Inactivity timer mechanism in discontinuous reception

Abstract

The present disclosure provides techniques for operating a user equipment (UE) in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, and more specifically, techniques for setting a DRX inactivity timer value. An example method for operating a user equipment in a discontinuous reception mode, the discontinuous reception mode including an active mode for communicating with a network and an inactive mode when the user equipment is not communicating with the network, the method including determining a trigger condition based on a communication with the network, determining an inactivity timer value based on the trigger condition, and operating the user equipment in the active mode during a duration of the inactivity timer value and operating the user equipment in the inactive mode after the duration of the inactivity timer value.

Description

Background Technology

[0001] Wireless communication systems have evolved through various generations, including first-generation analog radiotelephone service (1G), second-generation (2G) digital radiotelephone service (including transitional 2.5G and 2.75G networks), third-generation (3G) high-speed data, wireless services supporting the Internet, fourth-generation (4G) services (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) or WiMax), and fifth-generation (5G) services. Currently, many different types of wireless communication systems are in use, including cellular and Personal Communication Services (PCS) systems. Known examples of cellular systems include cellular analog Advanced Mobile Phone Systems (AMPS) and digital cellular systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and TDMA-based Global System for Mobile Access (GSM) variants.

[0002] The fifth-generation (5G) mobile standard demands higher data transmission speeds, more connections, better coverage, and other improvements. According to the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGC), the 5G standard aims to provide tens of megabits per second (Mbps) of data rate for each of tens of thousands of users, and gigabit per second (Gbps) for dozens of workers on an office floor. To support large-scale sensor deployments, it should support hundreds of thousands of simultaneous connections. Therefore, the spectral efficiency of 5G mobile communications will be significantly improved compared to the current 4G standard. Furthermore, signaling efficiency should be enhanced, and latency should be greatly reduced compared to the current standard. Improvements in signaling efficiency and data processing within network equipment and user equipment can be achieved to increase bandwidth and save power in mobile user equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] An example method for configuring a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode in a mobile device according to this disclosure includes evaluating communication with a network and setting an inactivity timer duration based on the communication with the network.

[0004] An implementation of such a network may include one or more of the following features: Communication with the network may be received via the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). Communication with the network may be received via the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). Communication with the network may be a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) message. Communication with the network may be transmitted via the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). Communication with the network may be a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) message. The MAC-CE message may include an uplink grant request. The method may also include evaluating a second communication with the network, such that the second communication occurs during an inactivity timer duration, and setting the inactivity timer duration based on the second communication with the network.

[0005] An example method for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode according to this disclosure includes: operating the user equipment in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, the DRX mode including a DRX active mode for monitoring a network channel and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment does not monitor the network channel; determining a triggering condition based on communication with the network; determining an inactive timer value based on the triggering condition; operating the user equipment in the DRX active mode during the duration of the inactive timer value; and operating the user equipment in the DRX inactive mode after the duration of the inactive timer value.

[0006] Implementations of such a method may include one or more of the following features: Communication with the network may be received via the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), and the inactivity timer value may be a non-zero value (e.g., in the range of 1 to 2560 milliseconds). Communication with the network may be received via the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), and the inactivity timer value may be a non-zero value. Communication with the network may include Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) messages, and the inactivity timer value may be any value including zero (e.g., in the range of 0 to 2560 milliseconds). Communication with the network may consist only of MAC-CE messages (e.g., MAC-CE only). Communication with the network may be transmitted via the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), and the inactivity timer value may be a non-zero value. Communication with the network may be a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) message, and the inactivity timer value may be a value including zero. The MAC-CE message may include an uplink grant request, and the inactivity timer value may be a non-zero value. Determining an inactive timer value can be based on a trigger condition, including querying a data structure based on the trigger condition. The method may also include communicating with a network during the duration of the inactive timer value, determining a second trigger condition based on the communication during the duration of the inactive timer value, and modifying the inactive timer value based on the second trigger condition.

[0007] An example method for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode according to this disclosure includes: operating the user equipment in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, the DRX mode including a DRX active mode for monitoring a network channel and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment does not monitor the network channel, wherein the DRX active mode includes an inactive timer duration, communicating with the network during the inactive timer duration, determining a triggering condition based on the communication during the inactive timer duration, determining an inactive timer fallback value based on the triggering condition, and operating the user equipment in either the DRX active mode or the DRX inactive mode based on the inactive timer fallback value.

[0008] Implementation of such a method may include one or more of the following features: Communication with the network may be received via the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). Communication with the network may be received via the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH). Communication with the network may be a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) message. Communication with the network may be transmitted via the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). Communication with the network may be a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) message. The MAC-CE message may include an uplink grant request. Determining the inactive timer backoff value based on trigger conditions may include querying a data structure based on the trigger conditions.

[0009] An example apparatus according to this disclosure, configured to operate in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, includes a memory, at least one transceiver, and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and at least one transceiver, and configured to evaluate communication with a network and set the duration of an inactivity timer based on the communication with the network.

[0010] An example apparatus according to this disclosure includes a memory, at least one transceiver, and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, and configured to operate the apparatus in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, the DRX mode including a DRX active mode for monitoring a network channel and a DRX inactive mode when the apparatus does not monitor the network channel, determining a triggering condition based on communication with the network, determining an inactive timer value based on the triggering condition, and operating the apparatus in the DRX active mode during the duration of the inactive timer value, and operating the apparatus in the DRX inactive mode after the duration of the inactive timer value.

[0011] An example device according to this disclosure includes a memory, at least one transceiver, and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, and configured to operate the device in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, the DRX mode including a DRX active mode for communicating with a network and a DRX inactive mode when the device is not communicating with the network, wherein the DRX active mode includes an inactive timer duration, communicating with the network during the inactive timer duration, determining a trigger condition based on the communication during the inactive timer duration, determining an inactive timer backoff value based on the trigger condition, and operating the device in either the DRX active mode or the DRX inactive mode based on the inactive timer backoff value.

[0012] The example apparatus according to this disclosure includes means for evaluating communication with a network, and means for setting the duration of an inactive timer based on communication with the network.

[0013] An example apparatus for operation under discontinuous reception (DRX) according to this disclosure includes: means for operating a user equipment in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, the DRX mode including a DRX active mode for monitoring a network channel and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment does not monitor the network channel; means for determining a triggering condition based on communication with the network; means for determining an inactive timer value based on the triggering condition; and means for operating the apparatus in the DRX active mode during the duration of the inactive timer value and in the DRX inactive mode after the duration of the inactive timer value.

[0014] An example apparatus according to this disclosure for operation in Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode includes: means for operating a user equipment in a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode, the DRX mode including a DRX active mode for monitoring a network channel and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment does not monitor the network channel, wherein the DRX active mode includes an inactive timer duration; means for communicating with the network during the inactive timer duration; means for determining a trigger condition based on the communication during the inactive timer duration; means for determining an inactive timer backoff value based on the trigger condition; and means for operating the apparatus in either the DRX active mode or the DRX inactive mode based on the inactive timer backoff value.

[0015] An example non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to this disclosure includes processor-readable instructions configured to enable one or more processors to configure a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode in a mobile device, including code for evaluating communication with a network and code for setting the duration of an inactive timer based on communication with the network.

[0016] An example non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to this disclosure, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to operate a user equipment in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, includes: code for operating the user equipment in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, the DRX mode including a DRX active mode for monitoring a network channel and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment is not monitoring a network channel; code for determining a triggering condition based on communication with the network; code for determining an inactive timer value based on the triggering condition; and code for operating the user equipment in a DRX active mode during the duration of the inactive timer value and in a DRX inactive mode after the duration of the inactive timer value.

[0017] An example non-transitory processor-readable storage medium according to this disclosure, comprising processor-readable instructions configured to enable one or more processors to operate a user equipment in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, includes: code for operating the user equipment in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, the DRX mode including a DRX active mode for monitoring a network channel and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment is not monitoring a network channel, wherein the DRX active mode includes an inactive timer duration; code for communicating with the network during the inactive timer duration; code for determining a trigger condition based on the communication during the inactive timer duration; code for determining an inactive timer backoff value based on the trigger condition; and code for operating the user equipment in either the DRX active mode or the DRX inactive mode based on the inactive timer backoff value.

[0018] The projects and / or technologies described herein may provide one or more of the following capabilities, as well as others not mentioned. User equipment (UE) may be configured to operate in a discontinuous reception mode, which includes alternating periods of active and inactive modes. In active mode, UE may monitor and communicate with the network. In inactive mode, UE does not monitor the network. Active mode includes an inactive timer to indicate the time interval during which UE remains active after communicating with the network. Communication with the network may serve as a trigger condition. The trigger condition may be a function of the communication service type. The duration of the inactive timer may be based on the trigger condition. An inactive timer backoff value may be applied based on communication during the inactive timer period. The duration of the inactive timer may be reduced to save processing and decoding resources. Power consumption in the UE may be reduced. Other capabilities may be provided, and not every implementation according to this disclosure is required to provide any, let alone all, of the capabilities discussed. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a simplified diagram of an example wireless communication system.

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the block diagram of the components of an example user device.

[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the components of an example send / receive point.

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The diagram shows the components of the example server.

[0023] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 A simplified block diagram of an example user equipment shown.

[0024] Figure 6 This is an example timing diagram of an inactive timer in a discontinuous receive loop.

[0025] Figure 7 This is an example timing diagram of an inactive timer following uplink communication during a discontinuous receive cycle.

[0026] Figure 8 This is an example timing diagram of an inactive timer restarting after communication during the inactive timer duration of a non-continuous receive cycle.

[0027] Figure 9 This is an example timing diagram of an inactive timer based on triggering in a discontinuous receive loop.

[0028] Figure 10 This is an example timing diagram based on the trigger-based inactive timer backoff value in a discontinuous receive loop.

[0029] Figure 11 This is an example data structure based on the triggered inactive timer value in a discontinuous receive loop.

[0030] Figure 12 This is a table of example downlink and uplink triggering conditions in a discontinuous reception loop.

[0031] Figure 13 This is a flowchart of an example method for determining the value of an inactive timer based on trigger conditions.

[0032] Figure 14 This is a block flowchart of an example method for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception mode.

[0033] Figure 15 This is a block flowchart of an example method for determining the rollback value of an inactive timer based on trigger conditions.

[0034] Figure 16 This is a block flowchart of an example method for configuring a discontinuous reception mode in a mobile device. Detailed Implementation

[0035] This article discusses techniques for operating a User Equipment (UE) in Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode, and more specifically, techniques for setting DRX inactivity timer values. In DRX and similar power-saving modes, the UE can monitor the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) while in Radio Resource Control (RRC) connected state. Typically, DRX is a mechanism in which the UE operates intermittently in DRX active and DRX inactive modes. The UE can transition from DRX active mode to DRX inactive mode and remain in DRX inactive mode for a predetermined amount of time, although the time in DRX inactive mode can vary, for example, before entering or during DRX inactive mode. In “normal” non-DRX operation, the UE remains in active mode and monitors the PDCCH for each subframe or slot or monitoring instance, because the UE does not know when the network will transmit data for the UE (i.e., control signals on the PDCCH). This non-DRX operation may consume more power than expected and, for example, cause the UE to require more charging than expected or lack the power to operate one or more desired functions.

[0036] When DRX is configured, the UE does not need to continuously monitor the PDCCH. The DRX mechanism can be configured by information elements received from the network (e.g., RRC signaling). DRX parameters can include an on-duration period indicating the time interval during which the UE expects to receive the PDCCH. If the UE successfully decodes the PDCCH, the UE can start an inactivity timer. The inactivity timer indicates a time interval during which the UE waits for successful decoding of the PDCCH, starting from the last successful decoding. If decoding fails, the UE can enter a DRX inactivity mode, in which the PDCCH is not monitored. The UE can start the inactivity timer after a single successful decoding of the first transmission (i.e., not a retransmission) of the PDCCH. The retransmission timer indicates the time interval until a retransmission can be expected. The cycle parameter indicates the periodic repetition of the on-duration period, followed by possible inactivity periods.

[0037] Cellular packet services, especially 5G NR, can be inherently bursty, resulting in longer periods of inactivity following periods of transmission activity. 5G NR supports DRX schemes to reduce UE power consumption. When DRX cyclical operation is configured, the UE monitors the PDCCH during DRX active periods but may not monitor it during DRX inactive periods. Since decoding the PDCCH requires considerable power, longer DRX inactive periods result in lower power consumption.

[0038] The methods and techniques described herein increase DRX inactivity time by selectively limiting the length of an inactivity timer. Specifically, the inactivity timer indicates the time interval during which the UE waits to receive or transmit a traffic burst. For example, for downlink traffic, the inactivity timer is the interval during which the UE waits for the successful decoding of an active signal, starting from the last successful decoding of the active signal. The nature of the last successfully decoded signal can be a trigger condition indicating the length of the inactivity timer. For example, if the trigger condition is a signal on the PDCCH, the inactivity timer value can be a first value. If the trigger condition is a signal on the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), the inactivity timer value can be a second value. In another example, the inactivity timer can be based on the interval during which the UE transmits continuous traffic bursts. For example, a third value of the trigger condition is an uplink signal on the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH). If the trigger condition is associated with a control message (e.g., a Media Access Control Control Element (MAC-CE), or a higher-level control message), the inactivity timer can be a fourth value, or zero (i.e., no duration). The trigger condition can be applied to signals transmitted or received during the inactivity timer period. For example, the UE can start an inactive timer at the first moment, and then pause or roll back to the previous timer setting when a second trigger condition is met. However, other configurations are also possible.

