mobile networks, systems, and devices. This case focuses on the evolution of wireless technologies from LTE, 4G, 5G, NR, and beyond, with shared access to the wireless spectrum between networks using a combination of new and different radio access technologies or radio air interfaces.

[0032] Specifically, 5G networks envision diverse deployments, diverse spectrum, and diverse services and devices, all enabled by a unified OFDM-based airborne interface. To achieve these goals, in addition to developing new radio technologies for 5G NR networks, further enhancements to LTE and LTE-A are also being considered. 5G NR will be able to scale to: (1) provide coverage for the massive Internet of Things (IoT) with ultra-high density (e.g., about 1M nodes / km2), ultra-low complexity (e.g., about tens of bits / second), ultra-low energy (e.g., about 10+ years of battery life), and deep coverage capable of reaching challenging locations; (2) provide coverage including mission-critical control with strong security (to protect sensitive personal, financial, or confidential information), ultra-high reliability (e.g., about 99.9999% reliability), ultra-low latency (e.g., about 1 ms), and for users with a wide range of mobility or lack thereof; and (3) provide coverage with enhanced mobile broadband, including very high capacity (e.g., about 10 Tbps / km2), extreme data rates (e.g., multi-Gbps rates, 100+ Mbps user-experienced rates), and deep awareness with advanced exploration and optimization.

[0033] 5G NR can be implemented using an optimized OFDM-based waveform with scalable numerology and transmission time intervals (TTIs); a common, flexible framework for efficiently multiplexing services and features using dynamic, low-latency time division duplex (TDD) / frequency division duplex (FDD) designs; and advanced wireless technologies such as massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), robust millimeter wave (mmWave) transmission, advanced channel coding, and device-centric mobility. The scalability of the numerology in 5G NR, coupled with scaling of subcarrier spacing, can efficiently address the operation of diverse services across diverse spectrum and deployments. For example, in various outdoor and macro coverage deployments using FDD / TDD implementations below 3 GHz, subcarrier spacing can be 15 kHz, for example, across 5, 10, or 20 MHz bandwidths. For other outdoor and small cell coverage deployments using TDD above 3 GHz, subcarrier spacing can be 30 kHz across 80 / 100 MHz bandwidths. For other indoor broadband implementations, using TDD in the unlicensed portion of the 5 GHz band, subcarrier spacing can occur at 60 kHz over 160 MHz BW. Finally, for deployments using the mmWave component for transmission using TDD at 28 GHz, subcarrier spacing can occur at 120 kHz over 500 MHz BW.

[0034] 5G NR's scalable numerology facilitates scalable TTIs to meet diverse latency and Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. For example, shorter TTIs can be used for low latency and high reliability, while longer TTIs can be used for higher spectral efficiency. Efficient multiplexing of long and short TTIs allows transmissions to start on symbol boundaries. 5G NR also envisions a self-contained, cohesive subframe design that combines uplink / downlink scheduling information, data, and acknowledgments within the same subframe. This self-contained, cohesive subframe supports communications in unlicensed or contention-based shared spectrum, with self-adjusting uplink / downlink traffic that can be flexibly configured on a per-cell basis to dynamically switch between uplink and downlink to meet current traffic needs.

[0035] Various other aspects and features of the present invention are further described below. It should be apparent that the teachings herein can be embodied in a variety of forms, and that any specific structure, functionality, or both disclosed herein are representative and non-limiting. Based on the teachings herein, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented independently of any other aspects and that two or more of such aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, a device or method can be implemented using any number of the aspects described herein. In addition, such a device or method can be implemented using other structures, functionalities, or both that are in addition to or different from one or more of the aspects described herein. For example, a method can be implemented as part of a system, apparatus, device, and / or as instructions stored on a computer-readable medium for execution on a processor or computer. Furthermore, an aspect can include at least one element of a claim.

[0036] In wireless communication networks, DRX is a technique in which a UE can enter sleep mode for a certain period of time and awake mode for another period of time. During the awake period, the UE can monitor for and decode the PDCCH received from the serving BS. During the sleep period, the UE does not monitor for the PDCCH. Sleep mode allows the UE to power down certain radio components, or at least switch certain radio components to a lower power state than the active state. Accordingly, the use of DRX can provide power savings at the UE. Similarly, discontinuous transmission (DTX) is a technique that a BS can use to suppress transmission signals in certain situations. When using DTX to suppress transmission signals, the BS can power down certain radio components, switch certain radio components to a lower power state than the active state, or otherwise reduce the BS's power requirements. Furthermore, by suppressing transmission signals using DTX, network traffic and the potential for interference can be reduced.

[0037] This disclosure provides methods, systems, and apparatus for specifying how a user equipment (UE) should perform wakeup when a wakeup signal (WUS) is not received from a base station (BS), while maintaining the power savings benefits associated with DRX and DTX operation. In some examples, when a WUS is not received from the BS during a WUS opportunity, the UE utilizes a preset wakeup configuration. In this regard, the preset wakeup configuration may cause the UE to skip PDCCH monitoring (e.g., remain in sleep mode) during an on-duration associated with the WUS opportunity. Alternatively, the preset wakeup configuration may cause the UE to actively perform PDCCH monitoring during the on-duration associated with the WUS opportunity. The preset wakeup configuration may be dynamically and / or semi-statically configured to select whether the UE should skip or actively perform PDCCH monitoring during the on-duration associated with the WUS opportunity.

[0038] These and other aspects of the present invention can provide several benefits. For example, the amount of time a UE can spend in sleep mode as part of DRX operation (including connected-mode DRX (C-DRX)) can be increased, thereby reducing power consumption and extending battery life. In this regard, keeping the UE in a sleep state rather than unnecessarily monitoring for PDCCH signals facilitates the UE to power down or deactivate one or more components of the UE associated with receiving, decoding, and / or otherwise processing PDCCH signals. Similarly, the amount of time a BS can refrain from transmitting signals as part of DTX operation can be increased, thereby reducing BS power consumption, reducing network traffic, conserving system resources, and lowering the potential for interference. Additional features and benefits of the present invention are described below.

[0039] Figure 1 illustrates a wireless communication network 100 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Network 100 may be a 5G network. Network 100 includes several base stations (BSs) 105 (labeled 105a, 105b, 105c, 105d, 105e, and 105f) and other network entities. BSs 105 may communicate with UEs 115 and may also be referred to as evolved Node Bs (eNBs), next-generation eNBs (gNBs), access points, and so on. Each BS 105 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. In 3GPP, the term "cell" may refer to the specific geographic coverage area of ​​a BS 105 and / or the BS subsystem serving that coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used.

[0040] BS 105 can provide communication coverage for macrocells or small cells (such as picocells or femtocells), and / or other types of cells. Macrocells typically cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and can allow unrestricted access to UEs with a service subscription with a network provider. Small cells (such as picocells) typically cover a relatively small geographic area and can allow unrestricted access to UEs with a service subscription with a network provider. Small cells (such as femtocells) also typically cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a residence) and, in addition to unrestricted access, can also provide restricted access to UEs associated with the femtocell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG), UEs of users in the residence, etc.). A BS for macrocells may be referred to as a macro BS. A BS for small cells may be referred to as a small cell BS, a pico BS, a femto BS, or a home BS. In the example shown in FIG1 , BSs 105d and 105e may be conventional macro BSs, while BSs 105a-105c may be macro BSs enabled with three-dimensional (3D), full-dimensional (FD), or massive MIMO. BSs 105a-105c may leverage their higher-dimensional MIMO capabilities to utilize 3D beamforming in both elevation and azimuth beamforming to increase coverage and capacity. BS 105f may be a small cell BS, which may be a home node or a portable access point. BS 105 may support one or more (e.g., two, three, four, etc.) cells.

[0041] Network 100 can support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, each BS can have similar frame timing, and transmissions from different BSs can be roughly aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, each BS can have different frame timing, and transmissions from different BSs may not be aligned in time.

[0042] UEs 115 are dispersed throughout wireless network 100, and each UE 115 may be stationary or mobile. UE 115 may also be referred to as a terminal, mobile station, subscriber unit, station, etc. A UE 115 may be a cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, tablet, laptop, cordless phone, wireless local loop (WLL) station, etc. In one aspect, a UE 115 may be a device that includes a universal integrated circuit card (UICC). In another aspect, a UE may not include a UICC. In some aspects, a UE 115 that does not include a UICC may also be referred to as an IoT device or an Internet of Things (IoE) device. UEs 115a-115d are examples of mobile smartphone-type devices that access network 100. A UE 115 may also be a device specifically configured for connected communications, including machine-type communications (MTC), enhanced MTC (eMTC), narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), etc. UEs 115e-115k are examples of various machines configured to communicate with network 100. UE 115 may be capable of communicating with any type of BS (whether a macro BS, a small cell, etc.). In FIG1 , lightning bolts (e.g., communication links) indicate wireless transmissions between UE 115 and serving BS 105, or desired transmissions between BSs and backhaul transmissions between BSs. Serving BS 105 is a BS designated to serve UE 115 on the downlink and / or uplink.

[0043] In operation, BSs 105a-105c may use 3D beamforming and coordinated spatial techniques (such as Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP) or multi-connectivity) to serve UEs 115a and 115b. Macro BS 105d may perform backhaul communications with BSs 105a-105c, as well as small cell BS 105f. Macro BS 105d may also transmit multicast services that UEs 115c and 115d subscribe to and receive. Such multicast services may include mobile television or streaming video, or may include other services for providing cellular information, such as weather emergencies or alerts, such as AMBER Alerts or Gray Alerts.

