Wake-up signal in a cellular system

Abstract

A series of paging indication messages are transmitted, each indicating which UE should decode subsequent signals. Each paging indication message may refer to another paging indication message or a paging message. The paging indication messages may be based on a reference signal or on DCI.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This article discloses information concerning the transmission of wake-up signals in cellular networks, with particular attention to the configuration of wake-up signals to avoid paging errors. Background Technology

[0002] Wireless communication systems such as third-generation (3G) mobile phone standards and technologies are well-known. The 3G Partnership (3GPP) has developed such 3G standards and technologies. Generally speaking, third-generation wireless communication has been developed to the point of supporting macro cell mobile phone communication, and communication systems and networks have evolved towards broadband and mobile systems.

[0003] In a cellular wireless communication system, User Equipment (UE) connects to a Radio Access Network (RAN) via a radio link. The RAN includes a set of base stations that provide radio links to UEs located in cells covered by those base stations, and includes an interface connecting to the Core Network (CN), which has the function of controlling the overall network. It is understood that the RAN and CN each perform corresponding functions related to the overall network. For convenience, the term "cellular network" will be used to represent the combination of the RAN and CN, but it is understood that the term is also used to represent the individual systems performing the disclosed functions.

[0004] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has developed the so-called Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, namely the Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunication System Territorial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), for mobile access networks supported by one or more macro cells, called eNodeBs or eNBs (evolved NodeBs). More recently, LTE has further evolved into the so-called 5G or New Radio (NR) system, in which one or more cells are supported by base stations called gNBs. When NR was first proposed, it utilized the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) physical transmission format.

[0005] The NR protocol aims to provide the option of operating in unlicensed radio bands (known as NR-U). When operating in unlicensed radio bands, the gNB and UE must compete with other devices for physical media / resource access. For example, Wi-Fi, NR-U, and LAA may use the same physical resources.

[0006] The development trend of wireless communication is towards providing services with lower latency and higher reliability. For example, NR aims to support Ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC), while massive machine-type communications (mMTC) aims to provide low latency and high reliability for small data packets (typically 32 bytes). Currently, a user plane latency of 1ms with a reliability of 99.99999% has been proposed, and at the physical layer, a packet loss rate of 10% has been achieved. -5 Or 10 -6 The solution.

[0007] mMTC services are designed to support a large number of devices over a long lifespan using energy-efficient communication channels. In this scenario, data transmission between each device is sporadic and infrequent. For example, a single cell might need to support tens of thousands of devices.

[0008] The following disclosure relates to various improvements to cellular wireless communication systems. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This "Summary" is provided to introduce, in a simplified form, some selections of concepts that will be further described in the following "Detailed Description". This "Summary" is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0010] A method for paging a UE in a cellular communication system is provided, the method being performed at a base station and comprising the steps of: transmitting a first paging indication, wherein the first paging indication includes an indication of a UE that should decode a second paging indication; transmitting the second paging indication, wherein the second paging indication includes an indication of which UEs may expect a paging message at a subsequent paging time; and transmitting a paging message at the subsequent paging time for reception by the UE indicated in the second paging indication.

[0011] A method for paging a UE in a cellular communication network is provided. The method is executed by the UE and includes the following steps: receiving a first paging instruction; determining whether the first paging instruction includes an instruction that the UE should decode a second paging instruction, and if so, receiving the second paging instruction; and determining whether the second paging instruction includes an instruction that the UE should decode a paging message, and if so, receiving and decoding the paging message.

[0012] The second paging instruction is transmitted after the first paging instruction.

[0013] The method further includes transmitting at least one synchronization signal block between the first paging indication and the paging message.

[0014] The first paging indication is based on a reference signal.

[0015] The first paging indication is a DCI message.

[0016] The second paging indication is based on a reference signal.

[0017] The second paging instruction is a DCI message.

[0018] The first paging indication indicates a group of UEs or all UEs associated with the paging timing.

[0019] The first paging instruction includes at least one sequence corresponding to a predefined set of UEs.

[0020] The second paging instruction includes at least one sequence corresponding to a predefined set of UEs.