[0039] This description may refer to sequences of actions performed, for example, by elements of a computing device. The various actions described herein may be performed by specific circuitry (e.g., an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)), program instructions executed by one or more processors, or a combination of both. The sequences of actions described herein may be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable medium having on them a set of corresponding computer instructions that, when executed, cause the associated processor to perform the functions described herein. Therefore, the various aspects described herein may be embodied in a variety of different forms, all of which are within the scope of this disclosure, including the claimed subject matter.

[0040] As used herein, the terms “User Equipment” (UE) and “Base Station” are not specific to or limited to any particular Radio Access Technology (RAT) unless otherwise stated. Typically, such a UE can be any wireless communication device (e.g., mobile phone, router, tablet, laptop, tracking device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc.) used by a user to communicate over a wireless communication network. The UE can be mobile or (e.g., at times) fixed and can communicate with a Radio Access Network (RAN). As used herein, the term “UE” is interchangeably referred to as “Access Terminal” or “AT”, “Client Equipment”, “Wireless Equipment”, “Subscriber Equipment”, “Subscriber Terminal”, “Subscriber Station”, “User Terminal” or “UT”, “Mobile Terminal”, “Mobile Station”, or variations thereof. Typically, a UE can communicate with the core network via the RAN, and through the core network, the UE can connect to external networks such as the Internet and other UEs. Of course, other mechanisms for connecting the UE to the core network and / or the Internet are also possible, such as via a wired access network, a WiFi network (e.g., based on IEEE 802.11, etc.), etc.

[0041] Depending on the network in which the base station is deployed, the base station can operate according to one of several RATs that communicate with the UE, and can be alternatively referred to as an Access Point (AP), Network Node, Node B, Evolved Node B (eNB), General Node B (gNodeB, gNB), etc. Furthermore, in some systems, the base station can provide purely edge node signaling functions, while in others it can provide additional control and / or network management functions.

[0042] The UE can be implemented using any of a variety of devices, including but not limited to printed circuit (PC) cards, small flash memory devices, external or internal modems, wireless or wired telephones, smartphones, tablets, tracking devices, asset tags, etc. The communication link through which the UE transmits signals to the RAN is referred to as an uplink channel (e.g., reverse traffic channel, reverse control channel, access channel, etc.). The communication link through which the RAN transmits signals to the UE is referred to as a downlink or forward link channel (e.g., paging channel, control channel, broadcast channel, forward traffic channel, etc.). The term "traffic channel" (TCH) used herein can refer to either an uplink / reverse or downlink / forward traffic channel.

[0043] As used herein, depending on the context, the term "cell" or "sector" may correspond to one of several cells of a base station, or to the base station itself. The term "cell" may refer to a logical communication entity used to communicate with the base station (e.g., via a carrier) and may be associated with an identifier (e.g., Physical Cell Identifier (PCID), Virtual Cell Identifier (VCID)) used to distinguish adjacent cells operating via the same or different carriers. In some examples, an operator may support multiple cells, and different cells may be configured based on different protocol types that can provide access to different types of devices (e.g., Machine-Type Communication (MTC), Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), etc.). In some examples, the term "cell" may refer to a portion of the geographic coverage area on which a logical entity operates (e.g., a sector).

[0044] refer to Figure 1 Examples of communication system 100 include UE 105, UE 106, radio access network (RAN) 135, which is a fifth-generation (5G) next-generation (NG) RAN (NG-RAN), and 5G core network (5GC) 140. UE 105 and / or UE 106 can be, for example, IoT devices, location tracker devices, cellular phones, vehicles, or other devices. The 5G network can also be referred to as a New Radio (NR) network; NG-RAN 135 can be referred to as a 5G RAN or NR RAN; and 5GC 140 can be referred to as an NG core network (NGC). Standardization of NG-RAN and 5GC is underway within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Therefore, NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140 can conform to current or future standards supporting 5G from 3GPP. RAN 135 can be another type of RAN, such as 3G RAN, 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAN, etc. UE 106 can be configured and coupled similarly to UE 105 to send and / or receive signals to / from other similar entities in system 100, but for the sake of simplicity in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1There is no indication of such signaling. Similarly, for simplicity, the discussion focuses on UE 105. Communication system 100 may utilize information from constellation 185 of satellite vehicles (SVs) 190, 191, 192, 193 of a Satellite Positioning System (SPS) (e.g., a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)), such as GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, or BeiDou, or some other local or regional SPS, such as the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS), the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), or the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). Additional components of communication system 100 are described below. Communication system 100 may include additional or alternative components.

[0045] like Figure 1As shown, NG-RAN 135 includes NR node Bs (gNBs) 110a, 110b and a next-generation eNodeB (ng-eNB) 114, and 5GC 140 includes Access and Mobility Management Functions (AMF) 115, Session Management Functions (SMF) 117, Location Management Functions (LMF) 120 and Gateway Mobility Location Center (GMLC) 125. gNBs 110a, 110b and ng-eNB 114 are communicatively coupled to each other, each configured to conduct bidirectional wireless communication with UE 105, and each is communicatively coupled to AMF 115 and configured to conduct bidirectional communication with AMF 115. gNBs 110a, 110b and ng-eNB 114 may be referred to as base stations (BS). AMF 115, SMF 117, LMF 120 and GMLC 125 are communicatively coupled to each other, and the GMLC is communicatively coupled to an external client 130. SMF117 can act as the initial contact point for a Service Control Function (SCF) (not shown) to create, control, and delete media sessions. BS110a, 110b, and 114 can be macrocells (e.g., high-power cellular base stations), small cells (e.g., low-power cellular base stations), or access points (e.g., configured to utilize technologies such as WiFi, WiFi Direct (WiFi-D)). - Short-range base stations that communicate using short-range technologies such as Low Energy Leakage (BLE) and Zigbee. One or more of BS 110a, 110b, and 114 can be configured to communicate with UE 105 via multiple carriers. Each base station 110a, 110b, and 114 can provide communication coverage for its respective geographic area (e.g., cell). Depending on the function of the base station antennas, each cell can be divided into multiple sectors.

[0046] Figure 1 A general description of the various components is provided, any or all of which may be appropriately utilized, and each of which may be copied or omitted as needed. Specifically, although one UE 105 is shown, many UEs (e.g., hundreds, thousands, millions, etc.) may be used in communication system 100. Similarly, communication system 100 may include more (or fewer) numbers of SVs (i.e., more or fewer than the four SVs 190-193 shown), gNB 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, AMF 115, external client 130, and / or other components. The connections of the various components in the connected communication system 100 shown include data and signaling connections, which may include additional (intermediate) components, direct or indirect physical and / or wireless connections, and / or additional networks. Furthermore, depending on the desired functionality, components may be rearranged, combined, separated, replaced, and / or omitted.

[0047] Although Figure 1 A 5G-based network is illustrated, but similar network implementations and configurations can be used for other communication technologies such as 3G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), etc. The implementations described herein (whether for 5G technology and / or for one or more other communication technologies and / or protocols) can be used to transmit (or broadcast) directional synchronization signals, receive and measure directional signals at a UE (e.g., UE 105), and / or provide location assistance to UE 105 (via GMLC 125 or other location servers), and / or calculate the location of UE 105 at a location-capable device such as UE 105, gNB 110a, 110b, or LMF 120 based on measurements of signals received at UE 105 for such directional transmission. Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC) 125, Location Management Function (LMF) 120, Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 115, SMF 117, ng-eNB (eNodeB) 114, and gNB (gNodeB) 110a, 110b are examples, and in various embodiments, these functions and / or base station functions may be replaced or included by various other location server functions and / or base station functions, respectively.

[0048] System 100 is capable of wireless communication because its components can communicate directly or indirectly (at least sometimes using wireless connections), for example, via BS 110a, 110b, 114 and / or network 140 (and / or one or more other devices not shown, such as one or more other base transceiver stations). For indirect communication, the communication can be altered during transmission from one entity to another, for example, by changing the header information of data packets, changing the format, etc. UE 105 may include multiple UEs and can be mobile wireless communication devices, but can communicate wirelessly and via wired connections. UE 105 can be any of a variety of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, vehicle-based devices, etc., but these are examples, as UE 105 does not need to be any of these configurations and other configurations of UEs can be used. Other UEs may include wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart jewelry, smart glasses, or headphones, etc.). Other UEs, whether currently existing or developed in the future, may also be used. In addition, other wireless devices (whether mobile or not) can be implemented within system 100 and can communicate with each other and / or with UE 105, BS 110a, 110b, 114, core network 140, and / or external client 130. For example, such other devices may include Internet of Things (IoT) devices, medical devices, home entertainment and / or automation devices, etc. Core network 140 can communicate with external client 130 (e.g., a computer system), for example, to allow external client 130 to request and / or receive location information about UE 105 (e.g., via GMLC 125).

[0049] UE 105 or other devices can be configured to operate in various networks and / or for various purposes and / or use various technologies (e.g., 5G, Wi-Fi communication, multiple frequencies of Wi-Fi communication, satellite positioning, one or more types of communication (e.g., GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), LTE (Long Term Evolution), V2X (e.g., V2P (Vehicle to Pedestrian), V2I (Vehicle to Infrastructure), V2V (Vehicle to Vehicle) etc.), IEEE Communication can be via 802.11p, etc. V2X communication can be cellular (Cellular-V2X (C-V2X)) and / or WiFi (e.g., DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Connectivity)). System 100 can support operation on multiple carriers (waveform signals of different frequencies). A multi-carrier transmitter can transmit modulated signals simultaneously on multiple carriers. Each modulated signal can be a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) signal, a Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) signal, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) signal, a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) signal, etc. Each modulated signal can be transmitted on a different carrier and can carry pilot, overhead information, data, etc. UEs 105 and 106 can communicate with each other via UE-to-UE bypass (SL) communication, which is achieved by transmission on one or more bypass channels, such as the Physical Bypass Synchronization Channel (PSSCH), the Physical Bypass Broadcast Channel (PSBCH), or the Physical Bypass Control Channel (PSCCH).

[0050] UE 105 may include and / or may be referred to as a device, mobile device, wireless device, mobile terminal, terminal, mobile station (MS), SUPL-enabled terminal (SET), or other names. Furthermore, UE 105 may correspond to a mobile phone, smartphone, laptop, tablet, PDA, tracking device, navigation device, Internet of Things (IoT) device, asset tracker, health monitor, security system, smart city sensor, smart meter, wearable tracker, or some other portable or mobile device. Typically, although not required, UE 105 may support wireless communication using one or more Radio Access Technologies (RATs), such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), LTE, High-Speed ​​Packet Data (HRPD), IEEE 802.11 WiFi (also known as Wi-Fi). (BT), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), 5G New Radio (NR) (e.g., using NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140), etc. UE 105 can support wireless communication using a wireless local area network (WLAN), which can be connected to other networks (e.g., the Internet) using, for example, a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or packet cable. The use of one or more of these RATs can allow UE 105 to communicate with external client 130 (e.g., via...). Figure 1 The elements of 5GC 140 not shown in the figure, or possibly via GMLC 125) and / or allow external client 130 to receive location information about UE 105 (e.g., via GMLC 125).

[0051] UE 105 may include a single entity or may include multiple entities, such as in a personal area network, where the user may use audio, video, and / or data I / O (input / output) devices and / or body sensors, as well as separate wired or wireless modems. The location estimate of UE 105 may be referred to as location, location estimate, location lock, lock, positioning, location estimation, or location lock, and may be geographic, thus providing UE 105 with location coordinates (e.g., latitude and longitude), which may or may not include an elevation component (e.g., height above sea level, ground level, floor level, or basement level). Optionally, the location of UE 105 may be represented as a city location (e.g., a postal address or designation of a point or small area within a building, such as a specific room or floor). The location of UE 105 may be represented as a region or volume (defined geographically or in urban form) within which UE 105 is expected to be located with a certain probability or confidence level (e.g., 67%, 95%, etc.). The location of UE 105 can be represented as a relative location, including, for example, distance and orientation from a known location. A relative location can be represented as relative coordinates (e.g., X, Y (and Z) coordinates) defined relative to an origin at a known location, which can be defined, for example, geographically, in urban terms, or by reference to a point, area, or volume indicated, for example, on a map, floor plan, or architectural plan. In the description contained herein, the use of the term "location" can include any of these variations unless otherwise stated. When calculating the location of the UE, the local x, y, and possibly z coordinates are typically solved, and then, if necessary, the local coordinates are converted to absolute coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, and altitude above or below mean sea level).