[0044] BSs 105 may also communicate with a core network. The core network may provide user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. At least some BSs 105 (e.g., which may be instances of gNBs or access node controllers (ANCs)) may interface with the core network via backhaul links (e.g., NG-C, NG-U, etc.) and may perform radio configuration and scheduling for communications with UEs 115. In various examples, BSs 105 may communicate with each other directly or indirectly (e.g., via the core network) over backhaul links (e.g., X1, X2, etc.), which may be wired or wireless communication links.

[0045] Network 100 can also support mission-critical communications with ultra-reliable and redundant links for mission-critical devices, such as UE 115e, which can be a drone. Redundant communication links with UE 115e can include links from macro BSs 105d and 105e, as well as a link from small cell BS 105f. Other machine-type devices, such as UE 115f (e.g., a thermometer), UE 115g (e.g., a smart meter), and UE 115h (e.g., a wearable device), can communicate directly with a BS (such as small cell BS 105f and macro BS 105e) via network 100, or in a multi-hop configuration by communicating with another user device that relays its information to the network (e.g., UE 115f communicating temperature measurement information to smart meter UE 115g, which is then reported to the network via small cell BS 105f). The network 100 may also provide additional network efficiency via dynamic, low latency TDD / FDD communications, such as in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications.

[0046] In some implementations, network 100 utilizes OFDM-based waveforms for communication. OFDM-based systems can divide the system bandwidth into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, often referred to as subcarriers, tones, or bins. Each subcarrier can be modulated with data. In some examples, the subcarrier spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system bandwidth. The system bandwidth can also be divided into subbands. In other examples, the subcarrier spacing and / or the duration of a TTI can be scalable.

[0047] In one embodiment, BS 105 may assign or schedule transmission resources (e.g., in the form of time-frequency resource blocks (RBs)) for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) transmissions in network 100. DL refers to the transmission direction from BS 105 to UE 115, while UL refers to the transmission direction from UE 115 to BS 105. This communication may take the form of a radio frame. A radio frame may be divided into a plurality of subframes or time slots, e.g., approximately 10. Each time slot may be further divided into subslots. In FDD mode, simultaneous UL and DL transmissions may occur in different frequency bands. For example, each subframe may include a UL subframe in the UL frequency band and a DL subframe in the DL frequency band. In TDD mode, UL and DL transmissions occur using the same frequency band but in different time periods. For example, a subset of subframes in a radio frame (e.g., DL subframes) may be used for DL ​​transmissions, and another subset of subframes in a radio frame (e.g., UL subframes) may be used for UL transmissions.

[0048] DL and UL subframes can be further divided into several regions. For example, each DL or UL subframe may have predefined regions for the transmission of reference signals, control information, and data. Reference signals are predetermined signals that facilitate communication between BS 105 and UE 115. For example, reference signals may have a specific pilot pattern or structure, where pilot tones may span an operating bandwidth or frequency band, with each pilot tone positioned at a predefined time and frequency. For example, BS 105 may transmit a cell-specific reference signal (CRS) and / or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) to enable UE 115 to estimate the DL channel. Similarly, UE 115 may transmit a sounding reference signal (SRS) to enable BS 105 to estimate the UL channel. Control information may include resource assignments and protocol control. Data may include protocol information and / or operational information. In some embodiments, BS 105 and UE 115 may communicate using self-contained subframes. A self-contained subframe may include a portion for DL ​​communication and a portion for UL communication. A self-contained subframe may be DL-centric or UL-centric. A DL-centric subframe may include a duration for DL ​​communication that is longer than a duration for UL communication. A UL-centric subframe may include a duration for UL communication that is longer than a duration for UL communication.

[0049] In one embodiment, network 100 may be a NR network deployed in licensed spectrum. BS 105 may transmit synchronization signals (e.g., including a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS)) within network 100 to facilitate synchronization. BS 105 may broadcast system information associated with network 100 (e.g., including a master information block (MIB), residual system information (RMSI), and other system information (OSI)) to facilitate initial network access. In some examples, BS 105 may broadcast the PSS, SSS, and / or MIB in the form of a synchronization signal block (SSB) on a physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and may broadcast the RMSI and / or OSI on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0050] In one embodiment, UE 115 attempting to access network 100 may perform an initial cell search by detecting the PSS from BS 105. The PSS enables time slot synchronization and may indicate a physical layer identity value. UE 115 may then receive the SSS. The SSS enables radio frame synchronization and may provide a cell identity value, which can be combined with the physical layer identity value to identify the cell. The PSS and SSS may be located in the center portion of the carrier or at any suitable frequency within the carrier.

[0051] After receiving the PSS and SSS, UE 115 may receive the MIB. The MIB may include system information for initial network access and scheduling information for RMSI and / or OSI. After decoding the MIB, UE 115 may receive RMSI and / or OSI. RMSI and / or OSI may include radio resource control (RRC) information related to random access channel (RACH) procedures, paging, control resource sets (CORESETs) for monitoring the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), power control, and SRS.

[0052] After obtaining the MIB, RMSI, and / or OSI, UE 115 may perform a random access procedure to establish a connection with BS 105. In some examples, the random access procedure may be a four-step random access procedure. For example, UE 115 may transmit a random access preamble, and BS 105 may respond with a random access response. The random access response (RAR) may include a detected random access preamble identifier (ID) corresponding to the random access preamble, timing advance (TA) information, an UL grant, a temporary cellular radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI), and / or a backoff indicator. After receiving the random access response, UE 115 may transmit a connection request to BS 105, and BS 105 may respond with a connection response. The connection response may indicate contention resolution. In some examples, the random access preamble, RAR, connection request, and connection response may be referred to as message 1 (MSG 1), message 2 (MSG 2), message 3 (MSG 3), and message 4 (MSG 4), respectively. In some examples, the random access procedure may be a two-step random access procedure, in which UE 115 may transmit the random access preamble and connection request in a single transmission, and BS 105 may respond by transmitting the random access response and connection response in a single transmission. The combined random access preamble and connection request in the two-step random access procedure may be referred to as message A (MSG A). The combined random access response and connection response in the two-step random access procedure may be referred to as message B (MSG B).

[0053] After establishing a connection, UE 115 may initiate an initial network attach procedure with network 100. When UE 115 has no active data communication with BS 105 after network attach, UE 115 may return to an idle state (e.g., RRC idle mode). Alternatively, UE 115 and BS 105 may enter an operational state or active state, in which operational data may be exchanged (e.g., RRC connected mode). For example, BS 105 may schedule UE 105 for UL and / or DL ​​communications. BS 105 may transmit UL and / or DL ​​scheduling grants to UE 115 via the PDCCH. BS 105 may transmit DL communication signals to UE 115 via the PDSCH based on the DL scheduling grant. UE 115 may transmit UL communication signals to BS 105 via the PUSCH and / or PUCCH based on the UL scheduling grant. In some embodiments, BS 105 and UE 115 may employ hybrid automatic request (HARQ) techniques for communication to improve reliability. Additionally, UE 115 and / or BS 105 may utilize DRX (e.g., during RRC idle mode), including connected-mode DRX (C-DRX) (e.g., during RRC connected mode), and / or DTX modes of operation, as discussed in greater detail below.

[0054] In one embodiment, network 100 may operate on a system BW or component carrier (CC) BW. Network 100 may divide the system BW into multiple BWPs (e.g., multiple portions). BS 105 may dynamically assign UE 115 to operate on a BWP (e.g., a portion of the system BW). The assigned BWP may be referred to as an active BWP. UE 115 may monitor the active BWP for signaling information from BS 105. BS 105 may schedule UE 115 to conduct uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) communications in the active BWP. In some examples, BS 105 may assign a pair of BWPs within a CC to UE 115 for both uplink and downlink communications. For example, the BWP pair may include one BWP for uplink communications and one BWP for downlink communications. In some examples, the BS 105 may dynamically switch the UE 115 from one BWP to another, for example, from a wideband BWP to a narrowband BWP for power saving, or from a narrowband BWP to a wideband BWP for communication.

[0055] BS 105 may additionally configure UE 115 with one or more CORESETs within a BWP. A CORESET may include a set of frequency resources spanning several symbols in time. BS 105 may configure UE 115 with one or more search spaces for PDCCH monitoring based on the CORESETs. UE 115 may perform blind decoding in the search spaces to search for DL ​​control information from the BS. BS 105 may configure UE 115 with various CORESETs and / or search spaces for different types of PDCCH monitoring (e.g., DL / UL scheduling and / or wake-up information). In one example, BS 105 may configure UE 115 with a BWP, CORESET, and / or PDCCH search space via RRC configuration.

[0056] In one embodiment, BS 105 may establish an RRC connection with UE 115 in a primary cell (PCell) (e.g., on a primary frequency carrier) and may subsequently configure UE 115 to communicate in a secondary cell (SCell) (e.g., on a secondary frequency carrier). In one embodiment, BS 105 may trigger UE 115 to report channel information based on a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) transmitted by BS 105. In some examples, the triggering may be aperiodic, which may be referred to as aperiodic CSI-RS (A-CSI-RS) triggering.

[0057] Network 100 may operate in a shared or unlicensed frequency band (e.g., approximately 3.5 gigahertz (GHz), sub-6 GHz, or higher frequencies in the millimeter wave band). Network 100 may divide the frequency band into multiple channels, for example, each channel occupying approximately 20 megahertz (MHz). BS 105 and UE 115 may be operated by multiple network operating entities that share resources in the shared communication medium and may obtain a channel occupancy time (COT) in the shared medium for communication. The COT may be non-continuous in time and may refer to the amount of time a wireless node can transmit a frame if it wins contention for the wireless medium. Each COT may include multiple transmission slots. A COT may also be referred to as a transmission opportunity (TXOP).

