Improving Paging Reception Systems and Methods by Enabling UE CSI-RS / TRS Indications in Idle / Inactive Mode

Abstract

The present invention provides an exemplary method for wireless communication, the method comprising: receiving resource information for receiving channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) and tracking reference signal (TRS) by a user equipment in a reduced power state; exiting the reduced power state based on the resource information to receive the CSI-RS and TRS; synchronizing with a base station based on the received CSI-RS and TRS to receive downlink control information messages; receiving paging information in a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission based on the received downlink control information messages; determining whether paging information exists in the first PDSCH transmission for the user equipment; initiating a random access channel (RACH) procedure to establish a radio resource control (RRC) connection based on the determination that paging information exists for the user equipment; and returning to the reduced power state based on the determination that paging information does not exist for the user equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to various apparatuses, systems, and methods that help improve the performance of the paging process by providing Channel State Information-Reference Signal (CSI-RS) / Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) indications to mobile devices in a reduced power state (such as an idle or inactive state) in a cellular communication system. Background Technology

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems is growing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smartphones and tablets have become increasingly sophisticated. In addition to supporting phone calls, many mobile devices now offer access to the internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and can operate complex applications that utilize these capabilities. Furthermore, many different wireless communication technologies and standards exist. Some examples of wireless communication standards include GSM, UMTS (e.g., associated with WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A Advanced, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), IEEE 802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), and BLUETOOTH. TM wait.

[0003] The introduction of an ever-increasing number of features and functions into wireless communication devices necessitates continuous improvement of both wireless communication and the devices themselves. In addition to the aforementioned communication standards, new wireless communication technologies are under development to increase coverage and better serve the growing demands and scope of intended uses of wireless communication. Therefore, improvements are needed to support these developments and designs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The invention relates to apparatus, systems, and methods for assisting cellular networks in providing CSI-RS / TRS indications to mobile devices in reduced power states (such as idle or inactive states) in cellular communication systems to improve the performance of the paging process.

[0005] Specifically, in 5G / NR, a mechanism is needed to provide improved user equipment (UE) power performance during paging, particularly for UEs in reduced power states, such as the RRC_IDLE and / or RRC_INACTIVE states defined in 5G / NR. In mobile networks, when a UE has no ongoing data transmission for a period of time, it can enter the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state (e.g., in 5G / NR) to conserve battery life. If new data arrives at the device, the network can attempt to "wake up" the idle or inactive mobile device by sending a so-called "paging" message, which the mobile device can respond to accordingly. In 5G / NR, UEs that rely on synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) for preparation should wake up and monitor incoming SSBs; however, once woken up and synchronized, the UE must remain in standby until its own specific paging opportunity (PO) arrives. This additional "standby" time can significantly increase the UE's power / energy consumption.

[0006] Therefore, according to some aspects disclosed herein, a method for paging in a wireless system is disclosed, the method comprising: a user equipment (UE) in a reduced power state receiving resource information for receiving channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) and tracking reference signals (TRS); the UE exiting the reduced power state based on the resource information to receive CSI-RS and TRS; the UE synchronizing with a base station based on the received CSI-RS and TRS to receive downlink control information messages; the UE receiving paging information in a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission based on the received downlink control information messages; the UE determining whether paging information exists in the first PDSCH transmission for the UE; the UE initiating a random access channel (RACH) procedure to establish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the base station based on the determination that paging information exists for the UE; and the UE returning to the reduced power state based on the determination that paging information does not exist for the UE.

[0007] In some aspects, the method may further include: receiving a System Information Block (SIB) transmitted by a base station at a user equipment in a reduced power state, the SIB including resource information for receiving CSI-RS and TRS for a set of two or more user equipments. In other aspects, the user equipment itself may transmit a request for the SIB, for example, via a RACH preamble. In some aspects, the resource information for receiving CSI-RS and TRS may include predefined CSI-RS and TRS information (e.g., including configurations selected from a predefined set of configuration information). In still other aspects, the user equipment may receive a second PDSCH message transmitted by the base station prior to a first PDSCH message, the second PDSCH message including resource information for receiving CSI-RS and TRS. In yet another aspect, the user equipment may receive a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message transmitted by the base station, the PDCCH message including resource information for receiving CSI-RS and TRS, wherein, for example, the resource information included in the PDCCH message indicates a predefined CSI-RS and TRS mode.

[0008] The technologies described herein can be implemented in and / or used with a variety of different types of devices, including but not limited to any one of cellular phones, wireless devices, tablets, wearable computing devices, portable media players, and various other computing devices.

[0009] The present invention is intended to provide a brief overview of some of the subjects described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are merely illustrative and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or substance of the subjects described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subjects described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description

[0010] A better understanding of the subject matter can be obtained by considering the following detailed description of the various aspects in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0011] Figure 1 An exemplary wireless communication system is shown according to some aspects;

[0012] Figure 2 A base station (BS) is shown communicating with user equipment (UE) equipment according to some aspects;

[0013] Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a UE is shown according to some aspects;

[0014] Figure 4An exemplary block diagram of a BS is shown according to some aspects;

[0015] Figure 5 An exemplary block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some aspects is shown;

[0016] Figure 6 An exemplary block diagram of network elements according to some aspects is shown;

[0017] Figure 7 An exemplary communication flow diagram is shown for the communication flow used to enter and recover from the RRC_INACTIVE state;

[0018] Figure 8 An exemplary UE power consumption graph is shown while waiting for a paging opportunity (PO);

[0019] Figure 9 An exemplary improved UE power consumption graph is shown, based on several aspects, while waiting for PO;

[0020] Figure 10 An exemplary NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE Information Element (IE) structure is shown for use with a UE in the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state, according to some aspects.

[0021] Figure 11 Exemplary uses of different NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE IEs for UEs in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE states are shown, corresponding to different NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSets from different UEs in RRC_CONNECTED mode;

[0022] Figure 12 Additional methods for performing QCL indication on a UE in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode are shown, based on some aspects.

[0023] Figure 13 This illustrates a method for using PDSCH to carry CSI-RS / TRS resource information based on several aspects;

[0024] Figure 14 An exemplary flowchart is shown for receiving CSI-RS and TRS resource information by a UE in a reduced power state (such as RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode) according to some aspects;

[0025] Figure 15An exemplary flowchart is shown, illustrating various methods for user equipment to receive CSI-RS and TRS resource information when it is in a reduced power state (such as RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode), according to some aspects.

[0026] Figure 16 An exemplary flowchart is shown, based on several aspects, for transmitting CSI-RS and TRS resource information from a base station to a UE in a reduced power state (such as RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode); and

[0027] Figure 17 An exemplary flowchart is shown, illustrating various methods for a base station to transmit CSI-RS and TRS resource information to a UE in a reduced power state (such as RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode), based on several aspects.

[0028] Although the features described herein may be subject to various modifications and alternatives, their specific aspects are shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings and described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit this document to the specific forms disclosed, but rather are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the substance and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The following is a glossary of terms that may be used in this disclosure:

[0030] Memory media—any device of any type of nontransitory memory device or storage device. The term "memory media" is intended to include mounting media such as CD-ROMs, floppy disks, or magnetic tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; non-volatile memory such as flash memory, magnetic media, e.g., hard disk drives or optical storage devices; registers or other similar types of memory elements, etc. Memory media may also include other types of nontransitory memory or combinations thereof. Furthermore, memory media may reside in a first computer system executing a program, or may reside in a different second computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system may provide program instructions to the first computer for execution. The term "memory media" may include two or more memory media that may reside in different locations on different computer systems connected via a network, for example. Memory media may store program instructions (e.g., representing a computer program) that can be executed by one or more processors.

[0031] Carrier medium—the memory medium as described above, and physical transmission medium, such as buses, networks, and / or other physical transmission media for transmitting signals (such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, or digital signals).

[0032] Programmable hardware elements—including a variety of hardware devices comprising multiple programmable functional blocks connected via programmable interconnects. Examples include FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (Field-Programmable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). Programmable functional blocks can vary from fine-grained (combinatorial logic units or lookup tables) to coarse-grained (arithmetic logic units or processor cores). Programmable hardware elements may also be referred to as "configurable logic units."

[0033] Computer system—any of all types of computing or processing systems, including personal computer systems (PCs), mainframe computer systems, workstations, networked appliances, internet-connected appliances, personal digital assistants (PDAs), television systems, grid computing systems, or other devices or combinations thereof. In general, the term "computer system" can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0034] User equipment (UE) (or “UE device”) — any of various types of computer systems or devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone). TM Based on Android TM Telephones), portable gaming devices (e.g., Nintendo DS) TM PlayStation Portable TM Gameboy Advance TM iPhone TM This includes laptops, wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), PDAs, portable internet devices, music players, data storage devices, or other handheld devices. Generally speaking, the terms "wireless node," "UE," or "UE device" can be broadly defined to encompass any electronic device, computing device, and / or telecommunications device (or combination of devices) that is easily transmitted and capable of wireless communication by a user.

[0035] A wireless device is any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform wireless communication. A wireless device can be portable (or mobile), or it can be stationary or fixed in a location. A UE is an example of a wireless device.

[0036] A communication device is any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform communication, which may be wired or wireless. A communication device may be portable (or mobile), or it may be stationary or fixed in a location. A wireless device is one example of a communication device. A UE is another example of a communication device.

[0037] Base station—The term “base station” has the full range of its common meaning and includes at least a wireless communication station that is installed in a fixed location and used for communication as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system. For example, if a base station is implemented in an LTE environment, it may alternatively be referred to as a “node,” “eNodeB,” or “eNB.” If a base station is implemented in a 5G NR environment, it may alternatively be referred to as a “node,” “gNodeB,” or “gNB.”

[0038] A processing element (or processor) is a component or combination of components capable of performing the functions of a device such as user equipment or cellular network equipment. A processing element may include, for example: a processor and associated memory, portions or circuitry of individual processor cores, an entire processor core, a single processor, a processor array, circuitry such as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), programmable hardware components such as a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and any combination thereof.