[0052] UE 105 can be configured to communicate with other entities using one or more of a variety of technologies. UE 105 can be configured to indirectly connect to one or more communication networks via one or more device-to-device (D2D) peer-to-peer (P2P) links. The D2D P2P links can be supported by any suitable D2D radio access technology (RAT), such as LTE Direct (LTE-D), WiFi Direct (WiFi-D), etc. Etc. One or more UEs in a group of UEs utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographic coverage area of ​​a Transmit / Receive Point (TRP), such as one or more gNBs 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNBs 114. Other UEs in such a group may be outside such geographic coverage area or may not be able to receive transmissions from the base station. A group of UEs communicating via D2D communication can utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each UE can transmit to other UEs in the group. The TRP can facilitate resource scheduling for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication may occur between UEs without involving a TRP. One or more UEs in a group of UEs utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographic coverage area of ​​a TRP. Other UEs in such a group may be outside such geographic coverage area or may not be able to receive transmissions from the base station. A group of UEs communicating via D2D communication can utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, where each UE can transmit to other UEs in the group. The TRP can facilitate resource scheduling for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication can be performed between UEs without involving TRP.

[0053] Figure 1 The base stations (BS) in the NG-RAN 135 shown include NR nodes (B), referred to as gNBs 110a and 110b. The gNBs 110a and 110b in the NG-RAN 135 can be interconnected via one or more other gNBs. Access to the 5G network is provided to UE 105 via wireless communication between UE 105 and one or more gNBs 110a and 110b, which can use 5G to provide wireless communication access to the 5GC 140 on behalf of UE 105. Figure 1 In this example, assuming that the serving gNB of UE 105 is gNB 110a, if UE 105 moves to another location, another gNB (e.g., gNB 110b) can act as the serving gNB or as an auxiliary gNB to provide additional throughput and bandwidth to UE 105.

[0054] Figure 1The base station (BS) in the NG-RAN 135 shown may include ng-eNB 114, also known as a next-generation evolved Node B. ng-eNB 114 may connect to one or more gNBs 110a, 110b in the NG-RAN 135, possibly via one or more other gNBs and / or one or more other ng-eNBs. ng-eNB 114 may provide LTE radio access and / or evolved LTE (eLTE) radio access to UE 105. One or more of gNBs 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114 may be configured to act as location-only beacons, which may transmit signals to help determine the location of UE 105, but cannot receive signals from UE 105 or other UEs.

[0055] Base stations 110a, 110b, and 114 may each include one or more TRPs. For example, each sector within a cell of the BS may include one TRP, although multiple TRPs may share one or more components (e.g., share a processor but have separate antennas). System 100 may include macro TRPs, or system 100 may have different types of TRPs, such as macro, pico, and / or femto TRPs. Macro TRPs may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and may allow unrestricted access for terminals with service subscriptions. Pico TRPs may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a pico cell) and may allow unrestricted access for terminals with service subscriptions. Femto or home TRPs may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a femto cell) and may allow restricted access for terminals associated with a femto cell (e.g., a user's terminal in a home).

[0056] As mentioned above, although Figure 1 The diagram depicts nodes configured to communicate according to 5G communication protocols, but nodes configured to communicate according to other communication protocols (e.g., LTE or IEEE 802.11x) can be used. For example, in an evolved packet system (EPS) providing LTE radio access to UE 105, the RAN may include an evolved universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN), which may include base stations including evolved Node Bs (eNBs). The core network for the EPS may include an evolved packet core (EPC). The EPS may include the E-UTRAN plus the EPC, where the E-UTRAN corresponds to... Figure 1 In NG-RAN 135, EPC corresponds to Figure 1 5GC 140.

[0057] gNB 110a, 110b, and ng-eNB 114 can communicate with AMF 115 and with LMF 120 for positioning functions. AMF 115 can support UE 105 mobility, including cell changes and handovers, and can participate in supporting signaling connections to UE 105 and its possible data and voice bearers. LMF 120 can communicate directly with UE 105, for example, wirelessly, or directly with BS 110a, 110b, and 114. When UE 105 accesses NG-RAN 135, LMF 120 can support UE 105 positioning and can support positioning procedures / methods such as Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS), Observed Time Difference of Arrival (OTDOA) (e.g., Downlink (DL) OTDOA or Uplink (UL) OTDOA), Real-Time Kinematics (RTK), Precise Point Positioning (PPP), Differential GNSS (DGNSS), Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID), Angle of Arrival (AOA), Angle of Departure (AOD), and / or other positioning methods. LMF 120 can process location service requests for UE 105 received, for example, from AMF 115 or GMLC 125. LMF 120 can connect to AMF 115 and / or GMLC 125. LMF 120 can be referred to by other names, such as Location Manager (LM), Location Function (LF), Commercial LMF (CLMF), or Value-Added LMF (VLMF). Nodes / systems implementing LMF 120 can additionally or alternatively implement other types of location support modules, such as Enhanced Serving Mobile Location Center (E-SMLC) or Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) Location Platform (SLP).At least some positioning functions (including deriving the location of UE 105) can be performed at UE 105 (e.g., using signal measurements obtained by UE 105 against signals transmitted by radio nodes such as gNB110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114, and / or auxiliary data provided to UE 105, for example, by LMF 120). AMF 115 can be used as a control node, handling signaling between UE 105 and core network 140, and providing QoS (Quality of Service) streaming and session management. AMF 115 can support the mobility of UE 105, including cell changes and handovers, and can participate in supporting signaling connections to UE 105.

[0058] GMLC 125 can support location requests for UE 105 received from external client 130 and can forward such location requests to AMF 115, which in turn forwards them to LMF 120, or the location request can be forwarded directly to LMF 120. A location response from LMF 120 (e.g., containing a location estimate for UE 105) can be returned to GMLC 125 directly or via AMF 115, and GMLC 125 can then return the location response (e.g., containing a location estimate) to external client 130. GMLC 125 is shown connected to both AMF 115 and LMF 120, although in some implementations one of these connections may be supported by 5GC 140.

[0059] like Figure 1 As further illustrated, the LMF 120 can communicate with gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 using a new radio positioning protocol A (which may be referred to as NPPa or NRPPa), defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.455. NRPPa can be the same as, similar to, or an extension of the LTE Positioning Protocol A (LPPa) defined in 3GPP TS 36.455, where NRPPa messages are transmitted via AMF 115 between gNB 110a (or gNB 110b) and LMF 120, and / or between ng-eNB 114 and LMF 120. Figure 1As further illustrated, the LMF120 and UE 105 can communicate using the LTE Location Protocol (LPP), which is defined in 3GPP TS 36.355. The LMF120 and UE 105 can also, or alternatively, communicate using a new radio location protocol (which may be referred to as NPP or NRPP), which can be the same as, similar to, or extended from the LPP. Here, LPP and / or NPP messages can be transmitted between UE 105 and the LMF 120 via the AMF 115 and the serving gNB 110a, 110b, or serving ng-eNB 114 for UE 105. For example, LPP and / or NPP messages can be transmitted between the LMF 120 and AMF 115 using the 5G Location Services Application Protocol (LCS AP), and can be transmitted between the AMF 115 and UE 105 using the 5G Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocol. The LPP and / or NPP protocols can be used to support the location of UE 105 using UE-assisted and / or UE-based positioning methods (such as A-GNSS, RTK, OTDOA, and / or E-CID). The NRPPa protocol can be used to support the location of UE 105 using network-based positioning methods (such as E-CID) (e.g., when used with measurements obtained from gNB 110a, 110b, or ng-eNB 114), and / or can be used by LMF 120 to obtain location-related information from gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114, such as defining parameters for directional SS transmissions from gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114. LMF 120 can be quasi-co-located or integrated with gNB or TRP, or it can be located off-site from gNB and / or TRP setups and configured to communicate directly or indirectly with gNB and / or TRP.

[0060] Using a UE-assisted positioning method, UE 105 can obtain location measurements and send them to a location server (e.g., LMF 120) to calculate a location estimate for UE 105. For example, location measurements may include one or more of the following: Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), Round Trip signal propagation time (RTT), Reference Signal Time Difference (RSTD), Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP), and / or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) for gNB 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, and / or WLAN AP. Location measurements may also, or alternatively, include measurements of GNSS pseudorange, code phase, and / or carrier phase for SV 190-193.

[0061] Using a UE-based positioning method, UE 105 can obtain a location measurement (e.g., which may be the same as or similar to the location measurement of a UE-assisted positioning method) and can calculate the location of UE 105 (e.g., by means of auxiliary data received from a location server such as LMF 120 or broadcast by gNB 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114 or other base stations or APs).

[0062] Using a network-based positioning method, one or more base stations (e.g., gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114) or APs can obtain location measurements (e.g., measurements of RSSI, RTT, RSRP, RSRQ, or Time of Arrival (ToA) of signals transmitted by UE 105) and / or can receive measurements obtained by UE 105. One or more base stations or APs can send the measurements to a location server (e.g., LMF 120) to calculate the location estimate of UE 105.

[0063] The information provided to the LMF 120 by the gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114 using NRPPa may include timing and configuration information for directional SS transmissions and location coordinates. The LMF 120 may provide some or all of this information to the UE 105 as supplementary data in LPP and / or NPP messages via NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140.

[0064] The LPP or NPP message sent from LMF 120 to UE 105 can instruct UE 105 to do any of a variety of things according to the desired functionality. For example, the LPP or NPP message can contain instructions for UE 105 to obtain measurements of GNSS (or A-GNSS), WLAN, E-CID, and / or OTDOA (or some other positioning method). In the case of E-CID, the LPP or NPP message can instruct UE 105 to obtain one or more measurements of directional signals transmitted within a specific cell supported by one or more of gNB 110a, 110b, and / or ng-eNB 114 (or supported by some other type of base station such as eNB or WiFi AP) (e.g., beam ID, beamwidth, average angle, RSRP, RSRQ measurements). UE 105 can send measurements back to LMF 120 via service gNB 110a (or service ng-eNB 114) and AMF 115 in LPP or NPP messages (e.g., within 5G NAS messages).

[0065] As described above, although the communication system 100 is described in relation to 5G technology, the communication system 100 can be implemented to support other communication technologies, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, etc., for supporting and interacting with mobile devices such as UE 105 (e.g., implementing voice, data, location, and other functions). In some such embodiments, 5GC 140 can be configured to control different air interfaces. For example, 5GC 140 can use the non-3GPP interoperability function (N3IWF) in 5GC 150. Figure 1(Not shown) Connected to a WLAN. For example, the WLAN may support IEEE 802.11 WiFi access for UE 105 and may include one or more WiFi APs. Here, the N3IWF may connect to the WLAN and other components in 5GC 140, such as AMF115. In some embodiments, both NG-RAN 135 and 5GC 140 may be replaced by one or more other RANs and one or more other core networks. For example, in EPS, NG-RAN 135 may be replaced by E-UTRAN containing eNBs, and 5GC140 may be replaced by EPC containing Mobility Management Entity (MME) to replace AMF 115, E-SMLC to replace LMF 120, and GMLC similar to GMLC 125. In such EPS, E-SMLC may use LPPa instead of NRPPa to send location information to and receive location information from eNBs in E-UTRAN, and may use LPP to support UE 105's positioning. In these other embodiments, the positioning of UE 105 using directional PRS can be supported in a manner similar to that described herein for 5G networks, except that the functions and procedures described herein for gNB 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, AMF 115 and LMF120 can, in some cases, be alternatively applied to other network elements such as eNB, WiFi AP, MME and E-SMLC.

[0066] As mentioned, in some embodiments, the positioning function can be implemented at least in part using directional SS beams, which are directed by the UE whose location will be determined (e.g., Figure 1 The UE's location is transmitted from base stations (such as gNB 110a, 110b and / or ng-eNB 114) within its range. In some cases, the UE may use directional SS beams from multiple base stations (e.g., gNB 110a, 110b, ng-eNB 114, etc.) to calculate the UE's location.

[0067] Also refer to Figure 2UE 200 is an example of one of UEs 105 and 106, and includes a computing platform comprising a processor 210, a memory 211 including software (SW) 212, one or more sensors 213, a transceiver interface 214 for a transceiver 215 (including a wireless transceiver 240 and / or a wired transceiver 250), a user interface 216, a satellite positioning system (SPS) receiver 217, a camera 218, and a positioning device (PD) 219. The processor 210, memory 211, sensor(s) 213, transceiver interface 214, user interface 216, SPS receiver 217, camera 218, and positioning device 219 can be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 220 (which can be configured, for example, for optical and / or electrical communications). One or more of the illustrated components (e.g., camera 218, positioning device 219, and / or one or more sensors 213, etc.) may be omitted from UE 200. Processor 210 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), microcontroller, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. Processor 210 may include multiple processors, including a general-purpose / application processor 230, a digital signal processor (DSP) 231, a modem processor 232, a video processor 233, and / or a sensor processor 234. One or more of processors 230-234 may include multiple devices (e.g., multiple processors). For example, sensor processor 234 may include processors for, for example, radio frequency (RF) sensing (using one or more wireless signals to identify, map, and / or track objects) and / or ultrasound. Modem processor 232 may support dual SIM / dual connectivity (or even more SIMs). For example, one SIM (Subscriber Identity Module or Subscriber Identification Module) may be used by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), while another SIM may be used by the end user of UE 200 for connectivity. Memory 211 is a non-transitory storage medium, which may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. Memory 211 stores software 212, which may be processor-readable, processor-executable software code containing instructions configured to cause processor 210 to perform the various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, software 212 may not be executed directly by processor 210, but may be configured to cause processor 210 to perform functions, for example, when compiled and executed. This description may refer to processor 210 performing functions, but this includes other implementations, such as those in which processor 210 performs software and / or firmware. This description may refer to processor 210 performing functions as an abbreviation for one or more processors 230-234 performing functions. This description may refer to UE 200 performing functions as an abbreviation for one or more suitable components of UE 200 performing functions.In addition to and / or replacing memory 211, processor 210 may include memory with stored instructions. The functionality of processor 210 will be discussed more fully below.