[0021] The DCI message identifier of the first paging indication identifies at least one group of UEs.

[0022] The DCI message of the first paging indication includes a bitmap, wherein each bit of the bitmap corresponds to a predefined set of UEs.

[0023] The paging message is a paging DCI message.

[0024] The paging DCI message is a public DCI message.

[0025] The paging DCI message is a group common DCI message.

[0026] The paging DCI message is scrambled with the relevant P-RNTI.

[0027] The paging message includes multiple paging DCI messages, each associated with a different CORESET and / or scrambled with a different P-RNTI.

[0028] The CORESET and / or P-RNTI of the UE's paging DCI message are indicated by the second paging indication.

[0029] A method for paging a UE in a cellular communication system is provided, the method being performed at a base station and comprising the steps of: transmitting a first paging indication, wherein the first paging indication is a paging indication DCI message scrambled with a paging indication RNTI, wherein the paging indication DCI message includes indications of at least one group of UEs for which subsequent paging DCI messages should be decoded; and transmitting the paging DCI message, wherein the paging DCI message includes indications of which UEs among those indicated by the paging indication DCI message are addressed by the paging DCI message.

[0030] A method for paging a UE in a cellular communication system, the method being performed by the UE, and comprising the steps of: receiving a first paging indication, wherein the first paging indication is a paging indication DCI message scrambled with a paging indication RNTI, wherein the paging indication DCI message includes indications for at least one group of UEs that should decode subsequent paging DCI messages; and decoding the subsequent paging DCI message if the paging indication DCI message indicates that the UE should decode the subsequent paging DCI message.

[0031] A bitmap is used to indicate the at least one group of UEs.

[0032] The paging indication DCI message is transmitted in CORESET and / or scrambled with PI-RNTI, the PI-RNTI corresponding to the UE to which the paging indication DCI message is directed. Attached Figure Description

[0033] The following description, by way of example only and in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates further details, aspects, and embodiments of the invention. For simplicity and clarity, elements in the drawings are shown, and these elements are not necessarily drawn to scale. For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are included in the various drawings.

[0034] Figure 1 Displays selected components in a cellular communication system; and

[0035] Figures 2 to 9 An example of a paging sequence is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Those skilled in the art will recognize and understand that the specific details of the described examples are merely illustrative of some embodiments, and that the teachings set forth herein apply to various alternative configurations.

[0037] Figure 1This diagram illustrates three base stations (e.g., eNB or gNB, depending on the specific cellular network standard and terminology) forming a cellular network. Typically, each base station is deployed by the cellular network operator to provide geographical coverage for UEs in that area. These base stations form a Radio Area Network (RAN). Each base station provides radio signal coverage for UEs in its area or cell. These base stations are interconnected via an X2 interface and connected to the core network via an S1 interface. As will be understood, only some basic details are shown here to facilitate illustrative explanation of key characteristics of a cellular network. A PC5 interface is provided between multiple UEs for sidelink (SL) communication. Figure 1 The related interface and component names are for illustrative purposes only, and different systems operating on the same principles may use different naming conventions.

[0038] Each base station includes the hardware and software for implementing RAN functions, including communication with the core network and other base stations, the transmission of control and data signals between the core network and the UE, and maintaining or sustaining wireless communications for the UE associated with each base station. The core network includes the hardware and software for implementing network functions, such as overall network management and control, and the routing of calls and data.

[0039] For certain categories of devices operating in cellular networks, power consumption is a critical parameter. In LTE, 3GPP has defined a Machine-Type Communication (MTC) UE type for devices such as industrial sensors, with the expectation that these devices can operate for years on a single battery charge. For stationary and mobile devices (IoT), the NB-IoT standard can be used.