[0039] A channel is a medium used to transmit information from a transmitter to a receiver. It should be noted that because the characteristics of the term "channel" can vary depending on different wireless protocols, the term "channel" as used herein can be considered to be used in a standard manner consistent with the type of device to which the term is referenced. In some standards, the channel width can be variable (e.g., depending on device capabilities, band conditions, etc.). For example, LTE can support scalable channel bandwidths from 1.4 MHz to 20 MHz. In contrast, WLAN channels can be 22 MHz wide, while Bluetooth channels can be 1 MHz wide. Other protocols and standards may include different definitions of channels. Furthermore, some standards may define and use multiple types of channels, such as different channels for uplink or downlink and / or different channels for different purposes such as data, control information, etc.

[0040] Frequency band—The term “frequency band” has the full range of its general meaning and includes at least a segment of spectrum (e.g., radio frequency spectrum) in which channels are used or reserved for the same purpose.

[0041] Automatic—refers to actions or operations performed by a computer system (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g., circuits, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.) without requiring direct user input to specify or perform the action or operation. Therefore, the term "automatic" is the opposite of an operation performed or specified manually by a user, where the user provides input to directly perform the operation. An automatic process can be initiated by user-provided input, but the subsequent actions performed "automatically" are not specified by the user; that is, they are not performed "manually," where the user specifies each action to be performed. For example, a user filling out a form by selecting each field and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typing information, selecting a checkbox, radio selection, etc.) is considered manually filling out the form, even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user's actions. The form can be automatically filled out by a computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) which analyzes the fields of the form and fills it out without any user input specifying answers for the fields. As indicated above, the user can invoke the automatic filling of the form but does not participate in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify answers for the fields, but they are completed automatically). This manual provides various examples of operations that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by the user.

[0042] Approximately—means a value close to the correct or precise value. For example, approximately can refer to a value within 1% to 10% of the precise (or expected) value. However, it should be noted that the actual threshold (or tolerance) can vary depending on the application. For instance, in some respects, “approximately” may mean within 0.1% of some specified or expected value, while in various other respects, the threshold may be, for example, 2%, 3%, 5%, etc., depending on the expectations or requirements of a particular application.

[0043] Concurrency refers to the parallel execution or implementation of tasks, processes, or programs in a manner that at least partially overlaps. For example, concurrency can be achieved using “strong” or strict parallelism, where tasks are executed in parallel (at least partially) on corresponding computing elements; or using “weak parallelism,” where tasks are executed in an interleaved manner (e.g., by time multiplexing of execution threads).

[0044] "Configured as"—Various components can be described as being "configured as" to perform one or more tasks. In such contexts, "configured as" is a broad expression generally meaning "having" a "structure" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently performing one (e.g., a set of electrical conductors can be configured to electrically connect one module to another, even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured as" can also be a broad expression generally meaning a structure that "has" a "circuit" that performs one or more tasks during operation. Thus, a component can be configured to perform a task even when it is not currently powered on. Typically, the circuit forming the structure corresponding to "configured as" can include hardware circuitry.

[0045] For ease of description, various components may be described as performing one or more tasks. Such descriptions should be interpreted as including the phrase "configured to". Statements describing a component as configured to perform one or more tasks are explicitly intended not to invoke the interpretation of 35 U.S.SC §112(f) for that component.

[0046] Exemplary wireless communication system

[0047] Now go to Figure 1 This illustrates a simplified example of a wireless communication system based on some aspects. It should be noted that... Figure 1 The system described herein is merely one example of a possible system, and the features of this disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of systems as needed.

[0048] As shown in the figure, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102A, which communicates with one or more user equipments 106A, 106B to 106N, etc., via a transmission medium. Each user equipment may be referred to herein as a "user equipment" (UE). Therefore, user equipment 106 is referred to as a UE or UE device.

[0049] Base station (BS) 102A may be a transceiver base station (BTS) or a cell site (“cellular base station”), and may include hardware that enables wireless communication with UE 106A to UE 106N.

[0050] The communication area (or coverage area) of a base station may be referred to as a "cell". Base station 102A and user equipment 106 may be configured to communicate via a transmission medium using any of a variety of radio access technologies (RATs), also known as wireless communication technologies or telecommunications standards, such as GSM, UMTS (associated with air interfaces such as WCDMA or TD-SCDMA), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), 5G New Radio (5G NR), HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), etc.

[0051] As shown in the figure, base station 102A can also be configured to communicate with network 100 (e.g., in various possibilities, the core network of a cellular service provider, telecommunications networks such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), and / or the Internet). Therefore, base station 102A can facilitate communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. Specifically, cellular base station 102A can provide UE 106 with various communication capabilities such as voice, SMS, and / or data services.

[0052] Base station 102A and other similar base stations (such as base stations 102B...102N) operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards can therefore be provided as a network of cells that can provide continuous or nearly continuous overlapping services to UE 106A-N and similar devices over a geographical area via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0053] Therefore, although base station 102A can act as such Figure 1 The diagram shows the "serving cell" of UEs 106A-N, but each UE 106 may also be able to receive signals (and possibly within its communication range) from one or more other cells (which may be provided by base stations 102B-N and / or any other base stations), which may be referred to as "neighboring cells". Such cells may also facilitate communication between user equipments and / or between user equipments and network 100. These cells may include "macro" cells, "micro" cells, "pecimen" cells, and / or any other cells of various other granularities providing service area size. For example, in Figure 1 Base stations 102A to 102B shown can be macro cells, while base station 102N can be a micro cell. Other configurations are also possible.

[0054] In some respects, base station 102A may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5GNR) base station or a “gNB”. In some respects, the gNB may connect to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) / 5G core (5GC) network. Furthermore, the gNB cell may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs. For example, base station 102A and one or more other base stations 102 may support joint transmission, enabling UE 106 to receive transmissions from multiple base stations (and / or multiple TRPs provided by the same base station). For example, as... Figure 1 As shown, both base station 102A and base station 102C are shown as serving UE 106A.

[0055] It should be noted that UE 106 can communicate using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, in addition to at least one cellular communication protocol (e.g., GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interfaces), LTE, LTE-A, 5G NR, HSPA, 3GPP2CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD, etc.), UE 106 can be configured to communicate using wireless networking (e.g., Wi-Fi) and / or peer-to-peer wireless communication protocols (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi peer-to-peer, etc.). If desired, UE 106 can also or alternatively be configured to communicate using one or more Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one or more mobile television broadcasting standards (e.g., Advanced Television Systems Committee—Mobile / Handheld (ATSC-M / H)) and / or any other wireless communication protocol. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including more than two wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0056] Exemplary User Equipment (UE)

[0057] Figure 2 User equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A to 106N) communicating with base station 102 is shown according to some aspects. UE 106 can be a device with cellular communication capabilities, such as a mobile phone, handheld device, computer, laptop, tablet, smartwatch, or other wearable device, or virtually any type of wireless device.

[0058] UE 106 may include a processor (processing element) configured to execute program instructions stored in memory. UE 106 may perform any of the methods described herein by executing such stored instructions. Alternatively or additionally, UE 106 may include programmable hardware elements, such as any of an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), integrated circuit, and / or various other possible hardware components configured to perform (e.g., individually or in combination) any of the methods described herein or any portion thereof.

[0059] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more wireless communication protocols or technologies. In some aspects, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using, for example, NR or LTE using at least some shared radio components. As an additional possibility, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using CDMA2000 (1xRTT / 1xEV-DO / HRPD / eHRPD) or LTE using a single shared radio component and / or GSM or LTE using a single shared radio component. The shared radio may be coupled to a single antenna or may be coupled to multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) for performing wireless communication. Typically, the radio components may include any combination of baseband processors, analog radio frequency (RF) signal processing circuitry (e.g., including filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.) or digital processing circuitry (e.g., for digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, the radio components may use the aforementioned hardware to implement one or more receive chains and transmit chains. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of the receive chain and / or transmit chain among various wireless communication technologies such as those discussed above.

[0060] In some aspects, UE 106 may include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each wireless communication protocol configured to communicate therein. As another possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radio components shared among multiple wireless communication protocols, as well as one or more radio components used uniquely by a single wireless communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include shared radio components for communicating using either LTE or 5G NR (or, in various possibilities, either LTE or 1xRTT, or either LTE or GSM), and separate radio components for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are also possible.

[0061] Exemplary communication device

[0062] Figure 3An exemplary simplified block diagram of a communication device 106 according to some aspects is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 3 The block diagram of the communication device is merely one example of possible communication devices. Depending on the aspects, among other devices, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop, notebook, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of devices. As shown, the communication device 106 may include a set of components 300 configured to perform core functions. For example, this set of components may be implemented as a system-on-a-chip (SOC), which may include portions for various purposes. Alternatively, the set of components 300 may be implemented as individual components or groups of components for various purposes. This set of components 300 may be (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) coupled to various other circuitry of the communication device 106.

[0063] For example, communication device 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash memory 310), input / output interfaces such as connector I / F 320 (e.g., for connection to a computer system; docking station; charging station; input devices such as microphone, camera, keyboard; output devices such as speaker; etc.), a display 360 that may be integrated with or external to communication device 106, and wireless communication circuitry 330 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, NR, UMTS, GSM, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, etc.). In some aspects, communication device 106 may include wired communication circuitry (not shown), such as a network interface card for Ethernet, for example.

[0064] The wireless communication circuit 330 may (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) be coupled to one or more antennas, such as one or more antennas 335 as shown in the figure. The wireless communication circuit 330 may include cellular communication circuitry and / or medium-to-short-range wireless communication circuitry, and may include multiple receive chains and / or multiple transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting multiple spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration.