[0068] Figure 2 The configuration of UE 200 shown is exemplary and not a limitation of this disclosure including the claims, and other configurations may be used. For example, an exemplary configuration of the UE includes one or more of processors 230-234 of processor 210, memory 211, and wireless transceiver 240. Other exemplary configurations include one or more of processors 230-234 of processor 210, memory 211, wireless transceiver 240, and one or more sensors 213, user interface 216, SPS receiver 217, camera 218, PD 219, and / or wired transceiver 250.

[0069] UE 200 may include a modem processor 232 capable of performing baseband processing on signals received and down-converted by transceiver 215 and / or SPS receiver 217. Modem processor 232 may also perform baseband processing on signals to be up-converted for transmission by transceiver 215. Alternatively, baseband processing may be performed by processor 230 and / or DSP 231. However, other configurations may be used to perform baseband processing.

[0070] UE 200 may include sensors 213, which may include, for example, one or more sensors of various types, such as one or more inertial sensors, one or more magnetometers, one or more environmental sensors, one or more optical sensors, one or more weight sensors, and / or one or more radio frequency (RF) sensors. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) may include, for example, one or more accelerometers (e.g., jointly responding to the three-dimensional acceleration of UE 200) and / or one or more gyroscopes. Sensors 213 may include one or more magnetometers to determine orientation (e.g., relative to magnetic north and / or true north), which may be used for any of a variety of purposes, such as supporting one or more compass applications. Environmental sensors may include, for example, one or more temperature sensors, one or more atmospheric pressure sensors, one or more ambient light sensors, one or more camera imagers, and / or one or more microphones. Sensors 213 may generate analog and / or digital signals, the indications of which may be stored in memory 211 and processed by DSP 231 and / or processor 230 to support one or more applications, such as applications for positioning and / or navigation operations.

[0071] The multiple sensors 213 can be used for relative position measurement, relative position determination, motion determination, etc. Information detected by the multiple sensors 213 can be used for motion detection, relative displacement, dead reckoning, sensor-based position determination, and / or sensor-assisted position determination. The multiple sensors 213 can be used to determine whether the UE 200 is stationary or moving, and / or whether to report certain useful information about the UE 200's mobility to the LMF 120. For example, based on information obtained / measured by the multiple sensors, the UE 200 can notify / report to the LMF 120 that the UE 200 has detected movement or that the UE 200 has moved, and report relative displacement / distance (e.g., via dead reckoning, or sensor-based position determination, or sensor-assisted position determination implemented by the multiple sensors 213). In another example, for relative positioning information, the sensors / IMU can be used to determine the angle and / or orientation of other devices relative to the UE 200, etc.

[0072] The IMU can be configured to provide measurements of the direction and / or velocity of motion of the UE 200, which can be used for relative position determination. For example, one or more accelerometers and / or one or more gyroscopes of the IMU can detect the linear acceleration and rotational velocity of the UE 200, respectively. The linear acceleration and rotational velocity measurements of the UE 200 can be integrated over time to determine the instantaneous direction and displacement of the UE 200. The instantaneous direction and displacement of motion can be integrated to track the position of the UE 200. For example, a reference position of the UE 200 can be determined for a period of time, for example using an SPS receiver 217 (and / or by some other means), and measurements from the accelerometers and gyroscopes obtained after that time can be used in dead reckoning to determine the current position of the UE 200 based on the movement (direction and distance) of the UE 200 relative to the reference position.

[0073] Multiple magnetometers can determine the magnetic field strength in different directions, which can be used to determine the orientation of the UE 200. For example, the orientation can be used to provide a digital compass for the UE 200. The magnetometers can be two-dimensional magnetometers configured to detect and provide indications of magnetic field strength in two orthogonal dimensions. Alternatively, the magnetometers can be three-dimensional magnetometers configured to detect and provide indications of magnetic field strength in three orthogonal dimensions. The magnetometers can provide means for sensing magnetic fields and providing magnetic field indications to, for example, the processor 210.

[0074] Transceiver 215 may include a wireless transceiver 240 and a wired transceiver 250, configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, wireless transceiver 240 may include a transmitter 242 and a receiver 244 coupled to one or more antennas 246 for transmitting (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more bypass channels) and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more downlink channels and / or one or more bypass channels) wireless signals 248, converting signals from wireless signals 248 into wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals, and from wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals into wireless signals 248. Therefore, transmitter 242 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or receiver 244 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 240 can be configured to support various radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Telephone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, and WiFi Direct (WiFi-D). The transceiver may use millimeter-wave frequencies and / or frequencies below 6 GHz to transmit signals (e.g., with TRP and / or one or more other devices). The new radio may use millimeter-wave frequencies and / or frequencies below 6 GHz. Wired transceiver 250 may include transmitter 252 and receiver 254 configured for wired communication, for example, with network 135. Transmitter 252 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or receiver 254 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. Wired transceiver 250 may be configured for, for example, optical communication and / or electrical communication. Transceiver 215 may be communicatively coupled to transceiver interface 214, for example, via optical and / or electrical connections. Transceiver interface 214 may be at least partially integrated with transceiver 215.

[0075] User interface 216 may include one or more of a plurality of devices, such as speakers, microphones, display devices, vibration devices, keyboards, touchscreens, etc. User interface 216 may include more than one of these devices. User interface 216 may be configured to enable a user to interact with one or more applications hosted by UE 200. For example, user interface 216 may store indications of analog and / or digital signals in memory 211 for processing by DSP 231 and / or general-purpose processor 230 in response to actions from the user. Similarly, applications hosted on UE 200 may store indications of analog and / or digital signals in memory 211 to present output signals to the user. User interface 216 may include audio input / output (I / O) devices, including, for example, speakers, microphones, digital-to-analog circuitry, analog-to-digital circuitry, amplifiers and / or gain control circuitry (including more than one of these devices). Other configurations of audio I / O devices may be used. Additionally or alternatively, user interface 216 may include one or more touch sensors that respond to touch and / or pressure on, for example, the keyboard and / or touchscreen of user interface 216.

[0076] SPS receiver 217 (e.g., a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver) is capable of receiving and acquiring SPS signal 260 via SPS antenna 262. Antenna 262 is configured to convert the wireless signal 260 into a wired signal, such as an electrical signal or an optical signal, and may be integrated with antenna 246. SPS receiver 217 may be configured to process the acquired SPS signal 260, in whole or in part, to estimate the location of UE 200. For example, SPS receiver 217 may be configured to use SPS signal 260 to determine the location of UE 200 by trilateration. In conjunction with SPS receiver 217, general-purpose processor 230, memory 211, DSP 231, and / or one or more dedicated processors (not shown) may be used to process the acquired SPS signal, in whole or in part, and / or calculate the estimated location of UE 200. Memory 211 may store indications (e.g., measurements) of SPS signal 260 and / or other signals (e.g., signals acquired from wireless transceiver 240) for use in performing positioning operations. A general-purpose processor 230, a DSP 231, and / or one or more dedicated processors and / or a memory 211 can provide or support a location engine for processing measurements to estimate the position of the UE 200.

[0077] UE 200 may include a camera 218 for capturing still or moving images. Camera 218 may include, for example, an imaging sensor (e.g., a charge-coupled device or a CMOS imager), a lens, analog-to-digital circuitry, a frame buffer, etc. General-purpose processor 230 and / or DSP 231 may perform additional processing, conditioning, encoding, and / or compression on the signals representing the captured images. Additionally or optionally, video processor 233 may perform conditioning, encoding, compression, and / or manipulation on the signals representing the captured images. Video processor 233 may decode / decompress stored image data for presentation on a display device (not shown), such as user interface 216.

[0078] Positioning device (PD) 219 may be configured to determine the location of UE 200, the movement of UE 200, and / or the relative position and / or time of UE 200. For example, PD 219 may communicate with, and / or include, some or all of SPS receivers 217. PD 219 may suitably operate in conjunction with processor 210 and memory 211 to perform at least a portion of one or more positioning methods, although the description herein may refer to PD 219 being configured to perform or be performing a positioning method. PD 219 may also, or alternatively, be configured to use land-based signals (e.g., at least some of signals 248) to determine the location of UE 200 for trilateration, to aid in obtaining and using SPS signal 260, or for both. PD 219 can be configured to determine the location of UE 200 using one or more other technologies (e.g., relying on the UE's self-reported location (e.g., part of the UE's location beacon)), and can use a combination of technologies (e.g., SPS and land positioning signals) to determine the location of UE 200. PD 219 may include one or more sensors 213 (e.g., gyroscopes, accelerometers, magnetometers, etc.) that can sense the orientation and / or motion of UE 200 and provide indications thereof, and processor 210 (e.g., processor 230 and / or DSP 231) can be configured to determine the motion of UE 200 (e.g., velocity vector and / or acceleration vector). PD 219 can be configured to provide indications of the uncertainty and / or error of the determined location and / or motion. The functionality of PD 219 can be provided in various ways and / or configurations, such as by general-purpose / application processor 230, transceiver 215, SPS receiver 262 and / or another component of UE 200, and can be provided by hardware, software, firmware, or various combinations thereof.

[0079] Also refer to Figure 3Examples of TRP 300 in BS 110a, 110b, and 114 include a computing platform comprising a processor 310, a memory 311 including software (SW) 312, and a transceiver 315. The processor 310, memory 311, and transceiver 315 may be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 320 (which may be configured for, for example, optical and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., wireless interfaces) may be omitted from the TRP 300. The processor 310 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The processor 310 may include multiple processors (e.g., including general-purpose / application processors, DSPs, modem processors, video processors, and / or sensor processors, such as… Figure 2 (As shown). Memory 311 is a non-transitory storage medium, which may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. Memory 311 stores software 312, which may be processor-readable and processor-executable software code containing instructions configured to cause processor 310 to perform the various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, software 312 may not be executed directly by processor 310, but may be configured to cause processor 310 to perform functions, for example, when compiled and executed. This description may refer to processor 310 performing functions, but this includes other implementations, such as processor 310 performing software and / or firmware. This description may refer to processor 310 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more processors included in processor 310 performing functions. This description may refer to TRP 300 performing functions as a shorthand for one or more suitable components of TRP 300 (and therefore one of BS 110a, 110b, 114) performing the function. In addition to and / or replacing memory 311, processor 310 may include memory with stored instructions. The functionality of processor 310 will be discussed more fully below.

[0080] Transceiver 315 may include a wireless transceiver 340 and a wired transceiver 350, configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, wireless transceiver 340 may include a transmitter 342 and a receiver 344 coupled to one or more antennas 346 for transmitting (e.g., on one or more uplink channels and / or one or more downlink channels) and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more downlink channels and / or one or more uplink channels) wireless signals 348, converting signals from wireless signals 348 into wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals, and converting wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals back into wireless signals 348. Therefore, transmitter 342 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or receiver 344 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 340 can be configured to support various radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Telephone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, and WiFi Direct (WiFi-D). The wired transceiver 350 may include a transmitter 352 and a receiver 354 configured for wired communication, for example, with network 135, to send and receive communications to and from LMF 120, for example. The transmitter 352 may include multiple transmitters, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the receiver 354 may include multiple receivers, which may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 350 may be configured for, for example, optical communication and / or electrical communication.

[0081] Figure 3 The configuration of TRP 300 shown is an example and not a limitation of this disclosure including the claims, and other configurations may be used. For example, the description herein discusses TRP 300 being configured to perform or perform several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by LMF 120 and / or UE 200 (i.e., LMF 120 and / or UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0082] Also refer to Figure 4Server 400, as an example of LMF 120, includes a computing platform comprising a processor 410, a memory 411 including software (SW) 412, and a transceiver 415. The processor 410, memory 411, and transceiver 415 can be communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 420 (which can be configured for, for example, optical and / or electrical communication). One or more of the illustrated devices (e.g., wireless interfaces) may be omitted from server 400. Processor 410 may include one or more intelligent hardware devices, such as a central processing unit (CPU), microcontroller, application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. Processor 410 may include multiple processors (e.g., including general-purpose / application processors, DSPs, modem processors, video processors, and / or sensor processors, such as… Figure 2 (As shown). Memory 411 is a non-transitory storage medium, which may include random access memory (RAM), flash memory, disk storage, and / or read-only memory (ROM), etc. Memory 411 stores software 412, which may be processor-readable and processor-executable software code containing instructions configured to cause processor 410 to perform the various functions described herein when executed. Alternatively, software 412 may not be executed directly by processor 410, but may be configured to cause processor 410 to perform functions, for example, when compiled and executed. This description may refer to processor 410 performing functions, but this includes other implementations, such as processor 410 performing software and / or firmware. This description may refer to processor 410 performing functions as an abbreviation of one or more processors included in processor 410 performing the function. This description may refer to server 400 performing functions as an abbreviation of one or more suitable components of server 400 performing the function. In addition to and / or instead of memory 411, processor 410 may include memory with stored instructions. The functionality of processor 410 will be discussed more fully below.