[0058] FIG2 illustrates a scheduling / transmission configuration 200 for a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present invention. As illustrated, FIG2 illustrates a UE operating in a DRX mode and / or a C-DRX mode according to the present invention. The DRX mode and / or the C-DRX mode may have a duty cycle with active / on periods or inactive / sleep periods. At 210, the UE is in a sleep state. During a wake-up signal (WUS) opportunity 220, a WUS 222 is transmitted by the base station. The UE may monitor for the WUS 222 during the WUS opportunity 220. A search space set defining WUS monitoring opportunities (including the WUS opportunity 220) may be configured. The search space set may be dedicated as a wake-up search space set. In some examples, the wake-up search space set is dedicated to a specific UE group (e.g., based on BWP, carrier, geographic location, priority, service, subscription, etc.). In other examples, the wake-up search space is shared across multiple UE groups. In some examples, the UE monitors for the WUS based on a WUS configuration received from the network and / or base station. In this regard, the WUS configuration may indicate to the UE the resources (eg, search space, including time and frequency resources, periodicity, channel, BWP, frequency carrier, etc.) associated with the WUS timing, WUS format, etc.

[0059] WUS opportunity 220 is followed by offset 230, during which the UE can return to a sleep state. Offset 230 separates WUS opportunity 220 from on duration 240. On duration 240 is associated with WUS opportunity 220. In the illustrated example, a single on duration 240 is shown. However, it should be understood that multiple on durations (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, etc.) can be associated with the WUS opportunity. During on duration 240, the UE is active and can monitor the PDCCH or other signals from the BS and / or transmit uplink data to the BS, as indicated by UL / DL communication block 242. In this regard, in some examples, the UE performs PDCCH monitoring during on duration 240 based on information received in WUS 222. For example, the WUS 222 may instruct the UE to perform one or more of aperiodic channel state reference signal (A-CSI-RS) triggering, PDCCH monitoring reduction, bandwidth part (BWP) switching, or secondary cell (Scell) wake-up.

[0060] 2 , this same process repeats with the UE in sleep state 250, followed by another WUS opportunity 260 in which a WUS 262 is transmitted. An offset 270 separates the WUS opportunity 260 from the associated on duration 280 in which DL / UL communication 282 occurs.

[0061] FIG3 illustrates a message structure 300 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, message structure 300 may be used with WUS 222 or 262 of FIG2 . In this regard, message structure 300 is adapted to provide wakeup downlink control information (DCI) to a UE or a group of UEs. In this regard, the wakeup DCI may be provided on a per-UE basis or a per-UE group basis. In some examples, UEs are categorized based on bandwidth, carrier, geographic location, priority, service, subscription, and / or other factors. In some examples, the wakeup DCI is sent along with a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled with an identifier associated with the UE (e.g., C-RNTI) or UE group (e.g., Power Saving Radio Network Temporary Identifier (PS-RNTI)). In this regard, UEs in the same group may be configured with a common identifier (e.g., PS-RNTI) and use the same search space set for the wakeup DCI.

[0062] As shown in Figure 3, message structure 300 includes an awake indicator and awake field information for each UE or UE group. More specifically, in the illustrated example, the message structure is shown as having awake indicator 310 and awake field information 312 for UE1, awake indicator 320 and awake field information 322 for UE2, and awake indicator 330 and awake field information 332 for UE3. In this regard, awake indicators 310, 320, 330 may indicate to the associated UE or UE group whether to remain in a sleep state or enter an active state during one or more on-durations associated with a WUS opportunity for transmitting a wake-up DCI. For example, a value of 1 in the awake indicator field may indicate that the UE should awaken and monitor during the next on-duration, while a value of 0 in the awake indicator field may indicate that the UE should skip the next on-duration and remain in a sleep state. The wake-up field information 312, 322, and 332 may indicate to an associated UE or UE group details on how the UE should perform PDCCH monitoring during the associated on-duration(s) if the UE were to enter an active state (e.g., when the wake-up indicator is 1). For example, the wake-up field information 312, 322, and 332 may instruct the UE to perform one or more of aperiodic channel state reference signal (A-CSI-RS) triggering, PDCCH monitoring reduction, bandwidth part (BWP) switching, or secondary cell (Scell) wake-up. Additionally, the wake-up field information 312, 322, and 332 may include PDCCH monitoring parameters, such as PDCCH monitoring duration, PDCCH monitoring periodicity, and the number of PDCCH blind decoding candidates for PDCCH monitoring during the wake-up on-duration associated with the corresponding WUS. Although the message structure 330 shown in FIG3 interleaves the wakeup indicators 310, 320, 330 with the wakeup information fields 312, 322, 332 into pairs based on the UE (or UE group), it should be understood that any suitable message structure or arrangement may be utilized, including placing all wakeup indicators 310, 320, 330 before all wakeup information fields 312, 322, 332, placing all wakeup information fields 312, 322, 332 before all wakeup indicators 310, 320, 330, interleaving the wakeup indicators 310, 320, 330 with the wakeup information fields 312, 322, 332 with the wakeup information fields leading the wakeup indicators 310, 320, 330, and the like.

[0063] Each of the wake indicators 310, 320, 330 and the wake information fields 312, 322, 332 can have any suitable bit length. In some examples, each of the wake indicators 310, 320, 330 can have a bit length of 1. When network traffic is light or sparse, the wake indicators 310, 320, 330 can have a bit value of 0 most of the time. Conversely, when network traffic is heavy or dense, the wake indicators 310, 320, 330 can have a bit value of 1 most of the time.

[0064] FIG4 is a block diagram of an exemplary UE 400 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. UE 400 may be UE 115, as discussed above in FIG1 . As shown, UE 400 may include a processor 402, a memory 404, a WUS processing and control module 408, a transceiver 410 including a modem subsystem 412 and a radio frequency (RF) unit 414, and one or more antennas 416. These components may communicate with each other directly or indirectly, for example, via one or more buses.

[0065] The processor 402 may include a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a controller, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device, another hardware device, a firmware device, or any combination thereof, configured to perform the operations described herein. The processor 402 may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0066] Memory 404 may include cache memory (e.g., cache memory of processor 402), random access memory (RAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory devices, hard drives, other forms of volatile and non-volatile memory, or a combination of different types of memory. In one embodiment, memory 404 includes non-transitory computer-readable media. Memory 404 may store or have recorded thereon instructions 406. Instructions 406 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 402, cause processor 402 to perform the operations described herein in conjunction with the various aspects of the present disclosure (e.g., the aspects of Figures 2, 3, and Figures 6-12), as well as with reference to UE 115. Instructions 406 may also be referred to as program code. Program code can be used to cause the wireless communication device (or specific components of the wireless communication device) to perform the operations, for example, by causing one or more processors (such as processor 402) to control or command the wireless communication device (or specific components of the wireless communication device) to perform the operations. The terms "instructions" and "code" should be interpreted broadly to include any type of computer-readable statement(s). For example, the terms "instructions" and "code" may refer to one or more programs, routines, subroutines, functions, procedures, etc. "Instructions" and "code" may include a single computer-readable statement or multiple computer-readable statements.

[0067] The WUS processing and control module 408 can be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the WUS processing and control module 408 can be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 406 stored in the memory 404 and executed by the processor 402. In some examples, the WUS processing and control module 408 can be integrated within the modem subsystem 412. For example, the WUS processing and control module 408 can be implemented by a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuitry) within the modem subsystem 412.

[0068] The WUS processing and control module 408 can be used in various aspects of the present invention, such as the aspects of Figures 2, 3, and 6-12. The WUS processing and control module 408 is configured to: communicate with other components of the UE 400 to receive a preset wakeup configuration associated with discontinuous reception (DRX) operation (e.g., for idle mode or connected mode); monitor for a WUS from the base station during a wakeup signal (WUS) opportunity; determine whether a WUS is received from the base station during a WUS opportunity; perform PDCCH monitoring; receive a WUS (including a WUS configuration) during a WUS opportunity; operate using one or more wakeup configurations; start a timer; determine whether a timer has expired; cancel a timer; determine whether a condition has occurred or is satisfied; and / or perform other functionality related to the UE wakeup procedure described in the present invention.

[0069] As shown, transceiver 410 may include a modem subsystem 412 and an RF unit 414. Transceiver 410 may be configured to communicate bidirectionally with other devices, such as BS 105. Modem subsystem 412 may be configured to modulate and / or encode data from memory 404 and / or WUS processing and control module 408 according to a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) (e.g., a low-density parity check (LDPC) coding scheme, a turbo coding scheme, a convolutional coding scheme, a digital beamforming scheme, etc.). RF unit 414 may be configured to process (e.g., perform analog-to-digital conversion or digital-to-analog conversion, etc.) modulated / encoded data (e.g., UL control information, UL data) transmitted from modem subsystem 412 (for out-of-band transmission) or originating from another source, such as UE 115 or BS 105. RF unit 414 may further be configured to perform analog beamforming in conjunction with digital beamforming. Although illustrated as being integrated together in the transceiver 410, the modem subsystem 412 and the RF unit 414 may be separate devices that are coupled together at the UE 115 to enable the UE 115 to communicate with other devices.