[0065] In some aspects, as further described below, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include one or more receive chains for a plurality of RATs (including and / or coupled to (e.g., a communication ground; directly or indirectly) dedicated processors and / or radio components (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). Furthermore, in some aspects, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a single transmit chain that can be switched between radio components dedicated to a particular RAT. For example, a first radio component may be dedicated to a first RAT (e.g., LTE) and may communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a transmit chain shared with a second radio component. A second radio component may be dedicated to a second RAT (e.g., 5G NR) and may communicate with a dedicated receive chain and a shared transmit chain.

[0066] The communication device 106 may also include one or more user interface elements and / or be configured to be used with one or more user interface elements. User interface elements may include any of a variety of components such as a display 360 (which may be a touch screen display), a keyboard (which may be a separate keyboard or may be implemented as part of the touch screen display), a mouse, a microphone and / or a speaker, one or more cameras, one or more buttons, and / or any of a variety of other components capable of providing information to the user and / or receiving or interpreting user input.

[0067] The communication device 106 may also include one or more smart cards 345 with SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) functionality, such as one or more UICC cards (one or more general purpose integrated circuit cards) 345.

[0068] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 may include a processor 302 and a display circuit 304. The processor executes program instructions for the communication device 106, and the display circuit performs graphics processing and provides display signals to the display 360. One or more processors 302 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340 (which may be configured to receive addresses from one or more processors 302 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310)) and / or coupled to other circuitry or devices (such as the display circuit 304, wireless communication circuitry 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360). The MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some aspects, the MMU 340 may be included as part of the processor 302.

[0069] As described above, communication device 106 may be configured to communicate using wireless and / or wired communication circuitry. As described herein, communication device 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing any of the various features and techniques described herein. For example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), processor 302 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein. Alternatively (or in addition), processor 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit). Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 300, 304, 306, 310, 320, 330, 340, 345, 350, 360, processor 302 of communication device 106 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein.

[0070] Furthermore, as described in this invention, processor 302 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 302 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 302. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 302.

[0071] Furthermore, as described herein, the wireless communication circuit 330 may include one or more processing elements. In other words, one or more processing elements may be included in the wireless communication circuit 330. Therefore, the wireless communication circuit 330 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 330. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the wireless communication circuit 330.

[0072] Exemplary base station

[0073] Figure 4 An exemplary block diagram of a base station 102 according to some aspects is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 4 The base station shown is merely one example of a possible base station. As illustrated, base station 102 may include a processor 404 capable of executing program instructions specific to base station 102. Processor 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440 or other circuitry or device, which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 404 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450).

[0074] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. This network port 470 may be configured to be coupled to a telephone network and provide access rights as described above. Figure 1and Figure 2 The telephone network described herein includes multiple devices such as UE device 106.

[0075] Network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also be configured, or alternatively configured, to be coupled to a cellular network, such as the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to multiple devices, such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 470 may be coupled to a telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may provide the telephone network (e.g., in other UE devices served by the cellular service provider).

[0076] In some respects, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, such as a 5G New Radio (5GNR) base station or a “gNB”. In such respects, base station 102 may connect to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or to an NR core (NRC) / 5G core (5GC) network. Furthermore, base station 102 may be considered a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transition and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, UEs capable of operating according to 5G NR may connect to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0077] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434 and possibly multiple antennas. The at least one antenna 434 may be configured to function as a wireless transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 via radio component 430. Antenna 434 communicates with radio component 430 via communication link 432. Communication link 432 may be a receive link, a transmit link, or both. Radio component 430 may be configured to communicate via various wireless communication standards, including but not limited to 5G NR, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0078] Base station 102 can be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, base station 102 may include multiple radios that enable base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, base station 102 may include an LTE radio component for performing communication according to LTE and a 5G NR radio component for performing communication according to 5G NR. In this case, base station 102 may be able to operate as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, base station 102 may include a multimode radio component capable of performing communication according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies (e.g., 5G NR and LTE, 5G NR and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0079] As further described herein, BS 102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting specific implementations of the features described herein. The processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit), or a combination thereof. Alternatively (or in addition), in conjunction with one or more of other components 430, 432, 434, 440, 450, 460, and 470, the processor 404 of base station 102 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the features described herein.

[0080] Furthermore, as described in this invention, one or more processors 404 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processor 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processor 404. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of one or more processors 404.

[0081] Furthermore, as described in this invention, the radio component 430 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, the radio component 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the radio component 430. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the radio component 430.

[0082] Exemplary cellular communication circuit

[0083] Figure 5 An exemplary simplified block diagram of a cellular communication circuit according to some aspects is shown. It should be noted that... Figure 5 The block diagram of the cellular communication circuit is merely one example of possible cellular communication circuits; other circuits, such as those including or coupled to sufficient antennas for different RATs to perform uplink activities using independent antennas, or those including or coupled to fewer antennas, such as those that can be shared among multiple RATs, are also possible. According to some aspects, the cellular communication circuit 330 may be included in a communication device such as the communication device 106 described above. As mentioned above, among other devices, the communication device 106 may be a user equipment (UE) device, a mobile device or mobile station, a wireless device or wireless station, a desktop computer or computing device, a mobile computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, notebook computer, or portable computing device), a tablet computer, and / or a combination of these devices.

[0084] Cellular communication circuitry 330 may be coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to one or more antennas, such as antennas 335a-335b and 336 as shown. In some aspects, cellular communication circuitry 330 may include dedicated receive chains for multiple RATs (including and / or coupled (e.g., communicatively; directly or indirectly) to dedicated processors and / or radio components (e.g., a first receive chain for LTE and a second receive chain for 5G NR). For example, as Figure 5 As shown, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include a first modem 510 and a second modem 520. The first modem 510 may be configured for communication according to a first RAT (e.g., such as LTE or LTE-A), and the second modem 520 may be configured for communication according to a second RAT (e.g., such as 5G NR).

[0085] As shown, the first modem 510 may include one or more processors 512 and a memory 516 communicating with the processors 512. The modem 510 may communicate with a radio frequency (RF) front-end 530. The RF front-end 530 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front-end 530 may include a receiver circuitry (RX) 532 and a transmitter circuitry (TX) 534. In some aspects, the receiver circuitry 532 may communicate with a downlink (DL) front-end 550, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335a.

[0086] Similarly, the second modem 520 may include one or more processors 522 and a memory 526 communicating with the processors 522. The modem 520 may communicate with an RF front-end 540. The RF front-end 540 may include circuitry for transmitting and receiving radio signals. For example, the RF front-end 540 may include receiving circuitry 542 and transmitting circuitry 544. In some aspects, the receiving circuitry 542 may communicate with a DL front-end 560, which may include circuitry for receiving radio signals via an antenna 335b.

[0087] In some aspects, switch 570 may couple transmitting circuitry 534 to uplink (UL) front-end 572. Additionally, switch 570 may couple transmitting circuitry 544 to UL front-end 572. UL front-end 572 may include circuitry for transmitting radio signals via antenna 336. Therefore, when cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a first RAT (e.g., supported by first modem 510), switch 570 may be switched to a first state allowing first modem 510 to transmit signals according to the first RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 534 and UL front-end 572). Similarly, when cellular communication circuitry 330 receives an instruction to transmit according to a second RAT (e.g., supported by second modem 520), switch 570 may be switched to a second state allowing second modem 520 to transmit signals according to the second RAT (e.g., via a transmission chain including transmitting circuitry 544 and UL front-end 572).

[0088] As described herein, the first modem 510 and / or the second modem 520 may include hardware and software components for implementing any of the various features and techniques described herein. For example, processors 512, 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively (or in addition), processors 512, 522 may be configured as programmable hardware elements, such as FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) or as ASICs (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits). Alternatively (or in addition), processors 512, 522 may be configured to implement some or all of the features described herein by combining with one or more of other components 530, 532, 534, 540, 542, 544, 550, 570, 572, 335, and 336.

[0089] Furthermore, as described herein, processors 512 and 522 may include one or more processing elements. Therefore, processors 512 and 522 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of processors 512 and 522. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuitry (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of processors 512 and 522.

[0090] In some aspects, the cellular communication circuit 330 may include only one transmit / receive chain. For example, the cellular communication circuit 330 may not include modem 520, RF front-end 540, DL front-end 560, and / or antenna 335b. As another example, the cellular communication circuit 330 may not include modem 510, RF front-end 530, DL front-end 550, and / or antenna 335a. In some aspects, the cellular communication circuit 330 may also not include switch 570, and RF front-end 530 or RF front-end 540 may communicate with UL front-end 572, for example, through direct communication.

[0091] Exemplary network element

[0092] Figure 6 An exemplary block diagram of a network element 600 is shown according to some aspects. According to some aspects, the network element 600 may implement one or more logical functions / entities of a cellular core network, such as a Mobility Management Entity (MME), Serving Gateway (S-GW), Access and Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Network Slice Quota Management (NSQM) function, etc. It should be noted that... Figure 6 Network element 600 is merely one example of a possible network element 600. As shown, core network element 600 may include one or more processors 604 capable of executing program instructions for core network element 600. Processor 604 may also be coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 640 (which may be configured to receive addresses from processor 604 and translate those addresses into locations in memory (e.g., memory 660 and read-only memory (ROM) 650)) or to other circuitry or devices.

[0093] Network element 600 may include at least one network port 670. Network port 670 may be configured to be coupled to one or more base stations and / or other cellular network entities and / or devices. Network element 600 may communicate with base stations (e.g., eNB / gNB) and / or other network entities / devices by means of any of a variety of communication protocols and / or interfaces.

[0094] As further described herein, network element 600 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting embodiments of the features described herein. The processor 604 of the core network element 600 may be configured to implement or support some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored on a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium). Alternatively, processor 604 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or configured as an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) or a combination thereof.

[0095] Radio Resource Control (RRC) Idle and Inactive Status

[0096] Various cellular communication technologies include the use of Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocols (e.g., which facilitate connection establishment and release, radio bearer establishment, reconfiguration and release) and / or various other possible signaling functions that support the air interface between wireless devices and cellular base stations.