[0083] Transceiver 415 may include a wireless transceiver 440 and a wired transceiver 450, configured to communicate with other devices via wireless and wired connections, respectively. For example, wireless transceiver 440 may include a transmitter 442 and a receiver 444 coupled to one or more antennas 446 for transmitting (e.g., on one or more downlink channels) and / or receiving (e.g., on one or more uplink channels) wireless signals 448, converting signals from wireless signals 448 into wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals, and from wired (e.g., electrical and / or optical) signals into wireless signals 448. Therefore, transmitter 442 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or receiver 444 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wireless transceiver 440 can be configured to support various radio access technologies (RATs) such as 5G New Radio (NR), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), AMPS (Advanced Mobile Telephone System), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE Direct (LTE-D), 3GPP LTE-V2X (PC5), IEEE 802.11 (including IEEE 802.11p), WiFi, and WiFi Direct (WiFi-D). The wired transceiver 450 may include a transmitter 452 and a receiver 454, configured for wired communication, for example, with network 135, to send and receive communications to and from TRP 300, for example. The transmitter 452 may include multiple transmitters that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components, and / or the receiver 454 may include multiple receivers that may be discrete components or combined / integrated components. The wired transceiver 450 may be configured for, for example, optical communication and / or electrical communication.

[0084] Processor 410 (possibly in conjunction with memory 411, and, where appropriate, with one or more portions of transceiver 415) includes DRX configuration unit 460. DRX configuration unit 460 can be configured to determine and / or provide configuration information to configure the UE's measurement behavior based on DL-PRS relative to DRX ON time, and / or to configure the UE's location information reporting based on the timing of location information reports (e.g., PRS reports) relative to DRX ON time. The functionality of DRX configuration unit 460 will be discussed further below, and this description may generally refer to processor 410 or server 400 as performing any function of DRX configuration unit 460.

[0085] Figure 4 The configuration of server 400 shown herein is illustrative and does not limit the scope of this disclosure, including the claims, and other configurations may be used. For example, wireless transceiver 440 may be omitted. Furthermore or alternatively, the description herein discusses server 400 being configured to perform or perform several functions, but one or more of these functions may be performed by TRP 300 and / or UE 200 (i.e., TRP 300 and / or UE 200 may be configured to perform one or more of these functions).

[0086] refer to Figure 5 and further reference Figures 1-4 As Figure 2 The example UE 200 shown includes a processor 510, an interface 520, and a memory 530 that are communicatively coupled to each other via a bus 540. UE 500 may include... Figure 5 The components shown may include one or more other components, such as Figure 2 Any components shown. Interface 520 may include one or more components of transceiver 215, such as wireless transmitter 242 and antenna 246, or wireless receiver 244 and antenna 246, or wireless transmitter 242, wireless receiver 244, and antenna 246. Additionally or alternatively, interface 520 may include wired transmitter 252 and / or wired receiver 254. Memory 530 may be configured similarly to memory 211, for example, including software with processor-readable instructions configured to cause processor 510 to perform functions. The description herein may refer to processor 510 performing functions, but this includes other implementations such as processor 510 performing software (stored in memory 530) and / or firmware. The description herein may refer to the UE 500 performing the function as a shorthand for one or more appropriate components of the UE 500 performing the function (e.g., processor 510 and memory 530). Processor 510 (possibly in conjunction with memory 530 and, where appropriate, interface 520) includes a DRX time management unit 550 configured to receive DRX configuration information from TRP 300 (e.g., a serving TRP) and use the received DRX configuration information to implement DRX. For example, the DRX configuration information may include a DRX cycle, a DRX ON duration timer, a DRX inactivity timer, a DRX retransmission timer, a short DRX cycle, and a DRX short cycle timer. DRX time management unit 550 can use the configuration information to control DRX ON and DRX OFF times. In this example, DRX time management unit 550 may be configured to select an inactivity timer start / reset mechanism and / or timer duration value based on the triggering conditions and fallback design described herein.

[0087] refer to Figure 6 The diagram illustrates an example timing diagram 600 of an inactive timer in a discontinuous reception cycle. Timing diagram 600 represents a general concept of a connected mode DRX scheme. UE 500 can receive one or more information elements in a configuration object, and DRX time management unit 550 can be configured to operate in connected mode DRX. Inactive timer value 602 can be an information element and can be started / restarted after PDCCH reception 604. Assuming inactive timer 602 expires, there may be a period of DRX cycle 606 consisting of alternating active periods 608 and inactive periods 610. The duration of DRX cycle 606 is configurable. For example, after PDCCH reception 604 is completed, a short DRX cycle can initially be used because the probability of further activity may be greater during the time window immediately following the activity. This probability can decrease as the inactive period increases, and the duration of the inactive period 610 of DRX cycle 606 can also be increased. The duration of the inactivity timer 602 is configurable and can be, for example, in the range of 1, 10, 20, 10, 50, or 2560 milliseconds. Since the UE 500 and the corresponding receive chain are active during the duration of the inactivity timer 602, and the processor 510 must perform blind decoding of the PDCCH, the UE 500 may waste power whenever the inactivity timer 602 is set to an unnecessarily long duration. The expiration of the inactivity timer 602 is a condition that enables the UE 500 to enter the DRX inactive mode corresponding to the inactivity period 610. That is, when the inactivity timer 602 expires and no other active timers (e.g., DRX ON duration timers, DRX retransmission timers, etc.) are running, the UE 500 can enter the DRX inactive mode. If other timers are running, the UE 500 can remain in active mode after the inactivity timer 602 expires.

[0088] refer to Figure 7 Example timing diagram 700 shows an inactive timer following uplink communication during a discontinuous receive cycle. In the example, an inactive timer 702 can be implemented after a transmit period 704. For example, transmit period 704 may include transmitting uplink data on the PUSCH. The duration of the inactive timer 702 can also be configurable and can be in the range of, for example, 1, 10, 20, 10, 50, or 2560 milliseconds. Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, inactive timers can be used after uplink and downlink periods, so the inefficiencies associated with extended inactive timer durations may occur in both types of activity.

[0089] Reference Figure 8and further refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7 The diagram illustrates an example timing diagram 800 for restarting an inactive timer after communication during the duration of an inactive timer in a discontinuous receive cycle. Timing diagram 800 includes two example trigger points, such as a first trigger 802 and a second trigger 804. In the example, the first trigger 802 could be the completion of PDCCH communication at time t1, which starts an initial inactive timer 806. The initial inactive timer 806 can be configured to extend the duration from time t1 to time t3, as shown in Figure 800. The second trigger 804 can be detected at an intermediate time t2. For example, the second trigger 804 could be the reception of a new MAC-CE on the PDSCH. Upon detection of the second trigger 804, the DRX time management unit 550 can be configured to restart the inactive timer 808 starting from time t2. The duration of the restarted inactive timer 808 can be the same as the duration of the initial inactive timer 806 (i.e., t3-t1 = t4-t2). As a result of the restart, the duration of the inactive timer may unnecessarily extend from time t3 to t4.

[0090] refer to Figure 9An example timing diagram 900 for a trigger-based inactive timer in a discontinuous receive cycle is shown. In an embodiment, the DRX time management unit 550 can be configured to select the duration of the inactive timer 902 based on a trigger 904. The trigger 904 can be categorized based on the traffic associated with uplink and downlink communications. The trigger 904 can be Layer 1 communication, such as downlink control information (DCI) on a PDCCH, Layer 2 communication, such as MAC-CE on a PDSCH, or Layer 3 communication, such as RRC or higher-layer control messages. In the example, the PDSCH can carry one or more MAC-Packet Data Units (MAC-PDUs), each MAC-PDU being a MAC-CE or a MAC-Service Data Unit (MAC-SDU) sub-PDU. In operation, the trigger 904 can be the receipt of a PDCCH with newly scheduled downlink and / or uplink data transmission, and the inactive timer 902 can be set to a standard value (e.g., a pre-configured value based on a received DRX configuration information element). DRX time management unit 550 can be configured to modify the duration of inactivity timer 902 when trigger 904 is associated with a related exception. For example, when a new DL transmission includes a MAC-CE, or a UL transmission includes a MAC-CE or higher-level control message, the resulting duration of inactivity timer 902 can be set to a lower value or zero (i.e., the UE can enter DRX inactivity mode after trigger 904). Typically, MAC-CEs do not include payload information, and it is likely that no additional communication will be sent or received by the UE. Therefore, the duration of inactivity timer 902 can be set to zero or a nominal value (e.g., less than 5 milliseconds). However, this general rule may be an exception if a particular MAC-CE is associated with additional data transmission. In the example, a MAC-CE or other higher-level control message may include an explicit indication of an expected additional payload.

[0091] A reception on the PDSCH can be trigger 904, and the DRX time management unit 550 can be configured to set an inactive timer 902 based on a reception on the PDSCH. Exceptions may be made to trigger 904 associated with a single burst transmission, such as when a new DL communication is a MAC-PDU and it contains one or more MAC-CEs or one or more MAC-SDUs, where each MAC-C or MAC-SDU may contain a control message (level 3) or a report message. The DRX time management unit 550 can be configured to determine different start points for the inactive timer 902. For example, the start point may be based on the first symbol, the last symbol, or the first symbol after the first symbol of the PDSCH, and the first symbol, the last symbol, or the first symbol after the first symbol of the ACK of the PDSCH carrying the MAC-CE, or a combination thereof.

[0092] In the example, trigger 904 could be a transmission on the PUSCH, and the DRX time management unit 550 could be configured to set the inactive timer 902 based on the PUSCH transmission. Exceptions can also be made for burst-type transmissions, such as when a new UL message is a MAC-PDU and contains a MAC-CE or higher-level message. In the example, the PUSCH could carry one or more MAC-PDUs, each of which could be a MAC-subPDU, which could be a MAC-CE or a MAC-SDU. The DRX time management unit 550 could be configured to set the duration of the inactive timer 902 to zero, or to a level less than the inactive timer value associated with the transmission on the PUSCH. However, such an exception might be inappropriate if the MAC-CE contains a UL grant request or a Buffer Status Report (BSR). In this case, the DRX time management unit 550 could be configured to treat the UL grant request as a general new UL transmission and set the inactive timer 902 to a non-zero overflow / reset value (e.g., 1-2560 milliseconds).

[0093] In this embodiment, the PDCCH can schedule multiple downlink and uplink transmissions (e.g., up to eight). In this example, each transmission can be evaluated as triggering 904, and the described exceptions can be applied on a transmission-by-transmission basis. Therefore, the inactivity timer 902 can have different values ​​for each scheduled downlink and uplink transmission.

[0094] refer to Figure 10 This illustrates an example timing diagram 1000 based on the trigger-based inactive timer backoff value in a discontinuous reception loop. Timing diagram 1000 includes a first trigger 1002 and a first inactive timer 1004. The duration of the first inactive timer 1004 can be based on the properties of the first trigger 1002, such as... Figure 9As described in [the document]. The second trigger 1006 occurs within the duration of the first inactive timer 1004. For example, the first trigger 1002 could be the receipt of a PDCCH with a new scheduling of downlink or uplink data transmission at time t1. The DRX time management unit 550 is configured to utilize the first inactive timer 1004 for a duration of T1. The second trigger 1006 can be based on, for example, a new downlink PDCCH, a new downlink MAC-CE on the PDSCH, or an uplink MAC-CE (or higher-layer control message) on the PUSCH, or other traffic that can be classified by the DRX time management unit 550. The second trigger 1006 occurs at time t2, which is within the duration of the first inactive timer 1004. In response to the second trigger 1006, the DRX time management unit 550 can be configured to roll back the inactive timer based on the nature of the communication. In the example, the second trigger 1006 could cause the inactive timer to roll back to its original value. For example, based on the timer type (e.g., increment / decrement), the backoff value can be minimum (t1, t2) or maximum (t1, t2). In the example, the second duration T2 can be a second inactive timer 1008, whose duration can be longer or shorter than the first inactive timer 1004. For example, the second inactive timer 1008 can be based on... Figure 10 The value Δt 1010 is depicted (i.e., t2-t1), and the DRX time management unit 550 can be configured to roll back an inactive timer to a value equal to t1 + / - Δt based on the timer type (e.g., increment / decrement). In the example, the DRX time management unit 550 may not reset the first inactive timer 1004, which would cause the inactive timer to run until the duration of the first inactive timer 1004 ends (e.g., T1). In another example, a second trigger 1006 may cause the DRX time management unit 550 to stop the first inactive timer and set the inactive timer value to zero or a default value (i.e., based on whether the timer is an incrementing or decrementing timer). The first and second triggers 1002, 1006 are examples and not limitations. In operation, times t1 and t2 can be based on the first symbol, the last symbol, or the first symbol after the first symbol of the PDSCH, and the first symbol, the last symbol, or the first symbol after the first symbol of the ACK of the PDSCH carrying the MAC-CE, or a combination thereof.