[0070] The RF unit 414 may provide modulated and / or processed data (e.g., data packets or, more generally, data messages that may include one or more data packets and other information) to the antenna 416 for transmission to one or more other devices. The antenna 416 may further receive data messages transmitted from other devices. The antenna 416 may provide the received data messages for processing and / or demodulation at the transceiver 410. The transceiver 410 may provide the demodulated and decoded data (e.g., preset wake-up configuration, WUS, PDCCH signals, radio resource control (RRC) signals, media access control (MAC) control element (CE) signals, DL / UL scheduling grants, DL data, etc.) to the WUS processing and control module 408 for processing. The antenna 416 may include multiple antennas of similar or different designs to maintain multiple transmission links. The RF unit 414 may configure the antenna 416. The RF unit 414 and / or the transceiver 410 may include components and / or circuitry that can be dynamically powered on and / or powered off for power conservation. Additionally or alternatively, the RF unit 414 and / or the transceiver 410 may include components and / or circuitry with multiple power states that can be configured to transition from one power state (e.g., a higher power state) to another power state (e.g., a lower power state) for power conservation.

[0071] In one embodiment, the UE 400 may include multiple transceivers 410 that implement different RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In one embodiment, the UE 400 may include a single transceiver 410 that implements multiple RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In one embodiment, the transceiver 410 may include various elements, where different combinations of the elements may implement different RATs.

[0072] FIG5 is a block diagram of an exemplary BS 500 according to various aspects of the present disclosure. BS 500 may be BS 105, as discussed above in FIG1 . As shown, BS 500 may include a processor 502, a memory 504, a WUS processing and control module 508, a transceiver 510 including a modem subsystem 512 and an RF unit 514, and one or more antennas 516. These components may communicate with each other directly or indirectly, for example, via one or more buses.

[0073] Processor 502 may have various features as a specialized type of processor. For example, such features may include a CPU, a DSP, an ASIC, a controller, an FPGA device, another hardware device, a firmware device, or any combination thereof, configured to perform the operations described herein. Processor 502 may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0074] Memory 504 may include cache memory (e.g., cache memory of processor 502), RAM, MRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, solid-state memory devices, one or more hard drives, a memristor-based array, other forms of volatile and non-volatile memory, or a combination of different types of memory. In some examples, memory 504 may include non-transitory computer-readable media. Memory 504 may store instructions 506. Instructions 506 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 502, cause processor 502 to perform the operations described herein (e.g., the various aspects of Figures 2, 3, 6-11, and 13). Instructions 506, which may also be referred to as code, may be broadly construed to include any type of computer-readable statement(s), as discussed above with reference to Figure 4.

[0075] The WUS processing and control module 508 can be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the WUS processing and control module 508 can be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 506 stored in the memory 504 and executed by the processor 502. In some examples, the WUS processing and control module 508 can be integrated into the modem subsystem 512. For example, the WUS processing and control module 508 can be implemented by a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuitry) within the modem subsystem 512.

[0076] The WUS processing and control module 508 can be used in various aspects of the present disclosure, such as the aspects of Figures 2, 3, 6-11, and 13. The WUS processing and control module 508 can be configured to: transmit a predetermined wake-up configuration associated with discontinuous reception (DRX) operation; determine whether to transmit a WUS during a WUS opportunity based on traffic load; transmit a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal during a duration associated with a WUS opportunity; transmit a WUS during a WUS opportunity; and / or perform other BS functionality related to the wake-up procedure described herein.

[0077] As shown, transceiver 510 may include a modem subsystem 512 and an RF unit 514. Transceiver 510 may be configured to communicate bidirectionally with other devices (such as UE 115 and / or 400 and / or another core network element). Modem subsystem 512 may be configured to modulate and / or encode data according to an MCS (e.g., an LDPC coding scheme, a turbo coding scheme, a convolutional coding scheme, a digital beamforming scheme, etc.). RF unit 514 may be configured to process (e.g., perform analog-to-digital conversion or digital-to-analog conversion, etc.) modulated / encoded data transmitted from modem subsystem 512 (on an out-of-band transmission) or originating from another source (such as UE 115 or 400) (e.g., a preset wake-up configuration, a WUS, a PDCCH signal, an RRC signal, a MAC CE signal, etc.). RF unit 514 may be further configured to perform analog beamforming in conjunction with digital beamforming. Although shown as being integrated together in transceiver 510, modem subsystem 512 and / or RF unit 514 may be separate devices that are coupled together at BS 105 to enable BS 105 to communicate with other devices.

[0078] RF unit 514 may provide modulated and / or processed data (e.g., data packets (or, more generally, data messages that may include one or more data packets and other information)) to antenna 516 for transmission to one or more other devices. According to various aspects of the present invention, this may include, for example, transmitting information to UE 115 or 400. Antenna 516 may further receive data messages transmitted from other devices and provide the received data messages for processing and / or demodulation at transceiver 510. Transceiver 510 may provide demodulated and decoded data (e.g., RACH messages, ACK / NACK for WUS, ACK / NACK for PDCCH signals, UL data, ACK / NACK for DL ​​data, etc.) to WUS processing and control module 508 for processing. Antenna 516 may include multiple antennas of similar or different designs to maintain multiple transmission links.

[0079] In one embodiment, BS 500 may include multiple transceivers 510 that implement different RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In one embodiment, BS 500 may include a single transceiver 510 that implements multiple RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In one embodiment, transceiver 510 may include various elements, where different combinations of the elements may implement different RATs.

[0080] FIG6 illustrates a scheduling / transmission configuration 600 for a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present invention. As shown, scheduling / transmission configuration 600 is similar in some aspects to scheduling / transmission configuration 200 described above with reference to FIG2 . However, scheduling / transmission configuration 600 of FIG6 also illustrates a BS operating in DTX mode and a UE operating in DRX / C-DRX mode according to the present invention.

[0081] At 610, the UE is in a sleep state. During a WUS opportunity 620, a WUS 622 is transmitted by the base station. The UE may monitor for WUS 622 during WUS opportunity 620 (e.g., using a wake-up search space set). WUS opportunity 620 is followed by an offset 630, during which the UE may return to a sleep state. Offset 630 separates WUS opportunity 620 from an associated on duration 640. During on duration 640, the UE is active and may monitor the PDCCH or other signals from the base station and / or transmit uplink data to the base station, as indicated by an UL / DL communication block 642. In this regard, in some examples, the UE performs PDCCH monitoring during on duration 640 based on information received in WUS 622. For example, the WUS 622 may instruct the UE to perform one or more of aperiodic channel state reference signal (A-CSI-RS) triggering, PDCCH monitoring reduction, bandwidth part (BWP) switching, or secondary cell (Scell) wakeup. Additionally, the WUS 622 may include PDCCH monitoring parameters such as PDCCH monitoring duration, PDCCH monitoring periodicity, and the number of PDCCH blind decoding candidates for PDCCH monitoring during the on duration 640.

[0082] Scheduling / transmission configuration 600 continues with the UE in sleep state 650, followed by another WUS opportunity 660. However, during WUS opportunity 660, the BS does not transmit a WUS. Instead, as part of operating in DTX mode, the BS refrains from transmitting a WUS. In some examples, the BS refrains from transmitting a WUS during WUS opportunity 660 based on traffic load (e.g., heavy traffic load or sparse traffic load). An offset 670 separates WUS opportunity 660 from an associated on-duration 680 during which DL / UL communication 682 occurs. During on-duration 680, the UE can be in an active state or a sleep state. In some examples, a preset wake-up configuration specifies whether the UE is in an active state or a sleep state during on-duration 680. The UE can receive the preset wake-up configuration from the BS (e.g., via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, PDCCH signaling, media access control (MAC) control element (CE) signaling, L1 / L2 signaling, or other signaling). In this regard, the preset wake-up configuration may be static, semi-static, and / or dynamically configured. In some examples, as part of DTX operation, the preset wake-up configuration controls how the UE performs PDCCH monitoring during one or more DRX on durations after the BS does not transmit a WUS during a WUS opportunity.

[0083] FIG7A illustrates a scheduling / transmission configuration 700 for a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure. FIG7A illustrates a scheduling / transmission configuration 700 similar to those in FIG2 and FIG6 , but illustrates an example in which a UE performs active PDCCH monitoring during one or more DRX On durations after the BS does not transmit a WUS during a WUS opportunity (e.g., as part of a DTX operation). In this regard, items 710, 720, 722, 730, 740, 742, 750, 760, 770, 780, and 782 of scheduling / transmission configuration 700 correspond to items 610, 620, 622, 630, 640, 642, 650, 660, 670, 680, and 682 of scheduling / transmission configuration 600 in FIG6 , respectively. Accordingly, for the sake of brevity, such descriptions are not repeated herein. Please refer to the description of similar and / or corresponding items of scheduling / transmission configuration 200 of FIG. 2 and / or scheduling / transmission configuration 600 of FIG. 6 for additional details.

[0084] As shown in FIG7A , the UE performs WUS monitoring 724 during WUS opportunity 720. As discussed above, the UE may perform WUS monitoring 724 based on a WUS configuration received from the network and / or the BS. In this regard, the WUS configuration may indicate to the UE the resources (e.g., search space, including time and frequency resources, periodicity, channel, BWP, frequency carrier, etc.) associated with WUS opportunity 720, WUS format information (e.g., message structure), and the like. Based on WUS monitoring 724, the UE will receive WUS 722. During the on duration 740, the UE is active and may monitor the PDCCH or other signals from the BS and / or transmit uplink data to the BS, as indicated by the UL / DL communication block 742. In this regard, in the example illustrated in FIG7A , the UE performs PDCCH monitoring 744 during the on duration 740. The UE may perform PDCCH monitoring 744 based on the information received in WUS 722. For example, the WUS 722 may instruct the UE to perform one or more of aperiodic channel state reference signal (A-CSI-RS) triggering, PDCCH monitoring reduction, bandwidth part (BWP) switching, or secondary cell (Scell) wakeup. Additionally, the WUS 722 may include PDCCH monitoring parameters such as PDCCH monitoring duration, PDCCH monitoring periodicity, and the number of PDCCH blind decoding candidates for PDCCH monitoring during the on duration 740.