[0097] Radio devices can typically operate in one of several possible states relative to RRC. For example, in LTE, a radio device can operate in the RRC_CONNECTED state (e.g., where the radio device can perform continuous data transmission, and where handover between cells is managed by the network and access stratum (AS) context information is reserved for the radio device), or it can operate in the RRC_IDLE state (e.g., where the radio device can operate in a more battery-efficient state without performing continuous data transmission, where the radio device can handle its cell reselection activities, and where the network may not reserve AS context information for the radio device).

[0098] In addition to the RRC_CONNECTED and RRC_IDLE states, one or more other types of RRC states for radio devices may be supported, at least in some respects. For example, for NR, the RRC_INACTIVE state may be supported, in which the radio device may be able to operate with a relatively high battery level while the network retains at least some AS context information. In some respects, the radio device may maintain a non-access stratum connection (NAS) configured with the CN and RRC, as it does before the UE enters an inactive state.

[0099] In some cases, dedicated AS resources may not be allocated to a UE in an inactive state. This state can, at least in some respects, be based on the mobility of the radio device, for example, allowing the radio device to move within the Radio Access Network Notification Area (RNA) without notifying the NG Radio Access Network (RAN). While in this state, the radio device can perform cell reselection and system information collection for itself. Simultaneously, the last-served base station (e.g., gNB) can maintain the radio device context and the NG connectivity with the 5G core network (CN) associated with the radio device, for example, to facilitate a smoother transition back to the RRC_CONNECTED state. When paging the radio device in the RRC_INACTIVE state, the RAN can use RNA-specific parameters, such as UE-specific DRX and UE identity index values ​​(e.g., I-RNTI).

[0100] Depending on some aspects, for example, when a wireless device moves out of its currently configured RNA to a different RNA, a wireless device operating in this RRC_INACTIVE state can perform RNA updates periodically (e.g., based on a configured periodic RNA update timer) and / or in an event-based manner.

[0101] In at least some cases, using the RRC_INACTIVE state can help reduce network signaling overhead for wireless device connections. For example, for wireless devices with infrequent data transmission, using the RRC_INACTIVE state can reduce the amount of mobility-related signaling (e.g., for handover) required compared to the RRC_CONNECTED state, for instance, because the wireless device may be able to manage its own cell reselection process when moving between cells. For such wireless devices, using the RRC_INACTIVE state can also reduce the amount of connection establishment-related signaling required compared to the RRC_IDLE state, for instance, because the network can retain at least some context information for the wireless device. This can directly reduce the signaling latency associated with the transition to the RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0102] As another potential benefit, this state can reduce control plane latency for wireless devices compared to operating in RRC_IDLE. For example, it is possible to shorten the access stratum connection establishment time and / or non-access stratum connection establishment time for the RRC_INACTIVE state relative to RRC_IDLE. Therefore, the time from the battery-enabled state to the start of continuous data transmission can be reduced.

[0103] Additionally, for example, this state can improve the power-saving capabilities of the wireless device compared to operating in the RRC_CONNECTED state. For instance, compared to operating in the RRC_INACTIVE state, in the RRC_CONNECTED mode, serving and / or neighboring cell measurements may be required more frequently, for example, at least coinciding with the connected mode discontinuous reception (C-DRX) cycle of the wireless device.

[0104] Radio devices can manage cell reselection while in the RRC_INACTIVE state. The goal of the cell reselection process may include maintaining the radio device pre-occupied on a suitable cell, which may include a cell with sufficient signal strength, signal quality, and / or other characteristics to enable the radio device to establish / activate a connection and perform data transmission via that cell. Cell reselection may include either intra-frequency cell reselection or inter-frequency cell reselection, or both. While in this RRC_INACTIVE state, as part of the cell reselection process, the radio device may perform cell measurements on serving and / or neighboring cells. The manner in which these cell measurements are performed can have a significant impact on the radio device's power consumption and the amount of time required to access continuous data transmission capabilities (e.g., by resuming operation in the RRC_CONNECTED state). For example, if a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) is used to perform cell measurements, there may be a delay between the radio device's inactive state wake-up instance and the next SSB burst, and / or measurements may be performed over a relatively long period to allow receiver beam scanning on multiple SSB bursts. Additionally, such SSB bursts can be performed at different frequencies and / or with wider bandwidths compared to designated inactive wake-up instances of wireless devices. Alternatively, the cellular base station can provide paging instances consistent with the SSB in the time and / or frequency domains, for example, to reduce power consumption of wireless devices in RRC inactive states.

[0105] Now go to Figure 7 According to various aspects of this disclosure, a communication flow diagram illustrating a communication flow 700 for entering and recovering from the RRC_INACTIVE state is shown. Aspects of the communication flow may be generated by a wireless device, such as combining one or more wireless nodes and one or more parts of a core network (CN), such as UE 702, gNB 704, last-served gNB 706, and in… Figure 7 The Access and Mobility Function (AMF) 708 shown and described herein may be implemented, or more generally, implemented as needed in conjunction with any computer circuits, systems, devices, elements, or components shown in the above figures. For example, the processor (and / or other hardware) of such a device may be configured to cause the device to perform any combination of the shown method elements and / or other method elements.

[0106] In communication flow 700, a radio node such as UE 702 receives an RRC release message (step 1) from the last served gNB 706. The RRC release message may include suspend configuration information for UE 702 to enter an RRC inactive state. The suspend configuration information may include information for operating in and / or resuming connection from the RRC inactive state, such as information about the RNA and security parameters for supporting encrypted recovery messages, such as the UE identifier and recovery security information. In some aspects disclosed herein, the gNB may also provide resource information for receiving CSI-RS / TRS (as explained in further detail below) via the RRC release message with suspend configuration information. The RNA may include an area associated with a set of gNBs that allow the UE to move within it without notifying the network.

[0107] In some cases, UE 702 may wish to perform dedicated data transmission / reception that cannot be performed in the inactive state. To exit the inactive state, UE 702 can initiate an RRC recovery process by transmitting an RRC recovery request to a gNB (gNB 704 in this example), which is different from the last serving gNB 706 (step 2). The RRC recovery request may include, for example, the UE identifier and recovery security information. gNB 704 can then retrieve the context of UE 702 from the last serving gNB (step 3). After receiving the UE context (step 4), gNB 704 can send an RRC recovery message to UE 702 in response to the RRC recovery request (step 5). UE 702 can then transition to RRC connection state 710 and send an RRC recovery complete message to gNB 704 (step 6).

[0108] gNB 704 then performs a UE handover from the last serving gNB 706 by sending a data forwarding address indication to the last serving gNB (step 7) and a path handover request to AMF 708 (step 8). AMF 708 responds with a path handover request response (step 9), and the gNB sends a UE context release to the last serving gNB 706 (step 10).

[0109] In some wireless communication networks, encryption can be used to help provide data integrity and security. For example, in 5G NR, user data in the Data Radio Bearer (DRB) block can be encrypted to provide data confidentiality and integrity protection. Additionally, RRC signaling in the Signaling Radio Bearer (SRB) block can be encrypted separately from user data to help provide signaling data confidentiality and network integrity. Therefore, the key used for NAS-level security between the CN and the wireless device is encrypted separately from the AS key used for, for example, RRC signaling.

[0110] Improved paging process in 5G / NR

[0111] The paging process in 5G / NR allows a UE to pre-occupy the system in reduced-power states such as the aforementioned RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE states. When in the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state, the UE can listen for paging messages. Paging messages allow the network to initiate a mobile station call connection. The CN is responsible for the RRC_IDLE paging process, while the serving base station (e.g., gNB) is responsible for the RRC_INACTIVE paging process. The paging message is identical for both CN-initiated paging (i.e., for UEs in the RRC_IDLE state) and RAN-initiated paging (i.e., for UEs in the RRC_INACTIVE state). It should be understood that in some implementations, the techniques described herein can be applied similarly to both RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE UEs, while in other implementations, the network may choose to implement these techniques differently for UEs in different reduced-power states (e.g., enabling specific techniques used by UEs in the RRC_INACTIVE state but not enabling specific techniques used by UEs in the RRC_IDLE state).

[0112] While UE-specific paging is available, for example, to indicate the arrival of an incoming call, other categories of paging information are also available when it is necessary to notify all UE system information changes in the RNA or incoming Earthquake and Tsunami Warning System (ETWS) / Commercial Mobile Alert Service (CMAS) messages. In these cases, the paging procedure can utilize the PDCCH payload. Specifically, when using the Paging Radio Network Temporary Identifier (P-RNTI) scrambled with Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) bits, Downlink Control Information (DCI) format 1_0 may include a "Short Message". The Short Message can be used to indicate that system information has been updated and needs to be retrieved again, or that an incoming ETWS / CMAS message is present.

[0113] For a UE in the RRC_IDLE state, the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) maintains a record of the UE's location and uses it to perform the UE's paging procedure. Specifically, a UE in the RRC_IDLE (or RRC_INACTIVE) state is configured with a discontinuous reception (DRX) period T (in frames) for paging monitoring, meaning the UE receiver enters a "sleep" mode between periodic paging opportunities (POs). The UE then determines its paging frame (PF) from the T frames in the DRX period. Within the PF, the UE determines the PO. The UE can determine its PO using a combination of information broadcast in System Information Block 1 (SIB1) and its assigned 5G SAE-Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (5G-S-TMSI). At each PO, the UE can scan its PDCCH transmissions with CRC scrambled by P-RNTI to determine if paging information is present in the PDSCH.

[0114] Within the PO, there can be a number S PDCCH monitoring opportunities, where each of the S monitoring opportunities corresponds to a synchronization signal block (SSB). The UE can monitor all PDCCH monitoring opportunities transmitted through different beams to monitor paging messages (assuming that the same paging message and short message are repeated in all transmitted beams or monitoring opportunities).

[0115] As described above, the UE can detect DCI format 1_0 with CRC bits scrambled using P-RNTI. If DCI format 1_0 is detected, the UE can read the Short Message Indicator field. If the Short Message Indicator indicates the presence of a paging message, the UE can decode the associated PDSCH (note that the UE-specific pagingRecordList is carried by the PDSCH). If the UE finds its UE_ID in the pagingRecordList, the UE initiates a Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure to establish an RRC connection (or reconnect). Otherwise, the UE can remain in its RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state.