[0095] Reference Figure 11Example data structure 1100 based on inactive timer values ​​triggered during a discontinuous reception cycle is shown. Data structure 1100 may be a data table with records including fields such as trigger condition 1102 and inactive timer value 1104. Data structure 1100 may be a relational database (e.g., SQL, Oracle, dBase, etc.) or a table in one or more flat files (e.g., XML, JSON, CSV, etc.). Data structure 1100 may be stored in the memory 530 of UE 500 or on network resources such as LMF 120 and may be provided to UE 500 via network signaling (e.g., DCI, MAC-CE, RRC, or higher-level message delivery). Trigger condition 1102 is a function of a service type, such as communication associated with triggers 904, 1002, 1006, and inactive timer value 1104 is inactive timer 902, 1004, 1008 associated with trigger condition 1102. The inactive timer value 1104 can be set to any value, but is typically in the range of 0 milliseconds to 2560 milliseconds. Other time values ​​can also be used. In operation, the DRX time management unit 550 can be configured to query data structure 1100 based on trigger condition 1102 and determine the inactive timer value 1104. Trigger condition 1102 and inactive timer value 1104 are examples, as additional business types (i.e., trigger conditions) and inactive timer values ​​can be used. As an example, the inactive timer value 1104 is listed in descending order in data structure 1100. For example, the relationship between inactive timer values ​​1104 could be x1>=x2>=x3>=x4>=x5. In another example, the relative relationship could be x1=x2=x3>x4=x5=0. These relationships are examples, not limitations. Other trigger conditions, inactive timer values, and relationships can be used.

[0096] refer to Figure 12Table 1200 illustrates example triggering conditions for an inactive timer in a discontinuous reception cycle. Table 1200 is an example use case with a Position Reference Signal (PRS), but other messages can also be used. UE 500 can be configured (statically and / or dynamically) to send Layer 1 and Layer 2 (e.g., L1 / L2) reports including positioning information based on various combinations of PRS configurations. For example, the PRS and reporting configurations can be periodic (P), semi-persistent (SP), and asynchronous (A). As shown, in the case where periodic DL-PRS and UE 500 are configured for periodic positioning reports, there may be no dynamic triggering / activation of positioning reports by UE 500, and the positioning reports can be provided by UE 500 using PUSCH (in Layer 2). In this process, based on PUSCH transmission, the inactive timer value 1104 can be 'x4' or 'x5'. When the periodic DL-PRS and UE 500 are configured for semi-persistent location reporting, the report can be triggered by the DCI via PDCCH, and the location report can be provided by the UE 500 using PUSCH. Furthermore, the MAC-CE trigger can be a PDSCH channel control signal qualified as 'x4', and the report can be provided by the UE 500 using PUSCH (on Layer 1 or Layer 2), which is qualified as 'x5' as the inactivity timer value 1104 (which can be zero or a nominal value) to suppress the inactivity timer. When the periodic DL-PRS and UE 500 are configured for semi-persistent location reporting, the report can be triggered by the DCI via PDCCH, and the report is provided using PUSCH (on Layer 1 or Layer 2). If the DCI includes triggering for a location report with UL authorization, a new UL transmission (e.g., MAC-PDU) includes the PRS-related report. The inactivity timer value 1104 can then be 'x5' (which can be zero or a nominal value) to suppress the inactivity timer. If DL-PRS is scheduled for semi-persistent transmission and UE 500 is configured for periodic location reporting, UE 500 will not provide periodic location reports. In the case of semi-persistent DL-PRS and UE 500 configured for semi-persistent location reporting, the report can be triggered by DCI via PDCCH, and the report is provided using PUSCH (on Layer 1 or Layer 2). Furthermore, MAC-CE can be used to activate semi-persistent location reporting, and this report can be provided by UE 500 using PUSCH. Using MAC-CE communication as a trigger condition, the inactive timer value 1104 can be 'x5' (which can be zero or a nominal value) to suppress the inactive timer.The "x5" timer value 1104 can be used with a PUSCH that has control signals (e.g., UCI in the PUSCH) or with a PUSCH that has one-off reports (e.g., L1 reports as UCI) or L2 reports (i.e., MAC-CE). When the semi-persistent DL-PRS and UE 500 are configured for aperiodic location reporting, the report can be triggered by the DCI via the PDCCH, and the report is provided using the PUSCH (on Layer 1 or Layer 2). If the DCI includes triggering of a location report with UL authorization, a new UL transmission (e.g., MAC-PDU) includes the PRS-related report. The inactive timer value 1104 can then be 'x5' (which can be a nominal value) to suppress the inactive timer. If the DL-PRS is scheduled for aperiodic transmissions, and the UE 500 is configured for periodic or semi-persistent location reporting, the UE 500 will not provide location reports. When aperiodic DL-PRS and UE 500 are configured for aperiodic location reporting, the report can be triggered by the DCI via the PDCCH, and the report is provided using the PUSCH (on Layer 1 or Layer 2). If the DCI includes triggering of a location report with UL authorization, a new UL transmission (e.g., MAC-PDU) includes the PRS-related report. The inactivity timer value 1104 can then be 'x5' (which can be a nominal value) to suppress the inactivity timer.

[0097] Reference Figure 13 and further refer to Figures 1-12 Method 1300 for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode includes the stages shown. Method 1300 is an example, as stages can be added, rearranged, and / or removed.

[0098] In phase 1302, the method includes operating the user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, which includes a DRX active mode for monitoring network channels and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment is not monitoring network channels. UE500 is an apparatus for operating in DRX mode. Reference Figure 6UE 500 is configured to operate in DRX mode, which has alternating active periods 608 (i.e., DRX active mode) and inactive periods 610 (i.e., DRX inactive mode). For example, during active period 608, UE 500 can be configured to monitor the PDCCH, while during inactive period 610, UE 500 does not monitor the PDCCH. DRX mode may also include an inactive timer 602, which can be started / restarted after communication with the network during active period 608. The expiration of inactive timer 602 is a condition that allows UE 500 to enter DRX inactive mode. When inactive timer 602 expires and no other active timers (e.g., DRX ON duration timer, DRX retransmission timer, etc.) are running, UE 500 can enter DRX inactive mode. If other timers are running, UE 500 can remain in active mode after inactive timer 602 expires.

[0099] In phase 1304, the method includes determining triggering conditions based on communication with the network. UE 500 is an apparatus for determining the triggering conditions. During DRX activity periods, UE 500 may monitor PDCCH message transmissions, such as DCI messages (e.g., Layer 1). UE 500 may also be configured to provide uplink messages via PUSCH during DRX activity periods. Processor 510 may be configured to determine the triggering conditions based on the nature of the communication traffic, specifically, based on the probability of exchanging additional data payloads. For example, MAC-CE is typically a control signal and is not associated with additional data payloads. (Reference) Figure 11 As an example, triggering conditions may include communications on the following channels that indicate the conditions: DL control messages on the PDCCH, DL messages with data on the PDSCH, UL messages with data on the PUSCH, DL control signals on the PDSCH, and UL control signals on the PUSCH. In this example, the DL control signal may be a DL PAC-PDU containing one or more MAC-CEs. Triggering conditions may be further based on additional factors, such as whether the MAC-CE contains a UL licensing request.

[0100] At stage 1306, the method includes determining an inactive timer value based on triggering conditions. UE 500 is an apparatus for determining the inactive timer value. The network may provide an inactive timer information element in a configuration message (e.g., transmitted via an RRC message), and processor 510 may be configured to use the received inactive timer information as a default inactive timer value 602. In one embodiment, processor 510 may use the default inactive timer value for some triggering conditions, while zero (or a nominal value) may be used for others. For example, DL control messages on PDCCH, DL messages with data on PDSCH, and UL messages with data on PUSCH may utilize the default inactive timer value. DL control signals on PDSCH and UL control signals on PUSCH may use zero or a nominal value for the inactive timer duration. A MAC-CE command with a UL license request may be considered as a new PUSCH triggered with new data (i.e., utilizing the default inactive timer value). In another embodiment, processor 510 may be configured to determine the inactive timer value based on a data structure (such as data structure 1100). Data structures can be received from the network via RRC, LPP, or other network signaling. Processor 510 can be configured to select an inactive timer value 1104 based on trigger condition 1102.

[0101] In phase 1308, the method includes operating the user equipment in DRX active mode during the duration of an inactivity timer value, and operating the user equipment in DRX inactive mode after the duration of the inactivity timer value. UE500 is an apparatus for operating in both DRX active and DRX inactive modes. (Reference) Figure 9 As an example, UE 500 is configured to monitor the PDCCH (i.e., remain in DRX active mode) for the duration of inactivity timer 902 (i.e., as determined in phase 1306). In this example, the duration of inactivity timer 902 can be zero (or a nominal value), and UE 500 can enter DRX inactivity mode (i.e., will not monitor the PDCCH) until the next scheduled DRX active mode. In one embodiment, reference... Figure 10During the inactive timer period, UE 500 may send data to or / and receive data from the network, which can be evaluated as a second trigger 1006. Processor 510 can be configured to evaluate the second trigger and apply a fallback condition. In an example, the fallback design could be to restart the inactive timer based on the second trigger 1006. Another exemplary fallback design could include allowing the original inactive timer (i.e., the first inactive timer 1004) to expire as scheduled. Another exemplary fallback design could be to cancel the inactive timer and enter DRX inactive mode after evaluating the second trigger. Another exemplary fallback design could be to set the inactive timer back by a time amount (i.e., the fallback time) that would keep the UE in DRX active mode for an amount of time equal to the remaining time on the original inactive timer plus the fallback time. For example, based on the type of timer (e.g., decrementing / increasing), the fallback timer could be a time period equal to t1 + / - Δt. The backoff time can be based on the nature of the second trigger 1006, such that the PDCCH signal will have a longer backoff time than the PDSCH and PUSCH with new data, as described above for the inactivity timer values. In the example, data structure 1100 may include a new field indicating the backoff time for each trigger condition 1102. In one embodiment, the expiration of the inactivity timer 602 is a necessary condition for enabling UE 500 to enter DRX inactivity mode, but not the only sufficient condition. Other timers, such as the DRX ON duration timer and the DRX retransmission timer, can delay UE 500 entering inactivity period 610.

[0102] refer to Figure 14 and further reference Figures 1-12 Method 1400 for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception mode includes the phases shown. However, method 1400 is an example and not a limitation. Method 1400 can be modified, for example, by adding, removing, rearranging, combining, concurrently executing phases, and / or dividing a single phase into multiple phases.

[0103] In phase 1402, the method includes operating the user equipment in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, which includes a DRX active mode for monitoring network channels and a DRX inactive mode in which the user equipment does not monitor network channels. UE500 is an apparatus for operating in DRX mode. Reference Figure 6UE 500 is configured to operate in DRX mode, which has alternating active periods 608 (i.e., DRX active mode) and inactive periods 610 (i.e., DRX inactive mode). DRX mode may also include an inactive timer 602, which can be started / restarted after communication with the network during active period 608. The expiration of inactive timer 602 is a condition that allows UE 500 to enter DRX inactive mode. When inactive timer 602 expires and no other active timers (e.g., DRX ON duration timer, DRX retransmission timer, etc.) are running, UE 500 can enter DRX inactive mode. If other timers are running, UE 500 can remain in active mode after inactive timer 602 expires.

[0104] In phase 1404, the method includes communicating with the network in DRX active mode. UE 500 is an apparatus for communicating with the network. UE 500 is configured to monitor the PDCCH during active periods and can also receive and transmit data on other UL and DL channels in DRX active mode. For example, communication may include DL control messages on the PDCCH, DL messages with data on the PDSCH, UL messages with data on the PUSCH, DL control signals on the PDSCH, and UL control signals on the PUSCH. Other UL communications, such as UL license requests and BSR reports, may occur in DRX active mode.

[0105] In phase 1406, the method includes determining whether the communication is a control message. Processor 510 is an means for determining whether the communication is a control message. In the example, UE 500 may send and receive control messages with the network. Control messages may be Layer 2 or Layer 3 messages on PDSCH and PUSCH, such as MAC-CE or higher layer control messages (e.g., RRC, LPP). Typically, control messages are single transmission events and do not depend on additional data payloads (e.g., subsequent transmissions). However, there are exceptions, and in phase 1408, processor 510 may be configured to determine whether the control message includes an uplink grant request. For example, a MAC Random Access Request (MAC RAR) may include UL grant. A MAC-PDU may include both MAC-CE and MAC-SDU and therefore may not be considered a control message. Other Layer 2 and Layer 3 messages may be associated with subsequent reports, which processor 510 may use as a basis for determining an inactivity timer value. In phase 1410, the method includes setting the duration of the inactivity timer value to zero if the control message does not include an uplink grant request. In the example, when the control message is decoded and it is determined that no additional message delivery or reporting is required, the UE 500 can switch to DRX inactive mode (i.e., not monitoring the PDCCH).