[0085] As also shown in FIG7A , the UE performs WUS monitoring 764 during WUS opportunity 760. This scenario can be similar to WUS monitoring 724 during WUS opportunity 720. However, as shown, during WUS 760, the BS does not transmit a WUS and / or the UE does not detect / receive a WUS. In some examples, the BS does not transmit a WUS during WUS opportunity 760 as part of a DTX operation. More specifically, in some examples, the BS does not transmit a WUS during WUS opportunity 760 based on traffic load (e.g., heavy traffic load or sparse traffic load). Despite not receiving a WUS during WUS opportunity 760, the UE is active during on duration 780 and can monitor the PDCCH or other signals from the BS and / or transmit UL data to the BS, as indicated by UL / DL communication block 782. In this regard, in the example shown in FIG7A , the UE performs PDCCH monitoring 784 during on duration 780 associated with WUS opportunity 760. The UE may actively perform PDCCH monitoring 784 based on a preset wakeup configuration received from the BS (e.g., via RRC signaling, PDCCH signaling, Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) signaling, L1 / L2 signaling, or other signaling). For example, when the UE does not receive and / or detect a WUS from the BS during a WUS opportunity 760, the preset wakeup configuration may instruct the UE to perform one or more of aperiodic channel state reference signal (A-CSI-RS) triggering, PDCCH monitoring reduction, bandwidth part (BWP) switching, or secondary cell (Scell) wakeup during one or more on durations associated with the WUS opportunity 760.

[0086] FIG7B illustrates a scheduling / transmission configuration 790 for a wireless communication method according to some aspects of the present disclosure. FIG7B illustrates a scheduling / transmission configuration 790 similar to those in FIG2 , FIG6 , and FIG7A , but illustrates an example in which a UE skips PDCCH monitoring (by remaining in a sleep state) during one or more DRX on-durations after the BS does not transmit a WUS during a WUS opportunity (e.g., as part of a DTX operation). More specifically, in the example illustrated in FIG7B , the UE does not perform PDCCH monitoring during on-duration 780 and instead remains in a sleep state 786 during on-duration 780 associated with a WUS opportunity 760. The UE may remain in the sleep state 786 based on a predetermined wakeup configuration received from the BS (e.g., via RRC signaling, PDCCH signaling, media access control (MAC) control element (CE) signaling, or other signaling). For example, when the UE does not receive and / or detect a WUS from the BS during a WUS opportunity 760, the preset wake-up configuration may instruct the UE to skip PDCCH monitoring and / or otherwise utilize a sleep state in one or more on durations associated with the WUS opportunity 760.

[0087] FIG8A illustrates a protocol diagram of a wireless communication method 800 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. More specifically, FIG8A illustrates a method 800 corresponding to the schedule / transmission configuration 700 of FIG7A or a similar schedule / transmission configuration, illustrating an example in which a UE performs active PDCCH monitoring during one or more DRX On durations following a BS not transmitting a WUS during a WUS opportunity (e.g., as part of a DTX operation).

[0088] As shown, the method 800 includes the following steps: the BS transmits a preset wake-up configuration 810 to the UE in the active state. The preset wake-up configuration 810 can be transmitted to the UE in the active state via RRC, PDCCH, MAC CE, L1 / L2 signaling, or other suitable signaling.

[0089] The method 800 also includes the following steps: the BS transmits a WUS 820 to the UE (or group of UEs). In this regard, the UE performs WUS monitoring on the WUS 820 following the sleep state. In some examples, the UE performs WUS monitoring according to the WUS configuration.

[0090] Method 800 also includes the following steps: the base station transmits a PDCCH signaling 830. Following the offset period, the UE performs PDCCH monitoring. In some examples, the UE performs PDCCH monitoring on PDCCH signaling 830 based on information in WUS 820. In this regard, WUS 820 may indicate that the UE is to perform active PDCCH monitoring during the on-duration during which PDCCH signaling 830 is transmitted.

[0091] The method 800 also includes the step of the BS refraining from transmitting a WUS during the WUS opportunity, for example, to conserve system resources, as indicated by 840. In this regard, the method 800 includes the step of the UE determining, based on its WUS monitoring, that no WUS was received from the BS during the WUS opportunity.

[0092] Method 800 also includes the following steps: the base station transmits a PDCCH signaling 850. Following the offset period, the UE performs PDCCH monitoring. In some examples, the UE performs PDCCH monitoring based on a preset wakeup configuration 810 received from the base station to search for PDCCH signaling 850. In this regard, the preset wakeup configuration 810 may instruct the UE to perform active PDCCH monitoring during the on-duration during which the PDCCH signaling 850 is transmitted, as shown in FIG8A.

[0093] FIG8B illustrates a protocol diagram of a wireless communication method 860 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. More specifically, FIG8B illustrates method 860, corresponding to schedule / transmission configuration 790 of FIG7B or a similar schedule / transmission configuration, illustrating an example in which a UE skips PDCCH monitoring (by remaining in a dormant state) during one or more DRX-on durations following the BS's failure to transmit a WUS during a WUS opportunity (e.g., as part of a DTX operation). In this regard, method 860 is similar in many aspects to method 800, including steps 810, 820, 830, and 840. However, in method 860, the BS refrains from transmitting PDCCH signaling to the UE (or group of UEs), as indicated by 870. That is, after the BS refrains from transmitting a WUS during the WUS opportunity, it does not transmit PDCCH signaling for the UE (or group of UEs). In some examples, the UE also skips PDCCH monitoring based on a pre-determined wakeup configuration 810 received from the BS. In this regard, as shown in FIG. 8B , the preset wake-up configuration 810 may instruct the UE to skip PDCCH monitoring during an on-duration corresponding to a WUS opportunity in which the BS refrains from transmitting a WUS.

[0094] FIG9 illustrates a protocol diagram of a wireless communication method 900 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. More specifically, FIG9 illustrates an example method 900 in which a UE operates using two different wake-up configurations according to the present disclosure.

[0095] As shown, the method 900 includes the following steps: the BS transmits a preset wake-up configuration 910 to the UE in the awake state or active state. The preset wake-up configuration 910 can be transmitted to the UE in the active state via RRC, PDCCH, MAC CE or other suitable signaling.

[0096] Method 900 also includes the step of the BS refraining from transmitting a WUS to the UE (or group of UEs) during a WUS opportunity, as indicated at 920. The UE performs WUS monitoring and determines (as part of method 900) that a WUS was not received from the BS during the WUS opportunity. In this regard, the UE performs WUS monitoring subsequent to a sleep state. In some examples, the UE performs WUS monitoring based on a WUS configuration.

[0097] Method 900 also includes the following steps: the base station transmits a PDCCH signaling 930. After the offset period, the UE performs PDCCH monitoring according to a first wake-up configuration (e.g., PDCCH monitoring mode 1 in FIG. 9 ). In some examples, the UE performs PDCCH monitoring for PDCCH signaling 930 based on a preset wake-up configuration 910 received from the base station. In this regard, the preset wake-up configuration 910 may indicate that the UE is to operate using the first wake-up configuration (e.g., PDCCH monitoring mode 1) for a certain amount of time, until a timer expires and / or until another change condition is satisfied (e.g., a threshold number (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) of DRX duty cycles and / or WUS opportunities occur, or UL or DL ​​communication is activated), and then operate in a second, different wake-up configuration (e.g., PDCCH monitoring mode 2 in FIG. 9 ). In some examples, the first wake-up configuration (e.g., PDCCH monitoring mode 1) is a preset or shifted wake-up configuration such that the UE operates in the first wake-up configuration unless and until a certain condition is satisfied (e.g., a certain amount of time has passed, a timer has expired, a threshold number of WUS opportunities have passed, UL communication is activated, DL communication is activated, etc.), at which point the UE switches to the second wake-up configuration (e.g., PDCCH monitoring mode 2). In other examples, the second wake-up configuration (e.g., PDCCH monitoring mode 2) is a preset or shifted wake-up configuration such that the UE operates in the first wake-up configuration until a certain condition is satisfied (e.g., a certain amount of time has passed, a timer has expired, a threshold number of WUS opportunities have passed, UL communication is activated, DL communication is activated, etc.), at which point the UE shifts back to the preset second wake-up configuration.

[0098] In the illustrated embodiment of Figure 9 , the first wake-up configuration (PDCCH monitoring mode 1) is shown to end at the end of the UE's sleep state and the beginning of a WUS opportunity during which the UE will perform WUS monitoring. However, it should be understood that the first wake-up configuration (PDCCH monitoring mode 1) can end at any time and another wake-up configuration can begin based on a timer, condition, or other parameter. Furthermore, while Figure 9 illustrates the UE operating in two different wake-up configurations, it should be understood that the UE can operate in any number of different wake-up configurations. In this regard, in some examples, the UE may store two or more wake-up configurations in memory, and the base station may provide an indication of which of the stored wake-up configurations the UE is to use (and for what period of time). Furthermore, the base station may periodically provide updated wake-up configurations to the UE for local storage. In this manner, both the available wake-up configurations and the actual wake-up configuration being implemented by the UE can be updated semi-statically and / or dynamically over time.