[0116] As described above, for UEs in RRC_IDLE and / or RRC_INACTIVE modes, the UE enters a "sleep" state to conserve power between two consecutive POWs. However, in order to receive paging messages, the UE must wake up and perform preparations including, for example, Automatic Gain Control (AGC), time / frequency offset estimation / adjustment, etc. These operations require a known signal from the network that is transmitted near the UE's monitoring time. In LTE, a Cell Reference Signal (CRS) is transmitted in each subframe, and therefore, the UE can use the CRS for preparation. However, there is no CRS in 5G / NR. Therefore, NR UEs use an SSB, which is transmitted periodically, but at a frequency lower than every frame or subframe.

[0117] As is now understood, NR UEs that rely on SSBs for preparation need to wake up and monitor the SSB. However, because the SSB and PO are inconsistent, the UE typically must wake up earlier than required to receive the SSB. After performing AGC, time / frequency offset estimation / adjustment, etc., the UE must then remain in standby until its PO arrives. This can significantly increase the power / energy consumption of the NR UE, as described in more detail below and referenced. Figure 8 As shown.

[0118] Now go to Figure 8 An exemplary UE power consumption graph 800 is shown, which illustrates the UE's power consumption on the vertical axis 804 relative to time on the horizontal axis 802 when the UE is waiting for a paging opportunity (PO). As described above, the UE's power consumption will initially rise (810) to full power (812) in preparation for monitoring a SSB (806). Once an SSB has been monitored, the UE can remain in a "standby" state (814) while it waits for its next PO (808), at which point it can rise back to full power (816) to monitor the next PO (808) before it can return (818) to an idle or inactive state.

[0119] Now go to Figure 9 An exemplary improved UE power consumption graph 900 is shown, illustrating the UE's power consumption on the vertical axis 904 relative to time on the horizontal axis 902 when the UE is waiting for a paging opportunity (PO). Typically, an NR UE in the RRC_CONNECTED state can be configured to receive CSI-RS / TRS information for channel tracking, time-frequency synchronization, mobility, etc. However, this CSI-RS and TRS information is currently only configured when the UE is in the RRC_CONNECTED state. From the UE's perspective, the CSI-RS or TRS configuration information is a UE-specific configuration. However, from the network's perspective, multiple UEs can be configured with the same CSI-RS and TRS information to monitor the network. This shared configuration between CRS-RS and TRS allows the network to reduce resource overhead for CSI-RS and TRS.

[0120] Advantageously, CSI-RS and TRS can even be shared with UEs in RRC_IDLE and / or RRC_INACTIVE states to aid in UE paging reception preparation. Specifically, if configured CSI-RS and TRS information is transmitted near the UE's PO, the UE can use these CSI-RS / TRS readings to perform AGC, time / frequency synchronization, etc., to synchronize and prepare for its next PO.

[0121] Back Figure 9 The UE's power consumption will begin to ramp up (910) to full power (912) in preparation for monitoring CSI-RS / TRS (906). Because CSI-RS / TRS (906) is close in time to the UE's PO (908), the UE only needs to remain in "standby" state (912) for a short amount of time before it can return (914) to a reduced power (e.g., idle or inactive) state, thus relative to Figure 8 The scenario shown saves UE power.

[0122] As mentioned above, UEs in the RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE states do not have valid RRC configurations. This means that any CSI-RS / TRS resource information received by the UE during the previous RRC_CONNECTED state is no longer valid when the UE is in the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide the network with a new mechanism to notify UEs in the RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE states which CSI-RS / TRS resources(s) they are monitoring.

[0123] In the first aspect, new CSI-RS / TRS resource information for UEs in the RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE states can be carried in a new type of SIB (also referred to herein as "SIB-x" to avoid confusion with any existing SIBs in the NR). The network can periodically transmit the new SIB-x to notify UEs in the RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE states where CSI-RS / TRS resource information is available, using newly defined information elements (IEs), which will be described in more detail below.

[0124] In specific 5G / NR implementations, the types of CSI-RS information that can be provided to UEs in the RRC_CONNECTED state include: Non-Zero Power (NZP) CSI-RS (TRS) (which can be used for, for example, CSI reporting, RLF, BM, mobility and time / frequency tracking); CSI-Interference Measurement (CSI-IM), which can be used for, for example, to measure interference from neighboring cells (during which the serving cell itself does not perform any transmissions); and Zero Power (ZP) CSI-RS, which can be used for, for example, to reserve resources and perform rate matching.

[0125] In some specific implementations of the first aspect, the types of CSI-RS that can also be used for UEs in reduced power states (such as RRC_INACTIVE or RRC_IDLE states) include: NZP CSI-RS (which can be used after configuration); and TRS (which the UE is always configured for).

[0126] In 5G / NR, an Information Element (IE) refers to a parameter that can be set to a specified value. An IE should be introduced whenever multiple fields apply the same set of values. IEs can also be defined for other reasons, such as to break down the definition of a particular system element into smaller pieces. A set of closely related IE type definitions can preferably be grouped together, for example, in a common ASN.1 section.

[0127] The IE associated with the CSI-RS of a UE in the RRC_CONNECTED state includes: CSI-MeasConfig (which may include one or more CSI-ResourceConfigs); CSI-ResourceConfig (which may include one or more of CSI-ResourceSets); NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet (which may include one or more of NZP-CSI-RS-Resources); and NZP-CSI-RS-Resource. According to some specific implementations of the first aspect (or other aspects disclosed herein), new IEs (and new IE structures) may be introduced for UEs in a reduced power state (e.g., RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state). This new IE structure (which may be referred to herein as the “NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE IE”) may advantageously be based, at least in part, on the existing IE structure for UEs in the RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0128] Now go to Figure 10 This illustrates an exemplary NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE IE structure 1000 for a UE in the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state, based on several aspects. Figure 10 As shown, in some specific implementations, the new IE structure may include the following new IEs: NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE 1002 (which may include a list of NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet-IdleUE); NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet-IdleUE 1004 (which may include a list of NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE); and NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE 1006 (which may indicate a CSI-RS resource).

[0129] As is now understood, the NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet-IdleUE for RRC_INACTIVE / RRC_IDLE mode UEs corresponds to the NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet currently used by the RRC_CONNECTED mode UEs, and the NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE for RRC_INACTIVE / RRC_IDLE mode UEs corresponds to the NZP-CSI-RS-Resource currently used by the RRC_CONNECTED mode UEs.

[0130] Now go to Figure 11 This illustrates an exemplary use 1100 of different NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE IEs for UEs in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE states, which correspond to different NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSets from different UEs in RRC_CONNECTED mode. Figure 11 Element 1110 indicates an R15 / R16 UE in RRC_CONNECTED mode (referred to as "UE1" in this example), and element 1120 indicates another R15 / R16 UE in RRC_CONNECTED mode (referred to as "UE2" in this example). Element 1110 is defined by CSI-ResourceConfig (1112) containing a list of NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet (1114), each of which may also contain a list of NZP-CSI-RS-Resource (1116). Similarly, element 1120 is defined by CSI-ResourceConfig (1122) containing a list of NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet (1124), each of which may also contain a list of NZP-CSI-RS-Resource (1126).

[0131] like Figure 11 As indicated by arrow 1118, NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet 1114 from UE1 (1110) can be stored as NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet-IdleUE 1004 (as described above, it may include a list of NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE 1006). Similarly, as... Figure 11As indicated by arrows 1128 and 1130, the NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet 1124 from UE2 (1120) can be stored as an additional NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet-IdleUE IE 1004 in the exemplary NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE IE structure 1000. This NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet-IdleUE IE structure will be used for UEs in the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state (e.g., Rel-17 or later UEs).

[0132] Now, the discussion will turn to the various parameters that can be included in the NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE, NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet-IdleUE, and NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE IEs.

[0133] First, the NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE IE can include the nzp-CSI-RS-ResourceSet parameter. This parameter can include a list of CSI-RS-ResourceSet-IdleUEs. Including multiple NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSetIEs should be compatible with the current NR scheme, as NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSetIEs can have only one periodicity. Different RRC_IDLE mode UEs can have different DRX periods and offsets; therefore, to help them find a CSI-RS that is temporally close to their own PO, it should be possible to indicate multiple CSI-RS-Resource sets.

[0134] Secondly, the NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet-IdleUE IE may include the following parameters: nzp-CSI-RS-ResourcesSet-IdleUE-ID (i.e., the ID of the resource set); nzp-CSI-RS-Resources-IdleUE (i.e., one or more of the non-zero power CSI-RS resources); repetition (i.e., an indication of whether the same spatial filter is used to transmit CSI-RS in the CSI-RS-Resource Set; the value of this parameter may be the same as the value in the corresponding NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet for a UE in RRC_CONNECTED mode); and TRS-info (a field that may be set to "TRUE" when NZP-CSI-RS is used for TRS).

[0135] Third, the NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE IE may include the following parameters (which are a subset of the parameters of the existing NZP-CSI-RS-Resource structure): nzp-CSI-RS-ResourceID (i.e., the ID of the CSI-RS resource); resourceMapping (i.e., a field specifying the time / frequency mapping of the CSI-RS to the resource element); powerControlOffset (i.e., a field specifying the power difference between the CSI-RS and the PDSCH); powerControlOffsetSS (i.e., a field specifying the power difference between the CSI-RS and the secondary synchronization signal (SS); scramblingID (i.e., the input used to generate the pseudo-random sequence); periodicityAndOffset (i.e., specifying the periodicity and offset of the CSI-RS); and qcl-InfoPeriodicCSI-RS (i.e., specifying the quasi-co-bit (QCL) information of the CSI-RS). (In NR, if the properties of the channel transmitting symbols on one antenna port can be inferred from the channel transmitting symbols on another antenna port, then the two antenna ports are considered quasi-co-bit.)