[0040] To reduce power consumption, such devices may spend most of their time in RRC idle / inactive mode, using discontinuous reception (DRX) to shut down their radio systems, waking up only when listening for paging messages. Although the paging events may be infrequent, decoding them is complex and relatively power-intensive. For example, the UE must wake up before the expected paging occasion (PO), activate the RF and baseband systems, synchronize time and frequency, and attempt to decode the PDCCH of the paging DCI scrambled with P-RNTI. If no paging DCI is detected, the UE can return to sleep (DRX). This process can take several frames, depending on the PDCCH repetition, and PDCCH decoding is relatively complex. To reduce this complexity, a wake-up signal (WUS) can be sent before the paging event to the UE for detection. WUS is typically sequence-based and easily detectable without decoding and baseband processing. The UE is configured to wake up to detect WUS, and if the UE's signal is detected, the UE is fully awakened to receive the PDCCH at the appropriate time, as it is certain that a paging message is present. If no WUS is detected, the UE can return to sleep. The reduced complexity of WUS detection (which can be performed using a correlator) lowers power consumption compared to performing full PDCCH decoding.

[0041] Figure 2 The timeline of the paging UE signal is displayed. A Paging Indication (PI) can be sent before the Paging Time (PO) (P-DCI / P-PDSCH) to indicate that a group of UEs or all UEs associated with that PO will be paged. If a UE does not detect the relevant PI, it can return to sleep without further processing. After the PI, one or more SSBs can be detected so that the UE can perform cell confirmation and time / frequency synchronization to assist in the detection and decoding of the PDCCH. The paged UE can then receive the P-DCI and P-PDSCH scrambled with P-RNTI.

[0042] PI can be based on DCI or reference signal (RS) designs. DCI-based signals have higher payload capacity and may require fewer standard specification modifications, but require coherent detection, resulting in higher power consumption. RS-based systems only require incoherent detection, thus potentially resulting in lower UE power consumption and better robustness to time / frequency offsets. RS signals can also be used for time / frequency synchronization, but with lower capacity.

[0043] The higher capacity of DCI-based systems can be used for UE grouping, and short paging messages can also be included in the DCI. However, the detection complexity and power consumption are higher. UE grouping information can also be included in P-DCI to indicate which UE groups should be decoded for P-DCI and P-PDSCH.

[0044] The following describes various methods aimed at reducing paging error rates, which employ UE sub-packets that share a PO with improved signaling configuration.

[0045] Figure 3 A timeline of the paging method is shown, illustrating the general principles disclosed below. This paging method employs a series of steps to refine the UEs at each stage. In the first step, the first PI (PI 0) is transmitted, indicating the UE group to be paged and that the next PI (PI 1) should be decoded. Then, in step 2, PI 1 is transmitted, refining the UE groups to those that need P-DCI decoding. In step 3, the P-DCI indicates the UEs that should continue decoding P-PDSCH. This sequential arrangement reduces the number of UEs consuming full power to decode P-PDSCH, while effectively managing signaling overhead.

[0046] exist Figure 3 In the example, a two-stage PI is used, but this can be extended to any number of PIs depending on the number of UE groups and system characteristics. Each PI can be RS-based or DCI-based. In one example, the first PI (PI 0) can be RS-based for detection by low-power UEs (e.g., REDCAP UEs), while the second PI (PI 1) can be DCI-based to convey further details, specifying which UEs or groups should perform P-DCI decoding. UEs can use PI 0 and the intermediate SSB for synchronization, and PI 0 and the intermediate SSB enhance the detection of PI 1. As described below, different combinations of RS and DCI signals and the data they contain can be used during paging.

[0047] The above describes a paging method in which more than one paging indication (PI) is transmitted sequentially before the paging timing (PO). Each PI can be RS-based or DCI-based and can include an indication of which UE should decode the next signal in the process.

[0048] The UE packet information included in the PI can be in any suitable format. Specific examples will be described below, which may be particularly suitable for the method described later. In the following description, it is assumed that a DCI has B bits for packet information, and a total of G UE groups are configured. It is assumed that each UE is aware of B and G.

[0049] The RS of PI based on RS can be used to indicate the UE groups related to PI. A specific sequence can be assigned to each UE group, and the relevant sequence is sent to indicate that at least one UE in the group will be paged. A reference sequence can also be assigned as a common sequence, which is sent when more than one group of UEs are to be paged. If allowed, instead of using the common sequence, the transmission of more than one sequence can be utilized to indicate that UEs in more than one group will be paged. However, if more than one sequence is transmitted on the same transmission resource, they must share the power, so each sequence is transmitted with a smaller power, which may not be optimal.