[0106] In phase 1412, the method includes determining an inactivity timer value. Processor 510 is an means for determining the inactivity timer value. In one embodiment, if the communication is not a control message, processor 510 may be configured to assign a default inactivity timer value based on network configuration, or another previously stored value. In one embodiment, processor 510 may determine the inactivity timer value with more granularity (such as using data structure 110). That is, communication or uplink permission may be evaluated as trigger condition 1102, and processor 510 is configured to select the corresponding inactivity timer value 1104. In phase 1414, the method includes remaining in DRX active mode for a period equal to the inactivity timer value. In the example, the inactivity timer value may be a non-zero value (e.g., in the range of 1-2560 milliseconds). When in active mode, UE 500 may monitor the PDCCH for additional services. When the inactivity timer expires, in phase 1410, UE 500 may switch to inactive mode.

[0107] refer to Figure 15 and further reference Figures 1-14 Method 1500 for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode includes the phases shown. However, method 1500 is an example and not a limitation. Method 1500 can be modified, for example, by adding phases and / or dividing a single phase into multiple phases.

[0108] In phase 1502, the method includes operating the user equipment in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, which includes a DRX active mode for monitoring network channels and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment is not monitoring network channels, wherein the DRX active mode includes an inactive timer duration. UE 500 is an apparatus for operating in DRX mode. Reference Figure 6 UE 500 is configured to operate in DRX mode, which has alternating active periods 608 (i.e., DRX active mode) and inactive periods 610 (i.e., DRX inactive mode). DRX mode also includes an inactive timer 602, which can be started / restarted after communication with the network during active period 608. The expiration of inactive timer 602 is a condition that allows UE 500 to enter DRX inactive mode. When inactive timer 602 expires and no other active timers (e.g., DRX ON duration timer, DRX retransmission timer, etc.) are running, UE 500 can enter DRX inactive mode. If other timers are running, UE 500 can remain in active mode after inactive timer 602 expires.

[0109] In phase 1504, the method includes communicating with the network during the duration of an inactive timer. UE 500 is an apparatus for communicating with the network. In the example, reference... Figure 10 UE 500 can be configured to remain active for the duration of the first inactivity timer 1004. Subsequent communication can occur at time t2, which is within the duration of the first inactivity timer 1004. The communication can be, for example, a new DL PDCCH, a new DL MAC-CE on the PDSCH, or a ULMAC-CE (or a higher-layer control message) on the PUSCH.

[0110] In stage 1506, the method includes determining a trigger condition based on communication during the inactivity timer duration. UE 500 is the means for determining the trigger condition. During the inactivity timer period, UE 500 is in active mode and can monitor the PDCCH (e.g., DCI) used for message transmission. The DCI can indicate other DL transmissions, such as MAC-CE or higher-layer message transmissions. UE 500 can also be configured to provide uplink messages via PUSCH. Processor 510 can be configured to determine the trigger condition based on the nature of the communication, specifically, based on the probability of exchanging additional data payloads. For example, MAC-CE is typically a control signal and is not associated with additional data payloads. (Reference) Figure 11As an example, triggering conditions may include communications on the following channels with the indicated conditions: DL messages on the PDCCH, DL messages on the PDSCH with data, UL messages on the PUSCH with data, DL control signals on the PDSCH, and UL control signals on the PUSCH. Triggering conditions may be further based on additional factors, such as whether the MAC-CE contains a UL licensing request.

[0111] In stage 1508, the method includes determining an inactive timer backoff value based on a trigger condition. Processor 510 is a means for determining the inactive timer backoff value. In the example, reference... Figure 10 The rollback value can be configured to restart an inactive timer based on a second trigger 1006. In the example, the second trigger 1006 can cause the inactive timer to roll back to its original value. For example, based on the timer type (e.g., decrement / increment), the rollback value can be a minimum (t1, t2) or a maximum (t1, t2). The rollback value can be configured to cancel the first inactive timer 1004 and reset the inactive timer (i.e., put the timer into inactive mode). The rollback value can be configured to set the inactive timer back to a time amount that will keep the UE500 in DRX active mode for an amount equal to the remaining time on the original inactive timer plus the rollback value. For example, the inactive timer value can roll back to a value equal to t1 + / - Δt based on the timer type (e.g., decrement / increment). The rollback value can be based on the nature of the service associated with the second trigger 1006, such that the PDCCH signal will have a larger rollback value than the PDSCH and PUSCH with new data, as described above for the inactive timer value. In the example, data structure 1100 may include a new field indicating a fallback value for each triggering condition 1102.

[0112] In phase 1510, the method includes operating the user equipment in either DRX active or DRX inactive mode based on an inactivity timer backoff value. UE 500 is an apparatus for operating in both active and inactive modes. The backoff value determined in phase 1508 can be used to modify the current inactivity timer, which can result in appending or truncating the duration of DRX active mode operation. Therefore, when the inactivity timer is active, UE 500 will remain in DRX active mode. When the inactivity timer expires, DRX time management unit 550 is configured to set the inactivity timer value to zero or a default value (e.g., based on whether the inactivity timer is an incrementing or decrementing timer), and UE 500 will enter DRX inactive mode (i.e., not monitoring network channels). In one embodiment, the expiration of inactivity timer 602 is a necessary condition for UE 500 to enter DRX inactive mode, but not the only sufficient condition. Other timers, such as a DRX ON duration timer and a DRX retransmission timer, can delay UE 500 entering inactive period 610.

[0113] Reference Figure 16 and further refer to Figure 1-12 Method 1600 for configuring discontinuous reception (DRX) mode in a mobile device includes the stages shown. Method 1600 is an example, as stages can be added, rearranged, and / or removed.

[0114] In phase 1602, the method includes evaluating communications with the network. The DRX time management unit 550 is an apparatus for evaluating communications with the network. In the example, during DRX active periods, the UE 500 may monitor message transmissions on the PDCCH, such as DCI messages (e.g., Layer 1). The UE 500 may also be configured to provide uplink messages via the PUSCH during DRX active periods. The processor 510 may be configured to evaluate these communications based on the nature of the communication traffic, specifically, based on the probability of exchanging additional data payloads. For example, MAC-CEs are typically control signals and are not associated with additional data payloads. Other examples of communications include DL control messages on the PDCCH, DL messages with data on the PDSCH, UL messages with data on the PUSCH, DL control signals on the PDSCH, and UL control signals on the PUSCH. In the example, a DL control signal may be a DL MAC-PDU containing one or more MAC-CEs. The evaluation of communications may be further based on additional factors, such as whether the MAC-CE contains a UL license request.

[0115] At stage 1604, the method includes setting the inactive timer duration based on communication with the network. The DRX time management unit 550 is an apparatus for setting the inactive timer duration. In the example, the network may provide an inactive timer information element in a configuration message (e.g., transmitted via an RRC message), and the processor 510 may be configured to use the received inactive timer information as the default duration for the inactive timer value 602. The processor 510 may be configured to use the default inactive timer duration for some communications and zero duration (or nominal value) for others. For example, DL control messages on the PDCCH, DL messages with data on the PDSCH, and UL messages with data on the PUSCH may utilize the default inactive timer duration. The DL control signal on the PDSCH and the UL control signal on the PUSCH may use zero or nominal values ​​for the inactive timer duration. A MAC-CE command with a UL license request may be treated as a new PUSCH triggered with new data (i.e., utilizing the default inactive timer duration). In another embodiment, the processor 510 may be configured to determine the inactive timer duration based on a data structure (such as data structure 1100). Data structures can be received from the network via RRC, LPP, or other network signaling. Processor 510 can be configured to select an inactive timer value 1104 based on trigger condition 1102.

[0116] Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software and computers, the above-described functions can be implemented using software executed by a processor, hardware, firmware, hardwired, or any combination thereof. Features implementing the functions can also be physically located in various locations, including being distributed such that some functions are implemented in different physical locations.

[0117] Unless otherwise stated, the functional or other components shown in the accompanying drawings and / or discussed herein that are interconnected or communicating with each other are communicatively coupled. That is, they may be directly or indirectly connected to enable communication between them.

[0118] As used herein, unless otherwise stated, a statement that a function or operation is “based on” an item or condition means that the function or operation is based on said item or condition and may be based on one or more items and / or conditions other than said item or condition.

[0119] As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” also include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms “comprising,” “including…,” “including,” and / or “including…” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0120] Furthermore, as used herein, the "or" used in a list of items beginning with "at least one" or "one or more" indicates a separate list, such that a list such as "at least one of A, B, or C" or "one or more of A, B, or C" means A, or B, or C, or AB (A and B), or AC (A and C), or BC (B and C), or ABC (i.e., A and B and C), or a combination having more than one characteristic (e.g., AA, AAB, ABBC, etc.). Therefore, a statement that an item (e.g., a processor) is configured to perform a function relating to at least one of A or B means that the item can be configured to perform a function relating to A, or can be configured to perform a function relating to B, or can be configured to perform a function relating to both A and B. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of A or B" means that the processor can be configured to measure A (and may or may not be configured to measure B), or can be configured to measure B (and may or may not be configured to measure A), or can be configured to measure both A and B (and can be configured to select which or both of A and B to measure). Similarly, a description of a means for measuring at least one of A or B includes means for measuring A (which may or may not measure B), or means for measuring B (which may or may not be configured to measure A), or means for measuring A and B (which may selectively measure either or both of A and B). As another example, a description of an item, such as a processor, being configured to perform at least one of function X or function Y means that the item can be configured to perform function X, or can be configured to perform function Y, or can be configured to perform both functions X and Y. For example, the phrase "a processor configured to measure at least one of X or Y" means that the processor can be configured to measure X (and may or may not be configured to measure Y), or can be configured to measure Y (and may or may not be configured to measure X), or can be configured to measure both X and Y (and may be configured to select either or both of X and Y).

[0121] Substantial modifications can be made to meet specific requirements. For example, custom hardware can be used, and / or specific components can be implemented in hardware, software (including portable software such as applets), or both, executed by the processor. Furthermore, connections to other computing devices, such as network input / output devices, can be used.

[0122] The systems and devices discussed above are examples. Various configurations may appropriately omit, substitute, or add various processes or components. For example, features described with respect to certain configurations may be combined in various other configurations. Different aspects and elements of a configuration may be combined in a similar manner. Furthermore, technology is evolving, therefore, many elements are examples and do not limit the scope of this disclosure or the claims.

[0123] A wireless communication system is a system that transmits communication wirelessly, that is, through electromagnetic waves and / or sound waves that propagate through the atmosphere, rather than through wired or other physical connections. A wireless communication network may not transmit all communications wirelessly, but is configured to transmit at least some communications wirelessly. Furthermore, the term "wireless communication device" or similar terms do not require that the device's function is dedicated to or even primarily for communication, or that the device is a mobile device, but rather indicate that the device includes wireless communication capabilities (one-way or two-way), for example, including at least one wireless device for wireless communication (each wireless device is part of a transmitter, receiver, or transceiver).

[0124] Specific details are provided in the description to offer a comprehensive understanding of the example configuration (including its implementation). However, the configuration can be implemented without these specific details. For example, well-known circuits, processes, algorithms, structures, and techniques have been shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the configuration. This description provides example configurations and does not limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the claims. Rather, the foregoing description of the configuration provides a description of implementing the described technique. Various changes can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements.

[0125] As used herein, the terms “processor-readable medium,” “machine-readable medium,” and “computer-readable medium” refer to any medium that participates in providing data that enables a machine to operate in a particular manner. Using a computing platform, various processor-readable media can participate in providing instructions / code to a processor for execution, and / or can be used to store and / or carry such instructions / code (e.g., as signals). In many implementations, processor-readable media are physical and / or tangible storage media. Such media can take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile and volatile media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical discs and / or magnetic disks. Volatile media include, but are not limited to, dynamic memory.

[0126] Several example configurations have been described, and various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents can be used. For example, the above-described elements can be components of a larger system, where other rules may take precedence over or otherwise modify the application of this disclosure. Furthermore, many operations may be performed before, during, or after considering the above-described elements. Therefore, the above description does not limit the scope of the claims.

[0127] A statement that a value exceeds (or is greater than or higher than) a first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value meets or exceeds a second threshold slightly greater than the first threshold, for example, in the resolution of a computing system, the second threshold is one value higher than the first threshold. A statement that a value is less than (or within or below) the first threshold is equivalent to a statement that the value is less than or equal to a second threshold slightly lower than the first threshold, for example, in the resolution of a computing system, the second threshold is one value lower than the first threshold.

[0128] Implementation examples are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0129] 1. A method for configuring Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode in a mobile device, comprising:

[0130] Assessment of communication with the network; and

[0131] The duration of the inactivity timer is set based on communication with the network.