[0136] Regarding QCL indications for RRC_IDLE mode UEs (e.g., using qcl-InfoPeriodicCSI-RS IE), it's important to note that RRC_IDLE mode UEs do not have a Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) state. Therefore, the interpretation of qcl-InfoPeriodicCSI-RS for RRC_IDLE mode UEs cannot be the same as for UEs in RRC_CONNECTED state. The qcl-InfoPeriodicCSI-RS parameter of the original CSI-RS resource for a UE in RRC_CONNECTED mode can be replaced with other CSI-RS resources or SSBs configured for the UE in RRC_CONNECTED mode (e.g., via quasi-shared bits). Therefore, qcl-InfoPeriodicCSI-RS for RRC_IDLE mode UEs cannot be quasi-shared bits with other CSI-RS, because quasi-shared bit CSI-RS information is only available to UEs in RRC_CONNECTED mode. However, quasi-co-occurrence of qcl-InfoPeriodicCSI-RS with SSB is permissible because the RRC_IDLE mode UE knows the correct SSB location and receives the beam to be used. This indicates that quasi-co-occurrence of CSI-RS with SSB is only available for UEs in RRC_CONNECTED mode. Therefore, according to some specific implementations of the first aspect (and other aspects disclosed herein), the CSI-RS resource indication for RRC_IDLE mode UEs includes only QCL information for SSB.

[0137] Now go to Figure 12 An additional method 1200 is shown for performing QCL indication on a UE in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode, based on some aspects. Figure 12An exemplary NZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet-IdleUE structure (1202) is shown, which contains a list of NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE structures (1204A-1204D), each of which may contain qcl-InfoPeriodicCSI-RS IE 1206. According to some methods used for QCL indication (i.e., using qcl-InfoPeriodicCSI-RS IE 1206), the CSI-RS resources used by the RRC_CONNECTED mode UE are included when they are quasi-co-occupied with the following: (1) SSB (e.g., as shown between SSB1 (12081) and NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE 1204A or between SSB2 (12082) and NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE 1204B); (2) one of the CSI-RS resources indicated by the RRC_IDLE mode UE (e.g., as shown between NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE 1204B and NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE 1204C); or (3) none, meaning qcl-InfoPeriodicCSI-RS The IE field is not included in NZP-CSI-RS-Resource-IdleUE (as shown in 1210).

[0138] As described above, there is preferably some form of message delivery mechanism for UEs in RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE modes. Specifically, UEs in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode may need to receive System Information (SI) to obtain parameters required for cell (re)selection and paging reception. Currently, nine SIBs (i.e., SIB1 to SIB9) are defined in NR, which are carried by System Information RRC messages. Therefore, according to various specific implementations proposed herein, new SIBs (also referred to herein as "SIB-x") can be used to indicate the CSI-RS resource set for UEs in RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE modes. As described in detail above, the aforementioned SIB-x may include NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE IE to support notification of the CSI-RS resource set available to UEs in RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE modes.

[0139] In such schemes, various methods can be used for the SIB transmission mechanism. For example, in one implementation, new SIB-x can be transmitted periodically (where, for example, SIB1 can be used to indicate the periodicity of the transmission of new SIB-x). Alternatively, in another implementation, new SIB-x can be transmitted "on demand." For example, the UE can send its assigned preamble to the network to request the transmission of SIB-x. SIB1 can be used to indicate which RACH configuration is available. (For example, during a RACH process, MGS1 or MSG3 can be used as a request to the UE to transmit a new SIB-x).

[0140] In the second aspect, SIB-x can be configured to carry one of a set of predefined CSI-RS / TRS resource information configurations. This method can have the benefit of reducing signaling overhead because the TRS resource indication can be selected only from the predefined TRS resource configurations. For example, there may be N (e.g., where N = 16) sets of predefined possible configurations, which may include some (or all) of the following elements: (1) the periodicity of the TRS; (2) the slot offset of the TRS; (3) the start symbol index of the TRS; (4) the bandwidth of the TRS (if this parameter is not indicated, the TRS may occupy the entire bandwidth); and (5) the comb offset of the TRS.

[0141] According to the second aspect, in the SIB, log2(N) bits can be used to indicate the TRS configuration. The QCL of the TRS can be the same as its corresponding SIB (or corresponding SSB), and the TRS sequence can be generated based on an explicitly indicated cell ID or other ID value. As an alternative delivery mechanism for carrying predefined TRS resource information, instead of the SIB, the PDSCH carrying the paging message can itself be used to carry a Media Access Control (MAC) control element (CE), which can enable or disable TRS as needed by the system.

[0142] In a third aspect, the PDSCH carrying paging messages can also be used to carry CSI-RS / TRS resource information, which can potentially be used to monitor UEs with the same PO in an upcoming PF. Specifically, as mentioned above, the PDSCH carrying paging messages can be used to carry the NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE structure. PDSCH allocation is flexible, and its size can therefore be increased as needed to carry CSI-RS / TRS resource information. In some cases, only relevant CSI-RS / TRS resource information (e.g., those that are temporally close to the PO) is actually included in the PDSCH. Another potential benefit of this third aspect is that different UEs with different POs will be able to see different NZP-CSI-Resource-IdleUEs. Therefore, according to the third aspect, the NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig for RRC_IDLE mode UEs can be included in the PDSCH carrying paging messages.

[0143] In the fourth aspect, the PDCCH may also be used, or alternatively, to carry CSI-RS / TRS resource information, such as P-RNTI information, which can potentially be used to monitor UEs with the same PO in an upcoming PF. This fourth aspect is similar to the third aspect described above, but the CSI-RS / TRS information used for paging message scheduling can be carried directly in the PDCCH instead of in the PDSCH. In some specific implementations of the fourth aspect, the information carried in the PDCCH with P-RNTI may be an index of a predefined CSI-RS / TRS pattern or an index of a pattern provided in the SIB. In this context, examples of patterns may refer to periodicity and / or frequency extensions of CSI-RS / TRS.

[0144] Now go to Figure 13 This illustrates a method 1300 for carrying CSI-RS / TRS resource information using a PDSCH according to some aspects. At block 1302, the UE can detect DCI format 1_0 with CRC bits scrambled using P-RNTI at a first PO (labeled PO1). If DCI format 1_0 is detected, the UE can read the Short Message Indicator field. If the Short Message Indicator indicates the presence of a paging message, at block 1304, the UE can decode the associated PDSCH and obtain NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE. As discussed above, NZP-CSI-ResourceConfig-IdleUE can be used to transmit one or more sets of CSI-RS / TRS resource information to a UE in RRC_IDLE mode.

[0145] Then, the CSI-RS / TRS information obtained by the UE (indicated in box 1308) can be used for synchronization and paging reception in the next PO (time elapsed as indicated by arrow 1306, and the next PO marked as PO2 in box 1310). Finally, in box 1312, the UE can obtain its actual paging message from the PDSCH. As described above, different UEs with different POs will be able to see different NZP-CSI-Resource-IdleUEs.

[0146] It should be understood that one or more of the first to fourth aspects described above can be combined in a given specific implementation, and the aspects are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, some networks may adopt new predefined configurations over time and / or allow customization or setting of the mode for transmitting CSI-RS / TRS resource information to UEs in RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode.

[0147] It should also be understood that, according to each of the first to fourth aspects above, the UE may perform measurements on the CSI-RS / TRS and then consider the measurements (e.g., Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) / Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) measurements) for cell quality assessment, i.e. for cell selection and / or reselection purposes.

[0148] Now go to Figure 14An exemplary flowchart 1400 is provided for a UE in a reduced power state (such as RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode) to receive CSI-RS and TRS resource information according to some aspects. First, at step 1402, the method allows a user equipment (e.g., a 5G / NR UE) in a reduced power state to receive resource information for receiving Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) and Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) (e.g., based on predefined TRS resource information, as described above with reference to the second aspect). Next, at step 1404, the user equipment can exit the reduced power state (e.g., RRC_INACTIVE or RRC_IDLE state) to receive CSI-RS and TRS based on the received resource information. Next, at step 1406, the user equipment can synchronize with the base station based on CSI-RS and TRS to receive downlink control information messages. Next, at step 1408, the user equipment can receive paging information in a first PDSCH transmission based on the received downlink control information messages. Next, at step 1410, the user equipment may determine whether paging information exists in the first PDSCH transmission for the user equipment. Then, at step 1412, the user equipment may initiate a RACH procedure to establish an RRC connection with the base station based on the determination that paging information exists for the user equipment, or at step 1414, return to a reduced power state based on the determination that no paging information exists for the user equipment.

[0149] Now go to Figure 15 This diagram illustrates exemplary flowcharts of various methods for a user equipment (UE) to receive CSI-RS and TRS resource information in step 1402 while in a reduced power state (such as RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode), according to several aspects. At block 1502, an option is presented for the UE to receive an SIB transmitted by the base station, which includes resource information for receiving CSI-RS and TRS. At block 1504, another option is presented for the UE to receive another PDSCH message transmitted by the base station (e.g., a PDSCH message transmitted prior to the PDSCH message referenced in step 1408), which includes resource information for receiving CSI-RS and TRS. At block 1506, yet another option is presented for the UE to receive a PDCCH message transmitted by the base station, which includes resource information for receiving CSI-RS and TRS. Reference, as will be understood, is made to... Figure 15 One or more of the described options may be used in a given wireless communication system at different times and / or according to different settings.

[0150] Now go to Figure 16This illustrates an exemplary flowchart 1600 for transmitting CSI-RS and TRS resource information from a base station to a UE in a reduced power state (such as RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode), according to some aspects. First, at step 1602, the method may transmit resource information (e.g., based on predefined TRS resource information) for receiving Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) and Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) from a base station (e.g., a gNB) to a UE in a reduced power state (e.g., a 5G / NR UE). Next, at step 1604, the method may, based on the transmitted resource information, use the base station to transmit CSI-RS and TRS to a UE that has exited the reduced power state. Next, at step 1606, the base station may determine whether there is paging information to be transmitted in the first Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission for the UE. Next, at step 1608, the base station may transmit a downlink control information message, wherein the downlink control information message is based on the determination that there is paging information for a UE that has been synchronized with the base station. Finally, at step 1610, the base station may transmit the first PDSCH transmission based on the determination that paging information for the user equipment exists.