[0050] If B >= G, each bit in the relevant field of the DCI is associated with a UE group. Setting a certain bit to 1 indicates that the group will be paged, while 0 indicates that the group is not paged (vice versa). The disadvantage of this method is that the number of bits required is proportional to the number of groups, so the payload may need to be increased to support a large number of groups.

[0051] To reduce the number of bits required, each bit can be associated with more than one group. For G groups, each of the B bits can be mapped to [G / B] groups, G >= B. If G < B, only the first G bits can be used to indicate G groups. For example, if G = 8 and B =​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[0055] Bit-field UE-ID mod 3 00 0 01 1 10 2 11 all

[0056] In this example, if the field in the DCI indicates 00, only UEs with (UE-ID mod 3) = 0 will be paged.

[0057] Figure 4 An example is shown where a PI is sent only at one time, but two resources are provided so that two PIs (PI 0 and PI 1) can be sent at that time. These two resources are orthogonal, so they do not interfere with each other. Each PI can be used to indicate a specific group, or to indicate a common signal for all UEs associated with the relevant PI.

[0058] In one example, each PI can have eight possible sequences, each indicating a group, plus one sequence indicating all groups (“common signal”). PI 0 can indicate group 3, while PI 1 needs to indicate more than one group, thus transmitting the common signal. Therefore, group 3 associated with PI 0 decodes the P-DCI, and all eight groups associated with PI 1 decode the P-DCI. As mentioned above, the P-DCI can be further refined to specify the UE groups that should decode the P-PDSCH.

[0059] A P-DCI may be common to the groups associated with PI 0 and PI 1, or different P-DCIs may be mapped to these PIs, as discussed in more detail below. Different P-DCIs may be associated with different search spaces / CORESETs, and / or different P-RNTl may be used to scramble each P-DCI (each P-DCI is transmitted within the same search space / CORESET). In another example, with Figure 4 Similarly, a PI can be a DCI-based PI, with each PI scrambling with a different PI-RNTI and / or transmitting on a different search space / CORESET. One advantage of this mapping is that all relevant UE groups know how many groups are indicated. Continuing with the example submitted above, UE group 3 on PI 0 will decode P-DCI 0, so P-DCI 0 can indicate further refinement for UE group 3. Similarly, for PI 1, UE groups 0 through 7 will decode P-DCI 1, which further indicates which UEs or UE groups need to continue and decode PDSCH. If two PIs use a common P-DCI, UE group 3 on PI 0 will not know the signals transmitted on PI 1 because each UE only monitors the PI to which it belongs. Therefore, the refinement of subsequent groups on the P-DCI is less efficient.

[0060] In the following discussion, it is assumed that N bits are available for packet information in P-DCI, and M PIs are configured in the system. N and M are known to the relevant UEs.

[0061] If more than one PI is mapped to a subsequent common DCI (i.e., P-DCI or subsequent DCI-based PI (PI-DCI)), a UE associated with one PI will not know the indication to be transmitted to UEs associated with other PIs (which are associated with the common DCI). Therefore, a fixed mapping can be used between PI and DCI payload bits. For example, B = [N / M] bits can be associated with each PI in the DCI payload. If M = 2 and N = 8, then PI 0 and PI 1 each use 4 bits, each bit representing two groups. These bits may have different meanings, whether they relate to group-specific PIs or common PIs (refining the UE or group respectively).

[0062] For example, if groups 2 and 7 associated with PI 1 are to be paged, the common signal will be transmitted as PI 1, causing all eight groups associated with PI 1 to decode the P-DCI. The four bits of the P-DCI can then indicate the pair of groups that should have their PDSCH decoded (since each bit represents two groups), and can be set to 0101 (where "pair" indicates groups 2 and 3, and groups 6 and 7 respectively). The PDSCH then indicates the exact UE-ID of the paged UE.