[0132] 2. The method according to Clause 1, wherein communication with the network is received via the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

[0133] 3. The method according to Clause 1, wherein communication with the network is received via the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0134] 4. The method according to Clause 3, wherein communication with the network includes Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) messages, or may include only MAC-CE messages.

[0135] 5. The method according to Clause 1, wherein communication with the network is transmitted via the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

[0136] 6. The method described in Clause 5, wherein the communication with the network is a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) message.

[0137] 7. The method according to Clause 6, wherein the MAC-CE message includes an uplink license request.

[0138] 8. The method described under Clause 1 further includes:

[0139] The evaluation considers a second communication with the network, wherein the second communication occurs during the duration of an inactive timer; and

[0140] The duration of the inactivity timer is set based on a second communication with the network.

[0141] 9. A method for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, comprising:

[0142] The user equipment operates in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, which includes a DRX active mode for monitoring network channels and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment is not monitoring network channels.

[0143] The triggering conditions are determined based on communication with the network;

[0144] Determine the value of the inactive timer based on trigger conditions; and

[0145] The user equipment operates in DRX active mode during the duration of the inactive timer value, and operates in DRX inactive mode after the duration of the inactive timer value.

[0146] 10. The method according to Clause 9, wherein communication with the network is received via the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and the inactive timer value is a non-zero value (e.g., in the range of 1 to 2560 milliseconds).

[0147] 11. The method according to Clause 9, wherein communication with the network is received via the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) and the inactive timer value is a non-zero value.

[0148] 12. The method according to Clause 11, wherein the communication with the network is a Media Access Control Control Element (MAC-CE) message, and the inactive timer value is any value including zero (e.g., in the range of 0 to 2560 milliseconds).

[0149] 13. The method according to Clause 9, wherein communication with the network is transmitted via the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) and the inactive timer value is a non-zero value.

[0150] 14. The method described in Clause 13, wherein the communication with the network is a Media Access Control Control Element (MAC-CE) message, and the inactive timer value is any value including zero.

[0151] 15. The method according to Clause 14, wherein the MAC-CE message includes an uplink permission request and the inactive timer value is a non-zero value.

[0152] 16. The method according to Clause 9, wherein determining the inactive timer value based on the trigger condition includes querying the data structure based on the trigger condition.

[0153] 17. The method described under Clause 9 further includes:

[0154] Communicate with the network during the duration of the inactive timer value;

[0155] The second trigger condition is determined based on communication during the duration of the inactive timer value; and

[0156] Modify the value of the inactive timer based on the second trigger condition.

[0157] 18. A method for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, comprising:

[0158] The user equipment operates in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, which includes a DRX active mode for monitoring network channels and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment does not monitor network channels, wherein the DRX active mode includes the duration of an inactive timer.

[0159] Communicate with the network during the inactive timer duration;

[0160] Triggering conditions are determined based on communication during the inactive timer duration;

[0161] Determine the backoff value for inactive timers based on trigger conditions; and

[0162] User equipment is operated in DRX active or DRX inactive mode based on the inactivity timer backoff value.

[0163] 19. The method according to Clause 18, wherein communication with the network is received via the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

[0164] 20. The method according to Clause 18, wherein communication with the network is received via the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0165] 21. The method described in Clause 20, wherein the communication with the network is a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) message.

[0166] 22. The method described in Clause 18, wherein communication with the network is transmitted via the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

[0167] 23. The method described in Clause 22, wherein the communication with the network is a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) message.

[0168] 24. The method according to Clause 23, wherein the MAC-CE message includes an uplink license request.

[0169] 25. The method according to Clause 18, wherein determining the inactive timer rollback value based on the trigger condition includes querying the data structure based on the trigger condition.

[0170] 26. An apparatus configured to operate in Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode, comprising:

[0171] Memory;

[0172] At least one transceiver;

[0173] At least one processor, communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, is configured to:

[0174] Assessment of communication with the network; and

[0175] The duration of the inactivity timer is set based on communication with the network.

[0176] 27. The equipment as described in Clause 26, wherein communication with the network is received via the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

[0177] 28. The equipment as described in Clause 26, wherein communication with the network is received via a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0178] 29. The equipment as described in Clause 28, wherein communication with the network is a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) message.

[0179] 30. The equipment as described in Clause 26, wherein communication with the network is transmitted via the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

[0180] 31. The equipment as described in Clause 30, wherein the communication with the network is a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) message.

[0181] 32. The equipment as described in Clause 31, wherein the MAC-CE message includes an uplink license request.

[0182] 33. The equipment described in Clause 26 also includes:

[0183] The evaluation considers a second communication with the network, wherein the second communication occurs during the duration of an inactive timer; and

[0184] The duration of the inactivity timer is set based on a second communication with the network.

[0185] 34. An equipment comprising:

[0186] Memory;

[0187] At least one transceiver;

[0188] At least one processor, communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, is configured to:

[0189] The equipment is operated in Discontinuous Receive (DRX) mode, which includes DRX active mode for monitoring network channels and DRX inactive mode when the equipment is not monitoring network channels.

[0190] The triggering conditions are determined based on communication with the network;

[0191] Determine the value of the inactive timer based on trigger conditions; and

[0192] The device operates in DRX active mode during the duration of the inactive timer value, and operates in DRX inactive mode after the duration of the inactive timer value.

[0193] 35. The equipment as described in Clause 34, wherein communication with the network is received via the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) and the inactivity timer value is a non-zero value (e.g., in the range of 1 to 2560 milliseconds).

[0194] 36. The equipment as described in Clause 34, wherein communication with the network is received via a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) and the inactive timer value is a non-zero value.

[0195] 37. The equipment as described in Clause 36, wherein communication with the network is a Media Access Control Control Element (MAC-CE) message, and the inactive timer value is any value including zero (e.g., in the range from 0 to 2560 milliseconds).

[0196] 38. The equipment as described in Clause 34, wherein communication with the network is transmitted via the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) and the inactive timer value is a non-zero value.

[0197] 39. The equipment as described in Clause 38, wherein communication with the network is a Media Access Control Control Element (MAC-CE) message, and the inactive timer value is any value including zero.

[0198] 40. The equipment as described in Clause 39, wherein the MAC-CE message includes an uplink permission request and the inactivity timer value is a non-zero value.

[0199] 41. The apparatus according to Clause 34, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to query a data structure based on a trigger condition.

[0200] 42. The apparatus according to clause 34, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

[0201] Communicate with the network during the duration of the inactive timer value;

[0202] The second trigger condition is determined based on communication during the duration of the inactive timer value; and

[0203] Modify the value of the inactive timer based on the second trigger condition.

[0204] 43. An equipment comprising:

[0205] Memory;

[0206] At least one transceiver;

[0207] At least one processor, communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, is configured to:

[0208] The equipment is operated in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, which includes a DRX active mode for communicating with the network and a DRX inactive mode when the equipment is not communicating with the network, wherein the DRX active mode includes an inactive timer duration.

[0209] Communicate with the network during the inactive timer duration;

[0210] Triggering conditions are determined based on communication during the inactive timer duration;

[0211] Determine the backoff value for inactive timers based on trigger conditions; and

[0212] Operate the equipment in DRX active or DRX inactive mode based on the inactive timer rollback value.

[0213] 44. The equipment as described in Clause 43, wherein communication with the network is received via the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH).

[0214] 45. The equipment as described in Clause 43, wherein communication with the network is received via a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH).

[0215] 46. ​​The equipment as described in Clause 45, wherein the communication with the network is a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) message.

[0216] 47. The equipment as described in Clause 43, wherein communication with the network is transmitted via the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH).

[0217] 48. The equipment as described in Clause 47, wherein the communication with the network is a Media Access Control Element (MAC-CE) message.

[0218] 49. The equipment as described in Clause 48, wherein the MAC-CE message includes an uplink license request.

[0219] 50. The apparatus according to Clause 43, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to query a data structure based on a trigger condition.

[0220] 51. An equipment comprising:

[0221] A device for evaluating communication with a network; and

[0222] A device for setting the duration of an inactive timer based on communication with a network.

[0223] 52. An apparatus for operation in Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode, comprising:

[0224] A means for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, the discontinuous reception mode including a DRX active mode for monitoring network channels and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment does not monitor network channels.

[0225] A device for determining triggering conditions based on communication with a network;

[0226] A means for determining the value of an inactive timer based on a trigger condition; and

[0227] A device for operating equipment in DRX active mode during the duration of an inactive timer value and in DRX inactive mode after the duration of an inactive timer value.

[0228] 53. An apparatus for operation in Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode, comprising:

[0229] A means for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, the discontinuous reception mode including a DRX active mode for monitoring a network channel and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment does not monitor the network channel, wherein the DRX active mode includes an inactive timer duration.

[0230] A device for communicating with a network during the duration of an inactive timer;

[0231] A means for determining triggering conditions based on communication during the duration of an inactive timer;

[0232] A means for determining the backoff value of an inactive timer based on a trigger condition; and

[0233] A device for operating equipment in DRX active or DRX inactive mode based on the inactive timer rollback value.

[0234] 54. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium including processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to configure a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode in a mobile device, comprising:

[0235] Code used to evaluate communication with the network; and

[0236] Code used to set the duration of an inactive timer based on communication with the network.

[0237] 55. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium including processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to operate a user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, comprising:

[0238] Code for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, the discontinuous reception mode including a DRX active mode for monitoring network channels and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment is not monitoring network channels;

[0239] Code used to determine triggering conditions based on communication with the network;

[0240] Code used to determine the value of an inactive timer based on trigger conditions; and

[0241] Code for operating a user equipment in DRX active mode during the duration of an inactive timer value, and in DRX inactive mode after the duration of an inactive timer value.

[0242] 56. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium including processor-readable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to operate a user equipment in a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, comprising:

[0243] Code for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, the discontinuous reception mode including a DRX active mode for monitoring network channels and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment is not monitoring network channels, wherein the DRX active mode includes an inactive timer duration.

[0244] Code used to communicate with the network during the duration of an inactive timer;

[0245] Code used to determine triggering conditions based on communication during the duration of an inactive timer;

[0246] Code for determining the backoff value of an inactive timer based on trigger conditions; and

[0247] Code used to operate user equipment in DRX active or DRX inactive modes based on inactive timer backoff values.

Claims

1. A method for operating a user equipment in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, comprising: The user equipment operates in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, which includes a DRX active mode for monitoring network channels and a DRX inactive mode when the user equipment does not monitor network channels, wherein the DRX active mode includes an inactive timer. A first trigger condition for the inactive timer is detected based on a first communication with the network, wherein the first communication is one of a predetermined type of communication with the network; The first inactive timer value is determined based on the first trigger condition; and During the duration of the first inactive timer value, the user equipment operates in DRX active mode. A second triggering condition for the inactive timer is detected based on a second communication with the network, wherein the second communication occurs during the duration of the first inactive timer value; The time difference is determined at least in part based on the duration between detecting the first triggering condition and detecting the second triggering condition; The second inactive timer value is determined at least in part based on the time difference; as well as The user equipment operates in DRX active mode during the duration of the second inactive timer value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The second inactive timer value is a non-zero value.

3. An equipment comprising: Memory; At least one transceiver; At least one processor, communicatively coupled to the memory and the at least one transceiver, is configured to: The equipment is operated in DRX mode, which includes a discontinuous reception (DRX) active mode for monitoring network channels and a DRX inactive mode when the equipment is not monitoring network channels, wherein the DRX active mode includes an inactive timer. A first trigger condition for the inactive timer is detected based on a first communication with the network, wherein the first communication is one of a predetermined type of communication with the network; The first inactive timer value is determined based on the first trigger condition; and During the duration of the first inactive timer value, the equipment is operated in DRX active mode. A second triggering condition for the inactive timer is detected based on a second communication with the network, wherein the second communication occurs during the duration of the first inactive timer value; The time difference is determined at least in part based on the duration between detecting the first triggering condition and detecting the second triggering condition; The second inactive timer value is determined at least in part based on the time difference; as well as Operate the equipment in DRX active mode during the duration of the second inactive timer value.

4. The equipment according to claim 3, wherein, The second inactive timer value is a non-zero value.

5. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable code stored thereon for operating a device, wherein, When the code is executed by the processor, the processor: The equipment is operated in DRX mode, which includes a discontinuous reception (DRX) active mode for monitoring network channels and a DRX inactive mode when the equipment is not monitoring network channels, wherein the DRX active mode includes an inactive timer. A first trigger condition for the inactive timer is detected based on a first communication with the network, wherein the first communication is one of a predetermined type of communication with the network; The first inactive timer value is determined based on the first trigger condition; and During the duration of the first inactive timer value, the equipment is operated in DRX active mode. A second triggering condition for the inactive timer is detected based on a second communication with the network, wherein the second communication occurs during the duration of the first inactive timer value; The time difference is determined at least in part based on the duration between detecting the first triggering condition and detecting the second triggering condition; The second inactive timer value is determined at least in part based on the time difference; as well as Operate the equipment in DRX active mode during the duration of the second inactive timer value.

6. The computer-readable medium according to claim 5, wherein, The second inactive timer value is a non-zero value.

7. A computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method as described in any one of claims 1 and 2.

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