[0099] FIG10 illustrates a protocol diagram of a wireless communication method 1000 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. More specifically, FIG10 illustrates method 1000, which is similar to method 800 of FIG8A and corresponds to schedule / transmission configuration 700 of FIG7A or a similar schedule / transmission configuration, but illustrates an example in which a UE receives a preset wake-up configuration from a base station as part of a WUS. As illustrated, at step 1020, method 1000 includes the following steps: the base station transmits a WUS including the preset wake-up configuration to a UE (or group of UEs). The WUS with the preset wake-up configuration may be transmitted via a PDCCH or other suitable signaling. The remaining steps of method 1000 (e.g., steps 1030, 1040, and 1050) are similar to steps 830, 840, and 850 of method 800 and the associated UE actions shown in FIG8A. However, in other examples, the remaining steps of method 1000 (e.g., 1030, 1040, and 1050) are similar to steps 830, 840, and 870 of method 860 and the associated UE actions shown in Figure 8B.

[0100] In some examples, the UE receives a preset wake-up configuration or an indication of which preset wake-up configuration to utilize in a manner other than from the BS. For example, in some examples, the preset wake-up configuration may be mandated by specification (i.e., without signaling). Additionally, the UE may be pre-programmed (e.g., in memory 404) with one or more preset wake-up configurations. In some implementations, the UE utilizes the pre-programmed preset wake-up configuration(s) based on one or more operating conditions (e.g., connection state, BWP, carrier, geographic location, priority, service, subscription, etc.). In this regard, each of the pre-programmed preset wake-up configuration(s) may be associated with one or more operating conditions, and the UE selects the appropriate preset wake-up configuration based on the current operating conditions. In some examples, the UE may receive an indication from the BS regarding which of the pre-programmed preset wake-up configurations to utilize. Furthermore, in some examples, the UE may receive a preset wake-up configuration from another UE (e.g., via peer-to-peer communication). For example, the UE may receive a preset wake-up configuration (e.g., based on BWP, carrier, geographic location, priority, service, subscription, etc.) from another UE in a shared group. In yet other examples, the UE may receive a preset wake-up configuration from one or more other network devices.

[0101] FIG11 illustrates a protocol diagram of a wireless communication method 1100 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. More specifically, FIG11 illustrates the method 1100 illustrating communication between a base station and multiple UEs as part of a DRX / DTX wake-up procedure according to the present disclosure.

[0102] As shown, method 1100 includes the following steps: a base station transmits one or more preset wake-up configurations 1110 to multiple UEs (i.e., UE1, UE2, and UE3 in FIG. 11 ). Upon receiving the preset wake-up configuration(s) 1100, the UE may be in an awake state or an active state. The preset wake-up configuration(s) 1110 may be transmitted to the active UE via RRC, PDCCH, MAC CE, or other suitable signaling. In some examples, the preset wake-up configuration(s) 1110 are communicated to the UE as part of a WUS (e.g., see FIG. 10 ). The UEs may receive the same or different wake-up configurations 1110. For example, in some implementations, UEs are categorized based on BWP, carrier, geographic location, priority, service, subscription, and / or other factors. UEs in a shared group may receive the same wake-up configuration 1110. In other examples, the wake-up configuration 1110 may be UE-specific. In this regard, UEs within a shared group may receive different preset wake-up configurations 1110 (e.g., based on the UE's traffic load).

[0103] Method 1100 also includes the step of the BS transmitting WUS(s) 1120 to the UE. In this regard, the UEs in the shared group may be configured to receive the same WUS 1120 and / or a portion thereof (e.g., see message format 300). For example, in the example illustrated in FIG11 , classification 1122 indicates that the same WUS (or portion) is to be sent to UE1 and UE2. In this regard, UE1 and UE2 may be part of the shared group (e.g., based on BWP, carrier, geographic location, priority, service, subscription, and / or other factors) or otherwise configured to receive the same WUS (or portion) from the BS. In other examples, different WUS(s) or (portions) are sent to each UE. In some examples, the UE monitors for WUS 1120 based on the WUS configuration. The WUS configuration may be common to the UE group and / or specific to each UE.

[0104] Method 1100 also includes the following steps: the BS transmits a PDCCH signaling 1130 to the UE. The UE may perform PDCCH monitoring based on the information in the WUS(s) 1120 to look for the PDCCH signaling 1130. In this regard, the WUS(s) 1120 may instruct the UE to perform active PDCCH monitoring during the DRX-on duration during which the PDCCH signaling 1130 is transmitted.

[0105] The method 1100 also includes the step of the BS refraining from transmitting a WUS during the WUS opportunity, for example, to conserve system resources, as indicated at 1140. In this regard, the method 1100 may include the step of the UE determining, based on WUS monitoring, that no WUS was received from the BS during the WUS opportunity.

[0106] Method 1100 also includes the following steps: the base station transmits a PDCCH signaling 1150. In some examples, the UE performs PDCCH monitoring based on the preset wakeup configuration(s) 1110 received from the base station to search for the PDCCH signaling 1150. In this regard, the preset wakeup configuration(s) 1110 may instruct the UE to perform active PDCCH monitoring during the DRX-on duration in which the PDCCH signaling 1150 is transmitted. Alternatively, the preset wakeup configuration(s) 1110 may instruct the UE to remain in a sleep state during the DRX-on duration in which the PDCCH signaling 1150 is transmitted. For example, FIG. 11 illustrates two UEs performing active PDCCH monitoring (i.e., UE1 performing active PDCCH monitoring 1152 and UE2 performing active PDCCH monitoring 1154), while another UE remains in a sleep state (i.e., UE3 remains in a sleep state 1156). In this regard, UEs in a shared group (e.g., UE1 and UE2 in FIG. 11 ) can be configured with the same preset wake-up configuration, such that when no WUS signal is received from the BS during a wake-up opportunity, the UEs in the shared group perform PDCCH monitoring in the same manner. Although FIG. 9 illustrates an example with three UEs, it should be understood that the concepts of this embodiment are applicable to any number of UEs (e.g., 5, 10, 15, 20, 50, 100, or more).

[0107] FIG12 is a flow chart of a communication method 1200 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Various aspects of method 1200 can be performed by a wireless communication device (such as UE 115 and / or UE 400) using one or more components (such as processor 402, memory 404, WUS processing and control module 408, transceiver 410, modem 412, one or more antennas 416, and various combinations thereof). As illustrated, method 1200 includes several enumerated steps, but method 1200 may include additional steps before, after, and between the enumerated steps. For example, in some examples, one or more aspects of methods 800, 860, 900, 1000, and / or 1100, schedule / transmission configurations 200, 600, 700, and / or 790, and / or message structure 300 may be implemented as part of method 1200. In some examples, one or more of the enumerated steps may be omitted or performed in a different order.

[0108] At step 1210, method 1200 includes the step of receiving, by a user equipment (UE) from a base station (BS), a predetermined wake-up configuration associated with discontinuous reception (DRX) operation. In some examples, step 1210 includes receiving, by the UE, the predetermined wake-up configuration from the BS via at least one of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, PDCCH signaling, or media access control (MAC) control element (CE) signaling. In some examples, the predetermined wake-up configuration includes an indication that the UE is to perform one or more of aperiodic channel state reference signal (A-CSI-RS) triggering, reduced PDCCH monitoring, bandwidth part (BWP) switching, or secondary cell (Scell) wake-up.

[0109] In some examples, the received preset wake-up configuration includes an indication that the UE is to operate in a first wake-up configuration or in a second, different wake-up configuration. In some examples, method 1200 includes operating, by the UE, using the first wake-up configuration for a first period of time, and operating, by the UE, using the second wake-up configuration for a second period of time. In this regard, the UE may operate in the first and / or second periods of time based on one or more timers. For example, the preset wake-up configuration may cause the UE to operate in the first wake-up configuration until a timer expires or other change conditions are met (e.g., a threshold number (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) of DRX duty cycles and / or WUS opportunities occur, UL or DL ​​communication is activated, etc.), and then operate in the second, different wake-up configuration. The preset wake-up configuration may also cause the UE to operate in a temporary wake-up configuration and then revert to the preset configuration after a certain amount of time or after a certain condition is met. Over time, the BS and / or UE may implement any number of different wake-up configurations. In this regard, in some examples, the UE may store two or more wake-up configurations in a memory (e.g., memory 404). The BS may provide an indication to the UE regarding which of the wake-up configuration(s) to implement, including for how long (e.g., based on a timer and / or condition). In some examples, the indication to the UE regarding which of the wake-up configuration(s) to implement and for what duration is included as part of the pre-set wake-up configuration received at step 1210.

[0110] At step 1220, method 1200 includes the following steps: monitoring, by the UE, during a wake-up signal (WUS) opportunity for a WUS from the base station (BS). The UE may monitor for the WUS based on a WUS configuration received from the BS. In this regard, method 1200 may include the following steps: receiving the WUS configuration from the BS. The WUS configuration for the UE or the associated UE group to which the UE belongs may be configured by the BS fixedly, semi-statically, and / or dynamically. In some examples, the UE receives the WUS configuration as part of a WUS transmitted during the WUS opportunity. The WUS configuration may indicate to the UE resources associated with the WUS opportunity, the WUS format, and the like (e.g., search space, including time and frequency, periodicity, channel, BWP, frequency carrier, etc.). The UE may utilize information from the WUS configuration to monitor for, receive, and / or decode the WUS.