[0063] When a group-specific PI is transmitted, further refinement of the group is not possible (because only a single group is indicated for P-DCI decoding). Therefore, the relevant fields in the P-DCI can be used to indicate which UEs in the relevant group should decode the PDSCH using the method discussed above. Furthermore, if more bits are available, multiple subsets of these bits can be used, utilizing the UE-ID mod X function, to indicate partial UE-IDs. For example, if 4 bits are available, two UE-ID mod 3 values ​​can be used each time, each using 2 bits. For instance, if the group-specific PI indicates a group of 9 UEs with UE-IDs 0, 1, 2, 3, 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20, one pair of these bits can indicate UE-ID mod 3 = 1, possibly representing UE-IDs 1 and 16, and another pair can indicate UE-ID mod 3 = 2, possibly representing UE-IDs 2, 14, and 20. Therefore, 5 out of the 9 UEs in the group receive the signal to decode the PDSCH, thus reducing the number of UEs with paging errors by nearly 50%. The values ​​shown here are for illustrative purposes only. You may use different values ​​for X in UE-ID mod X, as well as different numbers of bits or different numbers of values ​​(i.e., more than 2 values ​​in this example).

[0064] This allows for indications such as (UE-ID mod 3) = 0 and (UE-ID mod 3) = 2.

[0065] As mentioned above, each PI resource can be associated with a specific P-DCI through a specific CORESET and / or P-RNTI. Figure 5 An example is shown where each of the four PIs is associated with a unique combination of CORESET and P-RNTI. PI 0 and PI 1 correspond to CORESET 0, which carries two P-DCIs scrambled with P-RNTI 0 and P-RNTI 1. Similarly, PI 2 and PI 3 correspond to CORESET 1, which carries two P-DCIs scrambled with P-RNTI 2 and P-RNTI 3. Although a different local P-RNTI is applied to each P-DCI in this example, the same P-RNTI can be reused in each CORESET (because transport resources do not overlap).

[0066] Increasing the number of P-DCIs increases the number of bits available for refining groups or UEs that should (using the options described above) decode the next stage of the paging process, and also makes paging messages group-specific. That is, UE groups paging in PI 0 and PI 1 can receive different paging messages. The P-PDSCH corresponding to each P-DCI is scrambled using the same P-RNTI as the corresponding P-DCI. To allow for backward compatibility, legacy P-RNTIs can be mapped to any of the P-RNTIs configured within the legacy paging search space.

[0067] As mentioned above, utilizing PI-DCI can increase capacity, but it requires coherent detection based on time-frequency synchronization. Therefore, the UE must wake up before the PI to receive the SSB for synchronization. However, after decoding the PI-DCI, the P-DCI can be sent quickly because no additional SSB is needed between the PI and P-DCI. Compared to deep sleep, which typically results in lost synchronization, the gap becomes too long, and the UE can enter micro-sleep or light sleep to maintain synchronization and reduce power consumption.

[0068] Figure 6An example is shown where a UE is configured with a CORESET and a PI-RNTI. Therefore, all UEs attempt to decode the PI-DCI scrambled with the PI-RNTI, which is transmitted within the configured CORESET. The PI-DCI carries UE packet information as described above, for example, using a bitmap where each bit corresponds to one or more groups. The group indicated by the PI-DCI (e.g., the group indicated by 1 in the bitmap) will continue decoding the PI-DCI, while other UEs, not expecting paging messages, can return to sleep.

[0069] The payload size of PI-DCI may not be sufficient for a 1:1 mapping between bits and groups (e.g., the payload may be 16 bits, but there may be 32 groups configured), as each bit can represent more than one group, as mentioned above.

[0070] The packet information is then refined using the relevant local fields in the P-DCI, as discussed above. The configuration of the bits used to refine the groups is known and is calculated based on how many groups are indicated to decode the P-DCI within the PI-DCI. For example, if the PI-DCI has two groups associated with each bit, then four 1s would indicate eight groups to receive the P-DCI. Eight bits can then be used in the P-DCI to indicate which of the eight groups should decode the P-PDSCH.