[0151] Now go to Figure 17 This diagram illustrates exemplary flowcharts of various methods for a base station to transmit CSI-RS and TRS resource information of step 1602 to a UE in a reduced power state (such as RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE mode), according to some aspects. At block 1702, an option is presented for the base station to transmit an SIB including resource information for CSI-RS and TRS to be received by the user equipment. At block 1704, another option is presented for the base station to transmit another PDSCH message (e.g., a PDSCH message transmitted prior to the PDSCH message referenced in step 1606), which includes resource information for CSI-RS and TRS to be received by the user equipment. At block 1706, yet another option is presented for the base station to transmit a PDCCH message including resource information for CSI-RS and TRS to be received by the user equipment. References, as will be understood, are provided. Figure 17 One or more of the described options may be used in a given wireless communication system at different times and / or according to different settings.

[0152] Example

[0153] Further embodiments are provided in the following sections.

[0154] According to Embodiment 1, a method for paging in a wireless system is disclosed, comprising: a user equipment (UE) in a reduced power state receiving resource information for receiving channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) and tracking reference signals (TRS); the UE exiting the reduced power state based on the resource information to receive the CSI-RS and TRS; the UE synchronizing with a base station based on the received CSI-RS and TRS to receive downlink control information messages; the UE receiving paging information in a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission based on the received downlink control information messages; the UE determining whether paging information exists in the first PDSCH transmission for the UE; the UE initiating a random access channel (RACH) procedure to establish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the base station based on the determination that paging information exists for the UE; and the UE returning to the reduced power state based on the determination that no paging information exists for the UE.

[0155] Example 2 includes the subject matter according to Example 1, wherein receiving the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS includes: receiving a system information block (SIB) transmitted by the base station in the reduced power state, the SIB including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS for a set of two or more user equipments.

[0156] Example 3 includes the subject matter according to Example 2, and further includes: receiving the SIB by the user equipment via periodic transmission.

[0157] Example 4 includes the subject matter described in Example 2, and also includes a request for the SIB transmitted by the user equipment.

[0158] Example 5 includes the subject matter according to Example 4, wherein transmitting the request to the SIB includes transmitting a RACH preamble including the request, and wherein the received CSI-RS and TRS are based on the request.

[0159] Example 6 includes the subject matter described in Example 1 or 2, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined.

[0160] Example 7 includes the subject matter described in Example 6, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined based on one or more sets of configuration information.

[0161] Example 8 includes the subject matter according to Example 1, wherein receiving the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further includes: receiving a second PDSCH message transmitted by the base station before the first PDSCH message, the second PDSCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

[0162] Example 9 includes the subject matter according to Example 1, wherein receiving the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further includes: receiving a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message transmitted by the base station, the PDCCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

[0163] Example 10 includes the subject matter according to Example 9, wherein the resource information included in the PDCCH message indicates predefined CSI-RS and TRS modes.

[0164] According to Embodiment 11, a wireless device is disclosed, comprising: an antenna; a radio component operatively coupled to the antenna; and a processor operatively coupled to the radio component; wherein the wireless device is configured to: receive resource information for receiving Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) and Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) in a reduced power state; exit the reduced power state based on the resource information to receive the CSI-RS and TRS; synchronize with a base station based on the received CSI-RS and TRS to receive downlink control information messages; receive paging information in a first Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission based on the received downlink control information messages; determine whether paging information exists in the first PDSCH transmission for the wireless device; initiate a Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure to establish a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection with the base station based on the determination that paging information exists for the wireless device; and return to the reduced power state based on the determination that no paging information exists for the wireless device.

[0165] Example 12 includes the subject matter according to Example 11, wherein receiving the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS includes: receiving a system information block (SIB) transmitted by the base station in the reduced power state, the SIB including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS for a set of two or more user equipments.

[0166] Example 13 includes the subject matter according to Example 12, wherein the wireless device is further configured to receive the SIB via periodic transmissions.

[0167] Example 14 includes the subject matter described in Example 12, wherein the wireless device is further configured to transmit a request to the SIB.

[0168] Example 15 includes the subject matter described in Example 14, wherein transmitting the request to the SIB includes transmitting a RACH preamble including the request, and wherein the received CSI-RS and TRS are based on the request.

[0169] Example 16 includes the subject matter described in Example 11 or 12, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined.

[0170] Example 17 includes the subject matter described in Example 16, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined based on one or more sets of configuration information.

[0171] Example 18 includes the subject matter according to Example 11, wherein receiving the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further includes: receiving a second PDSCH message transmitted by the base station before the first PDSCH message, the second PDSCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

[0172] Example 19 includes the subject matter described in Example 11, wherein receiving the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further includes: receiving a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message transmitted by the base station, the PDCCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

[0173] Example 20 includes the subject matter described in Example 19, wherein the resource information included in the PDCCH message indicates predefined CSI-RS and TRS modes.

[0174] According to Embodiment 21, an integrated circuit is disclosed, including circuitry configured to perform the following operations: in a reduced power state, causing a wireless device to receive resource information for receiving Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) and Tracking Reference Signal (TRS); based on the resource information, causing the wireless device to exit the reduced power state to receive the CSI-RS and TRS; based on the received CSI-RS and TRS, causing the wireless device to synchronize with a base station to receive downlink control information messages; based on the received downlink control information messages, causing the wireless device to receive paging information in a first Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) transmission; determining whether paging information exists in the first PDSCH transmission for the wireless device; based on determining that paging information exists for the wireless device, causing the wireless device to initiate a Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure to establish a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection with the base station; and based on determining that no paging information exists for the wireless device, causing the wireless device to return to the reduced power state.

[0175] Example 22 includes the subject matter according to Example 21, wherein enabling the wireless device to receive the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS includes: enabling the wireless device in the reduced power state to receive a system information block (SIB) transmitted by the base station, the SIB including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS for a set of two or more user equipments.

[0176] Example 23 includes the subject matter according to Example 22, wherein the circuitry is further configured to enable the wireless device to receive the SIB via periodic transmissions.

[0177] Example 24 includes the subject matter described in Example 22, wherein the circuitry is further configured to enable the wireless device to transmit a request to the SIB.

[0178] Example 25 includes the subject matter described in Example 24, wherein transmitting the request to the SIB includes transmitting a RACH preamble including the request from the wireless device, and wherein the received CSI-RS and TRS are based on the request.

[0179] Example 26 includes the subject matter described in Example 21 or 22, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined.

[0180] Example 27 includes the subject matter described in Example 26, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined based on one or more sets of configuration information.

[0181] Example 28 includes the subject matter according to Example 21, wherein enabling the wireless device to receive the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further includes enabling the wireless device to receive a second PDSCH message transmitted by the base station prior to the first PDSCH message, the second PDSCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

[0182] Example 29 includes the subject matter according to Example 21, wherein enabling the wireless device to receive the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further includes enabling the wireless device to receive a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message transmitted by the base station, the PDCCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

[0183] Example 30 includes the subject matter described in Example 29, wherein the resource information included in the PDCCH message indicates predefined CSI-RS and TRS modes.

[0184] According to Embodiment 31, a method for paging in a wireless system is disclosed, comprising: transmitting resource information for receiving channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) and tracking reference signals (TRS) to a user equipment in a reduced power state by a base station; transmitting the CSI-RS and TRS to the user equipment based on the transmitted resource information, wherein the user equipment has exited the reduced power state; determining by the base station whether there is paging information to be transmitted in a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission for the user equipment; transmitting a downlink control information message by the base station, wherein the downlink control information message is based on determining that there is paging information for the user equipment and wherein the user equipment has been synchronized with the base station; and transmitting the first PDSCH transmission by the base station based on determining that there is paging information for the user equipment.

[0185] Example 32 includes the subject matter according to Example 31, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS transmitted by the base station includes: the base station transmitting a System Information Block (SIB) to the user equipment, the SIB including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS for a set of two or more user equipments.

[0186] Example 33 includes the subject matter according to Example 32, wherein the SIB is transmitted periodically.

[0187] Example 34 includes the subject matter described in Example 32, and further includes receiving a request for transmission of the SIB from the user equipment at the base station.

[0188] Example 35 includes the subject matter according to Example 34, wherein receiving the request for the transmission to the SIB includes: the base station receiving a random access channel (RACH) preamble including the request, and wherein the transmitted and received CSI-RS and TRS are based on the request.

[0189] Example 36 includes the subject matter described in Example 31 or 32, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined.

[0190] Example 37 includes the subject matter described in Example 36, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined based on one or more sets of configuration information.

[0191] Example 38 includes the subject matter according to Example 31, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS transmitted by the base station further includes: transmitting a second PDSCH message to the user equipment prior to the first PDSCH message, the second PDSCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

[0192] Example 39 includes the subject matter according to Example 31, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS transmitted by the base station further includes: the base station transmitting a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message to the user equipment, the PDCCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

[0193] Example 40 includes the subject matter described in Example 39, wherein the resource information included in the PDCCH message indicates predefined CSI-RS and TRS modes.

[0194] According to embodiment 41, an apparatus is disclosed, comprising: a processor configured to: transmit resource information for receiving channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) and tracking reference signals (TRS) to a user equipment in a reduced power state; transmit the CSI-RS and TRS to the user equipment based on the transmitted resource information, wherein the user equipment has exited the reduced power state; determine whether there is paging information to be transmitted in a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission for the user equipment; transmit a downlink control information message, wherein the downlink control information message is based on determining that there is paging information for the user equipment and wherein the user equipment has been synchronized with the apparatus; and transmit the first PDSCH transmission based on determining that there is paging information for the user equipment.