[0111] At step 1230, method 1200 includes the following steps: the UE determines whether a WUS has been received from the BS during the WUS opportunity. The UE may use information from the WUS configuration to determine whether the WUS has been received from the BS. For example, if the UE monitors resources associated with the WUS opportunity and does not detect a WUS, the UE may determine that the WUS has not been received from the BS during the WUS opportunity. Additionally, the UE may use an identifier associated with the UE or a UE group (e.g., PS-RNTI, C-RNTI, etc.) to determine whether the WUS has been received from the BS. For example, if the UE does not receive wakeup downlink control information or a WUS addressed to an identifier associated with the UE (or a UE group of which the UE is a part), the UE may determine that the WUS has not been received from the BS during the WUS opportunity.

[0112] At step 1240, method 1200 includes the following steps: the UE performs physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring based on a preset wake-up configuration and whether a WUS is received from the base station during a WUS opportunity. If the UE receives a WUS from the base station during a WUS opportunity, the UE may perform PDCCH monitoring based on information in the WUS. For example, the WUS may instruct the UE to trigger an aperiodic channel state reference signal (A-CSI-RS), use a reduced PDCCH monitoring frequency, perform bandwidth part (BWP) switching, perform secondary cell (Scell) wake-up, and / or utilize other PDCCH monitoring techniques. In addition, the WUS may instruct the UE to skip PDCCH monitoring for one or more on-durations associated with the WUS opportunity (e.g., remain in a sleep state).

[0113] The preset wake-up configuration may specify how the UE operates if, at step 1230, the UE does not receive a WUS from the BS during a WUS opportunity. The preset wake-up configuration for the UE, or the associated UE group to which the UE belongs, may be configured by the BS fixedly, semi-statically, and / or dynamically. In some examples, the preset wake-up configuration causes the UE to skip PDCCH monitoring during one or more on-durations associated with the WUS opportunity in response to a determination that a WUS was not received from the BS during the WUS opportunity. In some implementations, the UE skips PDCCH monitoring by remaining in a sleep state during one or more on-durations, thereby providing additional power savings for the UE. In other examples, the preset wake-up configuration causes the UE to actively perform PDCCH monitoring during one or more on-durations associated with the WUS opportunity in response to a determination that a WUS was not received from the BS during the WUS opportunity. In this regard, the preset wake-up configuration may indicate to the UE the manner in which to perform PDCCH monitoring. For example, the preset wake-up configuration may instruct the UE to trigger an aperiodic channel state reference signal (A-CSI-RS), use a reduced PDCCH monitoring frequency, perform bandwidth part (BWP) switching, perform secondary cell (Scell) wake-up, and / or utilize other PDCCH monitoring techniques. In some examples, the preset wake-up configuration is semi-statically and / or dynamically updated based on traffic load conditions (e.g., for a UE group, BWP, carrier, etc.). The preset wake-up configuration may be semi-statically and / or dynamically configured over time to select whether the UE remains in a sleep state during one or more on-durations associated with a WUS opportunity (e.g., during sparse traffic conditions) or actively monitors the PDCCH during one or more on-durations associated with a WUS opportunity (e.g., during heavy traffic conditions).

[0114] Additionally, according to some aspects, the BS and UEs can utilize a variety of different wake-up configurations. For example, the BS can determine to provide different wake-up configurations to different UEs or other devices within the BS cell. In this way, and according to various aspects, different types of UEs can have different preset wake-up configurations, each with different wake-up characteristics. For example, a first UE can have an initial / first wake-up configuration, while another UE can have a different wake-up configuration. In scenarios where the BS interacts with multiple UEs of different classes or types, providing a variety of different wake-up configurations enables the BS to provide UE-specific wake-up configurations that help conserve power and processing resources. By dynamically controlling the wake-up configuration, the BS can tailor specific operational behavior to one or more specific UEs in the communication network.

[0115] FIG13 is a flow chart of a communication method 1300 according to some aspects of the present disclosure. Various aspects of method 1300 can be performed by a wireless communication device (such as BS 105 and / or 500) using one or more components (such as processor 502, memory 504, WUS processing and control module 508, transceiver 510, modem 512, one or more antennas 516, and various combinations thereof). As illustrated, method 1300 includes several enumerated steps, but method 1300 may include additional steps before, after, and between the enumerated steps. For example, in some examples, one or more aspects of methods 800, 860, 900, 1000, and / or 1100, schedule / transmission configurations 200, 600, 700, and / or 790, and / or message structure 300 may be implemented as part of method 1300. In some examples, one or more of the enumerated steps may be omitted or performed in a different order.

[0116] At step 1310, method 1300 includes the step of transmitting, by a base station (BS), a default wake-up configuration associated with discontinuous reception (DRX) operation to a user equipment (UE). In some examples, step 1310 includes transmitting, by the BS, the default wake-up configuration to the UE via at least one of radio resource control (RRC) signaling, PDCCH signaling, or media access control (MAC) control element (CE) signaling. In some examples, the default wake-up configuration includes an indication to the UE that it is to perform one or more of aperiodic channel state reference signal (A-CSI-RS) triggering, reduced PDCCH monitoring, bandwidth part (BWP) switching, or secondary cell (Scell) wake-up. The default wake-up configuration for the UE or the associated UE group to which the UE belongs can be configured by the BS fixedly, semi-statically, and / or dynamically. To this end, the BS can periodically transmit updated default wake-up configurations. In some examples, the preset wake-up configuration is semi-statically and / or dynamically updated by the BS based on traffic load conditions (e.g., for a UE group, BWP, carrier, etc.). The preset wake-up configuration can be semi-statically and / or dynamically configured to select whether the UE remains in a sleep state during one or more on-durations associated with a WUS opportunity (e.g., during a sparse traffic condition) or actively monitors the PDCCH during one or more on-durations associated with a WUS opportunity (e.g., during a heavy traffic condition).

[0117] At step 1320, method 1300 includes the following steps: the base station determines, based on traffic load, whether to transmit a wake-up signal (WUS) to the UE during a WUS opportunity. In sparse traffic scenarios, the likelihood that each UE in a wake-up group (e.g., sharing the same PDCCH (WUS)) will need to wake up is very low. As a result, most of the time, the wake-up indicator(s) for the WUS will be all 0s, or otherwise indicate that the UE should remain in a sleep state during one or more on-durations associated with the WUS opportunity. In another aspect, in heavy traffic scenarios, the likelihood that each UE in the wake-up group will need to wake up is high. Accordingly, in such scenarios, most of the time, the wake-up indicator(s) will be all 1s, or otherwise indicate that the UE should actively monitor the PDCCH during one or more on-durations associated with the WUS opportunity.

[0118] In such sparse and heavy traffic scenarios, the BS can refrain from transmitting a WUS during a WUS opportunity. In addition to reducing network traffic and potential interference, a BS that refrains from transmitting a WUS can also save power for both the BS and the UE. To this end, in some examples, if the traffic load is below a first threshold, the BS determines not to transmit a WUS to the UE during a WUS opportunity, and if the traffic load is above a second threshold, the BS determines to transmit a WUS to the UE during a WUS opportunity. The first and second thresholds can be the same or different. For example, in some examples, the traffic load is evaluated based on the number of wake-up indicators for a particular WUS and / or WUS opportunity. In this regard, the threshold used to determine not to transmit a WUS can be the same as or different from the threshold used to determine to transmit a WUS. For example, if more than a threshold percentage (e.g., 50%, 60%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 90%, etc.) and / or a threshold number (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, etc.) of the wake-up indicators are identical, the BS may refrain from transmitting a WUS, regardless of whether the common indicator indicates that the UE should wake up or remain in a sleep state. As another example, the threshold percentage and / or threshold number of wake-up indicators required for the BS to refrain from transmitting a WUS may be different, depending on whether the common indicators indicate that the UE should wake up or remain in a sleep state. In this regard, the threshold percentage and / or threshold number may be higher when the common indicator indicates that the UE is awake than when the common indicator indicates that the UE should remain in a sleep state, and vice versa.

[0119] At step 1330, method 1300 includes the following steps: based on the decision at step 1320, (1) transmitting a WUS signal to the UE during the WUS opportunity, or (2) refraining from transmitting a WUS signal to the UE during the WUS opportunity. When the BS transmits the WUS, the BS may utilize the message structure of FIG. 3 or any other suitable message structure (e.g., including all wake-up indicators before all wake-up information fields, including all wake-up information fields before all wake-up indicators, interleaving the wake-up indicators and the wake-up information fields, etc.). In some examples, the WUS transmitted by the BS during the WUS opportunity includes a WUS configuration for the UE (or UE group). The WUS configuration may indicate to the UE resources associated with the WUS opportunity, the WUS format, etc. (e.g., search space, including time and frequency, periodicity, channel, BWP, frequency carrier, etc.). In some examples, the WUS transmitted by the BS during the WUS opportunity includes a preset wake-up configuration.

[0120] When the BS does not transmit a WUS in step 1330, the UE(s) may operate according to the preset wake-up configuration transmitted in step 1310. In some examples, the preset wake-up configuration transmitted in step 1310 instructs the UE to operate in a first wake-up configuration or a second, different wake-up configuration. In some examples, the preset wake-up configuration transmitted in step 1310 instructs the UE to operate using the first wake-up configuration for a first period of time and using the second wake-up configuration for a second period of time. In this regard, the UE may operate in the first and / or second periods of time based on one or more timers. For example, the preset wake-up configuration may cause the UE to operate in the first wake-up configuration until a timer expires or other change conditions are met (e.g., a threshold number (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) of DRX duty cycles and / or WUS opportunities occur, UL or DL ​​communication is activated, etc.), and then operate in the second, different wake-up configuration. In other words, the preset wake-up configuration may cause the UE to operate in a temporary wake-up configuration and then revert to the preset configuration after a certain amount of time or after a certain condition is met. Over time, the BS and / or UE may implement any number of different wake-up configurations. As discussed above, the preset wake-up configuration may be semi-statically and / or dynamically configured to select whether the UE remains in a sleep state or actively monitors the PDCCH during one or more on-durations associated with a WUS opportunity.