[0195] Example 42 includes the subject matter according to Example 41, wherein transmitting the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS includes: transmitting a System Information Block (SIB) from the device to the user equipment, the SIB including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS for a set of two or more user equipments.

[0196] Example 43 includes the subject matter according to Example 42, wherein the SIB is transmitted periodically.

[0197] Example 44 includes the subject matter according to Example 42, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a request for transmission of the SIB from the user equipment at the device.

[0198] Example 45 includes the subject matter according to Example 44, wherein receiving the request for the transmission to the SIB includes: receiving a random access channel (RACH) preamble including the request, and wherein the transmitted and received CSI-RS and TRS are based on the request.

[0199] Example 46 includes the subject matter described in Example 41 or 42, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined.

[0200] Example 47 includes the subject matter described in Example 46, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined based on one or more sets of configuration information.

[0201] Example 48 includes the subject matter according to Example 41, wherein transmitting the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further includes: transmitting a second PDSCH message from the device to the user equipment prior to the first PDSCH message. The second PDSCH message includes the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

[0202] Example 49 includes the subject matter according to Example 41, wherein transmitting the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further includes: transmitting a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message from the device to the user equipment, the PDCCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

[0203] Example 50 includes the subject matter described in Example 49, wherein the resource information included in the PDCCH message indicates predefined CSI-RS and TRS modes.

[0204] According to Embodiment 51, an integrated circuit is disclosed, including circuitry configured to perform the following operations: causing a base station to transmit resource information for receiving channel state information reference signals (CSI-RS) and tracking reference signals (TRS) to a user equipment in a reduced power state; causing the base station to transmit the CSI-RS and TRS to the user equipment based on the transmitted resource information, wherein the user equipment has exited the reduced power state; determining whether there is paging information to be transmitted in a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission for the user equipment; causing the base station to transmit a downlink control information message, wherein the downlink control information message is based on determining the existence of paging information for the user equipment and wherein the user equipment has been synchronized with the base station; and causing the base station to transmit the first PDSCH transmission based on determining the existence of paging information for the user equipment.

[0205] Example 52 includes the subject matter according to Example 51, wherein causing the base station to transmit the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS includes: causing the base station to transmit a System Information Block (SIB) to the user equipment, the SIB including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS for a set of two or more user equipments.

[0206] Example 53 includes the subject matter according to Example 52, wherein the SIB is transmitted periodically.

[0207] Example 54 includes the subject matter according to Example 52, wherein the circuitry is further configured to cause the base station to receive a request for transmission to the SIB from the user equipment.

[0208] Example 55 includes the subject matter according to Example 54, wherein receiving the request to the SIB includes: receiving a random access channel (RACH) preamble including the request, and wherein the transmitted and received CSI-RS and TRS are based on the request.

[0209] Example 56 includes the subject matter described in Example 51 or 52, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined.

[0210] Example 57 includes the subject matter described in Example 56, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined based on one or more sets of configuration information.

[0211] Example 58 includes the subject matter according to Example 51, wherein enabling the base station to transmit the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further includes: enabling the base station to transmit a second PDSCH message to the user equipment before the first PDSCH message, the second PDSCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

[0212] Example 59 includes the subject matter according to Example 51, wherein enabling the base station to transmit the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further includes enabling the base station to transmit a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message to the user equipment, the PDCCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

[0213] Example 60 includes the subject matter described in Example 59, wherein the resource information included in the PDCCH message indicates predefined CSI-RS and TRS modes.

[0214] Another embodiment may include a method comprising: performing any or all portions of the foregoing embodiments by a device.

[0215] Another embodiment may include a non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium comprising program instructions that, when executed at a device, cause the device to perform any or all portions of any of the embodiments described above.

[0216] Another embodiment may include a computer program that includes instructions for performing any or all portions of any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0217] Another embodiment may include an integrated circuit comprising circuitry configured to perform any or all portions of any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0218] Another embodiment may include an apparatus comprising means for performing any or all elements of any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0219] Another embodiment may include an apparatus (e.g., a wireless device or wireless station) that includes a processor configured to cause the device to perform any or all elements of any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0220] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0221] Various aspects of this disclosure can be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, some aspects may be implemented as a computer-implemented method, a computer-readable storage medium, or a computer system. Other aspects may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Other aspects may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements such as FPGAs.

[0222] In some aspects, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may be configured to store program instructions and / or data, wherein, if executed by a computer system, the program instructions cause the computer system to perform a method, such as any of the methods described herein, or any combination of the methods described herein, or any subset or combination of any of the methods described herein.

[0223] In some aspects, the device (e.g., UE 106, BS 102, network element 600) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium, wherein the memory medium stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to read from the memory medium and execute the program instructions, wherein the program instructions are executable to implement any of the various methods described herein (or any combination of the methods described herein, or any subset of any of the methods described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of a variety of forms.

[0224] Although the embodiments described above have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the disclosure is fully understood. This disclosure is intended to render the following claims as encompassing all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A method for paging in a wireless system, performed by a user equipment, the method comprising: In a reduced power state, a System Information Block (SIB) transmitted by a base station is received. The SIB includes resource information for receiving Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) and Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) for a set of two or more user equipments. The SIB includes a dedicated SIB specifically configured to indicate CSI-RS and TRS resource information for user equipments in a reduced power state. Based on the resource information, exit the reduced power state to receive the CSI-RS and TRS; Synchronize with the base station based on the received CSI-RS and TRS; Receive downlink control information messages from the base station; Based on the received downlink control information messages, paging information is received in the first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission; Determine whether paging information for the user equipment exists in the first PDSCH transmission; Based on the determination that there is paging information for the user equipment, the random access channel (RACH) procedure is initiated to establish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the base station; as well as Based on the determination that there is no paging information for the user equipment, the user equipment is returned to a reduced power state.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The SIB is received via periodic transmission.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a request to the SIB.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein transmitting the request to the SIB comprises transmitting a RACH preamble including the request, and wherein the received CSI-RS and TRS are based on the request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined based on one or more sets of configuration information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further comprises: A second PDSCH message transmitted by the base station is received before the first PDSCH message. The second PDSCH message includes the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further comprises: Receive a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message transmitted by the base station, the PDCCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the resource information included in the PDCCH message indicates predefined CSI-RS and TRS modes.

10. A wireless device, the wireless device comprising: antenna; A radio component, the radio component being operatively coupled to the antenna; and A processor capable of being operatively coupled to the radio component; The wireless device is configured as follows: In a reduced power state, a System Information Block (SIB) transmitted by a base station is received. The SIB includes resource information for receiving Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS) and Tracking Reference Signal (TRS) for a set of two or more user equipments. The SIB includes a dedicated SIB specifically configured to indicate CSI-RS and TRS resource information for user equipments in a reduced power state. Based on the resource information, exit the reduced power state to receive the CSI-RS and TRS; Synchronization with the base station is based on the received CSI-RS and TRS; Receive downlink control information messages from the base station; Based on the received downlink control information messages, paging information is received in the first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission; Determine whether paging information for the wireless device exists in the first PDSCH transmission; Based on the determination that there is paging information for the wireless device, the random access channel (RACH) procedure is initiated to establish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with the base station; as well as Based on the determination that there is no paging information for the wireless device, the system returns to the reduced power state.

11. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the wireless device is further configured to: The SIB is received via periodic transmission.

12. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the wireless device is further configured to transmit a request to the SIB.

13. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein transmitting the request to the SIB includes transmitting a RACH preamble including the request, and wherein the received CSI-RS and TRS are based on the request.

14. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined.

15. The wireless device of claim 14, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined based on one or more sets of configuration information.

16. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein receiving the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further comprises: A second PDSCH message transmitted by the base station is received before the first PDSCH message. The second PDSCH message includes the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

17. The wireless device of claim 10, wherein receiving the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further comprises: Receive a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message transmitted by the base station, the PDCCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

18. The wireless device of claim 17, wherein the resource information included in the PDCCH message indicates predefined CSI-RS and TRS modes.

19. A processor, comprising: Integrated circuits, including circuits configured to perform the following operations: Enables wireless devices to receive System Information Blocks (SIBs) transmitted by base stations in a reduced power state. The SIBs include resource information for receiving Channel State Information Reference Signals (CSI-RS) and Tracking Reference Signals (TRS) for a set of two or more user equipments. The SIBs include dedicated SIBs specifically configured to indicate CSI-RS and TRS resource information for user equipments in a reduced power state. The wireless device is enabled to exit the reduced power state based on the resource information in order to receive the CSI-RS and TRS; The wireless device synchronizes with the base station based on the received CSI-RS and TRS to receive downlink control information messages; The wireless device receives paging information in the first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission based on the received downlink control information message; The wireless device determines whether a paging message for the wireless device exists in the first PDSCH transmission; The wireless device initiates a Random Access Channel (RACH) procedure to establish a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection with the base station based on the determination that a paging message for the wireless device exists. as well as Based on the determination that there is no paging information for the wireless device, the wireless device is returned to a reduced power state.

20. The processor of claim 19, wherein the circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless device to: The SIB is received via periodic transmission.

21. The processor of claim 19, wherein the circuitry is further configured to cause the wireless device to transmit a request to the SIB.

22. The processor of claim 21, wherein transmitting the request to the SIB comprises transmitting a RACH preamble including the request from the wireless device, and wherein the received CSI-RS and TRS are based on the request.

23. The processor of claim 19, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined.

24. The processor of claim 23, wherein the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS is predefined based on one or more sets of configuration information.

25. The processor of claim 19, wherein causing the wireless device to receive the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further comprises: The wireless device receives a second PDSCH message transmitted by the base station before the first PDSCH message, the second PDSCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

26. The processor of claim 19, wherein causing the wireless device to receive the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS further comprises: The wireless device receives a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message transmitted by the base station, the PDCCH message including the resource information for receiving the CSI-RS and TRS.

27. The processor of claim 26, wherein the resource information included in the PDCCH message indicates predefined CSI-RS and TRS modes.

28. A non-volatile computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of a user equipment, cause the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

Images