[0121] At step 1340, method 1300 includes the step of transmitting, by the base station, a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal during a duration associated with a WUS opportunity. In this regard, the duration associated with the WUS opportunity may include one or more discontinuous reception (DRX) on durations associated with the WUS opportunity. As discussed above, the preset wake-up configuration transmitted at step 1310 may specify how the UE performs PDCCH monitoring during the duration associated with the WUS opportunity if the base station does not transmit a WUS during the WUS opportunity. In some examples, the preset wake-up configuration from step 1310 causes the UE to skip PDCCH monitoring during one or more on durations associated with the WUS opportunity in response to determining that a WUS was not received from the base station during the WUS opportunity. In other examples, the preset wake-up configuration transmitted at step 1310 causes the UE to actively perform PDCCH monitoring during one or more on durations associated with the WUS opportunity in response to determining that a WUS was not received from the base station during the WUS opportunity. That is, in such an example, the UE will monitor for the PDCCH signal transmitted at 1340.

[0122] Information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referred to throughout the foregoing description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0123] The various illustrative blocks and modules described in conjunction with the disclosure herein may be implemented or executed using a general-purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA or other programmable logic device, individual gate or transistor logic, individual hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0124] The functions described herein can be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software executed by a processor, the functions may be stored on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or code. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this application and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described above may be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or any combination thereof. Features implementing the functions may also be physically located in a variety of locations, including being distributed so that parts of the functions are implemented at different physical locations. Furthermore, as used herein (including in the claims), the word "or" used in a list of items (e.g., a list of items followed by phrases such as "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates an inclusive list, such that, for example, a list of [at least one of A, B, or C] means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C).

[0125] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, and depending on the specific application at hand, many modifications, substitutions, and variations can be made in the materials, devices, configurations, and methods of use of the apparatus of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of this invention should not be limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and described herein (as these are merely examples of this invention), but should be fully commensurate with the scope of the appended claims and their functional equivalents.

[0126] 100: Internet 105a:BS 105b:BS 105c:BS 105d:BS 105e:BS 105f:BS 115a:UE 115b:UE 115c:UE 115d:UE 115e:UE 115f:UE 115g:UE 115h:UE 115i:UE 115j:UE 115k:UE 200: Scheduling / Transmission Configuration 210: Component symbol 220: Wake-up signal (WUS) timing 222:WUS 230:Offset 240: Opening time 242:UL / DL communication block 250: Sleep state 260:WUS Timing 262:WUS 270:Offset 280: Opening time 282:DL / UL Communication 300: Message Structure 310: Awakening indicator 312: Awakening Slot Information 320: Awakening indicator 322: Awakening Slot Information 330: Awakening indicator 332: Awakening Slot Information 400:UE 402: Processor 404: Memory 406: Instruction 408:WUS processing and control module 410: transceiver 412: Modem Subsystem 414: Radio Frequency (RF) Unit 416: Antenna 500:BS 502: Processor 504:Memory 506: Instructions 508:WUS processing and control module 510: transceiver 512: Modem subsystem 514:RF unit 516: Antenna 600: Scheduling / Transmission Configuration 610: Component symbol 620:WUS Timing 622:WUS 630:Offset 640: Opening time 642:UL / DL communication block 650: Sleep state 660:WUS Timing 670:Offset 680: Opening time 682:DL / UL Communication 700: Scheduling / Transmission Configuration 710: Project 720: Project 722: Project 724:WUS surveillance 730: Project 740: Project 742: Project 744: PDCCH monitoring 750: Project 760: Project 764:WUS surveillance 770: Project 780: Project 782: Project 784: PDCCH monitoring 786: Sleep state 790: Scheduling / Transmission Configuration 800:Method 810: Steps 820: Steps 830: Steps 840: Steps 850: Steps 860: Method 870: Steps 900: Method 910: Default wake-up configuration 920: Component symbol 930: PDCCH signal transmission 1000:Method 1020: Steps 1030: Steps 1040: Steps 1050: Steps 1100: Method 1110: Default wake-up configuration 1120:WUS 1122: Classification 1130: PDCCH signal transmission 1140: Component symbol 1150: PDCCH signal transmission 1152: PDCCH monitoring 1154: PDCCH monitoring 1156: Sleep state 1200: Method 1210: Steps 1220: Steps 1230: Steps 1240: Steps 1300: Method 1310: Steps 1320: Steps 1330: Steps 1340: Steps

[0127] Domestic storage information (please note the order of storage institution, date, and number) none Overseas deposit information (please note the order of deposit country, institution, date, and number) none

Claims

1. A method of wireless communication, comprising the steps of: transmitting a preset wake-up configuration associated with a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation from a base station (BS) to a user equipment (UE); determining, based on a traffic load, to suppress the transmission of a WUS to the UE during a wake-up signal (WUS) timing; and transmitting a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal from the BS during a duration associated with the WUS timing.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the step of determining to suppress the transmission of the WUS to the UE during the WUS timing period based on the traffic load includes: The decision is made to suppress the transmission of WUS to the UE during the WUS period based on the fact that the traffic load is below a first threshold.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the duration associated with the WUS timing includes one or more discontinuous reception (DRX) activation durations associated with the WUS timing.

4. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the preset wake-up configuration includes: The BS transmits the preset wake-up configuration to the UE via at least one of the following: Radio Resource Control (RRC) signal transmission, PDCCH signal transmission, or Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) signal transmission.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the preset wake-up configuration includes: During the WUS period, the BS transmits the preset wake-up configuration to the UE.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the preset wake-up configuration includes: The BS transmits the preset wake-up configuration to the UE. The preset wake-up configuration has an indication that the UE operates in a first wake-up configuration or in a second wake-up configuration, which is different from the first wake-up configuration.

7. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the preset wake-up configuration includes: The BS transmits the preset wake-up configuration to the UE, the preset wake-up configuration having an indication that the UE operates in a first wake-up configuration or a second wake-up configuration based on a timer.

8. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the preset wake-up configuration includes: The BS transmits the preset wake-up configuration to a UE group, which includes the UE, based on one or more of a bandwidth portion (BWP) or a carrier associated with a UE group.

9. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the preset wake-up configuration includes: The BS transmits to the UE the preset wake-up configuration having an indication of one or more of the following: an aperiodic channel state reference signal (A-CSI-RS) trigger, a PDCCH monitoring reduction, a bandwidth portion (BWP) handover, or a single cell wake-up.

10. A base station, comprising: At least one memory cell; At least one transceiver; The base station is configured to: transmit a preset wake-up configuration associated with a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation to a user equipment (UE); transmit a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal during a duration associated with a wake-up signal (WUS) timing; and determine, based on a traffic load, to suppress the transmission of a WUS to the UE during the WUS timing.

11. The base station as described in claim 10, wherein the base station is configured to: determine to suppress the transmission of the WUS to the UE during the WUS timing period based on the traffic load being below a first threshold.

12. The base station as described in claim 10, wherein the duration associated with the WUS timing includes one or more discontinuous reception (DRX) activation durations associated with the WUS timing.

13. The base station as described in claim 10, wherein the base station is further configured to transmit the preset wake-up configuration to the UE via at least one of the following: Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, PDCCH signaling, or Media Access Control (MAC) Control Element (CE) signaling.

14. The base station as described in claim 10, wherein the base station is further configured to: transmit the preset wake-up configuration to the UE during the WUS timing.

15. The base station as described in claim 10, wherein the base station is further configured to: transmit the preset wake-up configuration to the UE, the preset wake-up configuration having an indication that the UE operates in a first wake-up configuration or in a second wake-up configuration different from the first wake-up configuration.

16. The base station as described in claim 15, wherein the base station is further configured to: transmit the preset wake-up configuration to the UE, the preset wake-up configuration having an indication that the UE operates in the first wake-up configuration or the second wake-up configuration based on a timer.

17. The base station as described in claim 10, wherein the base station is further configured to: transmit the preset wake-up configuration to the UE group, which includes the UE, based on one or more of a bandwidth portion (BWP) or a carrier associated with a UE group.

18. The base station as described in claim 10, wherein the base station is further configured to: transmit to the UE the preset wake-up configuration having an indication of one or more of the following: an aperiodic channel state reference signal (A-CSI-RS) trigger, a PDCCH monitoring reduction, a bandwidth portion (BWP) handover, or a single cell wake-up.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising: Code for enabling a base station (BS) to transmit a preset wake-up configuration associated with a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation to a user equipment (UE); code for enabling the BS to determine, based on a traffic load, to suppress the transmission of a WUS code to the UE during a WUS timing period; and code for enabling the BS to transmit a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) signal during a duration associated with the WUS timing period.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in claim 19, wherein determining whether to transmit the WUS to the UE based on the traffic load includes at least one of the following: a code for causing the BS to determine not to transmit the WUS to the UE during the WUS period based on the traffic load being below a first threshold; or a code for causing the BS to determine to transmit the WUS to the UE during the WUS period based on the traffic load being above a second threshold.

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