[0071] By mapping each group to a combination of CORESET and PI-RNTI (more than one group can be mapped to each combination), group-specific PIs based on DCIs can be made. Therefore, each PI-DCI is associated with a smaller number of groups, and the granularity of instructing for P-DCI reception is improved. Figure 7 An example is shown where a total of four PI-DCIs are provided using two CORESETs and two PI-RNTIs. The method discussed above is used to indicate the UE group of the P-DCIs that should be decoded in each PI-DCI. Figure 7 Only one P-DCI is shown, but multiple P-DCIs can also be used, each mapped to one or more P-DCIs.

[0072] Figure 8An example is shown where a combination of RS-based and DCI-based PIs is used to indicate which UEs should decode P-DCI. An RS-based PI is transmitted first, which is easy for the UE to decode, followed by a DCI-based PI that provides additional information. This arrangement allows devices such as REDCAP UEs to easily decode the RS-based PI, reducing the number of UEs that need to decode the more complex DCI-based PI. The initial RS-based PI also provides the UE with a means to synchronize for receiving both PI-DCI and P-DCI signals, reducing the number of SSBs required before the PI / P-DCI.

[0073] exist Figure 8 The example provides resources for four orthogonal RS-based PIs, followed by four DCI-based PIs. Each RS-based PI can be mapped to a DCI-based PI, such as based on PI-RNTI used to scramble PI-DCI, but any suitable mapping can also be used.

[0074] If the common wake-up signal is transmitted in the associated RS-based PI, then only the DCI-based PI needs to be transmitted. If the group-specific wake-up signal is transmitted in the RS-based PI, the DCI-based PI may not provide further refinement and may therefore be unnecessary. However, if the common wake-up signal is transmitted, the DCI-based PI can refine which groups should continue decoding P-DCI using the methods described above.

[0075] Different types of UEs may connect to base stations; for example, a regular UE (using eMBB / URLLC service) and a capacity-reduced (REDCAP) UE may coexist. The different types of paging procedures described above may be better suited to different types of equipment. For example, RS-based PI may be more suitable for REDCAP equipment due to the reduced power requirements of the decoding signal. Therefore, enabling the system to configure multiple groups of UEs to use different elements of the paging procedures described above may be advantageous.

[0076] like Figure 9 As shown, the first group of UEs can be configured to detect RS-based PIs (PI 0 and PI 1), while the second group of UEs can be configured to detect DCI-based PIs (PI-RNTI 0 and PI-RNTI 1 transmitted on CORESET 0). The UE indicated by any of the PIs continues to receive and decode the P-DCI, which can provide further refinement for the group / UE that should decode the P-PDSCH. Any of the multiple PIs or P-DCIs described above, as well as the means of indicating groups or UEs, can be used in combination to configure the UE set to receive different local PI types.

[0077] Various techniques for paging UEs have been disclosed, in which one or more PIs are transmitted to indicate which UEs should receive the next PI or P-DCI in a series. Multiple PIs at each stage of this process can be provided and mapped to different sets of groups, and multiple P-DCIs can also be provided and mapped to different groups. Multiple RS-based PIs can be transmitted on different resources, and multiple DCI-based PIs can be transmitted on different CORESETs and / or using different PI-RNTIs. Techniques for using bits within a message to indicate a group or a specific UE have been disclosed, and these techniques can be appropriately used in appropriate PIs or P-DCIs.

[0078] Although not shown in detail, any device or apparatus forming part of the network may include at least a processor, a storage unit, and a communication interface, wherein the processor unit, storage unit, and communication interface are configured to perform the methods of any aspect of the present invention. Further options and choices are described below.

[0079] The signal processing functions of embodiments of the present invention, particularly the gNB and UE, can be implemented using computing systems or architectures known to those skilled in the art. Computing systems such as desktop computers, laptops or notebook computers, handheld computing devices (PDAs, cellular phones, PDAs, etc.), mainframes, servers, clients, or any other type of dedicated or general-purpose computing device that may be desired or suitable for a given application or environment can be used. The computing system may include one or more processors, which can be implemented using general-purpose or dedicated processing engines (e.g., microprocessors, microcontrollers, or other control modules).

[0080] The computing system may also include main memory, such as random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic memory, for storing instructions and information to be executed by the processor. Such main memory may also be used to store temporary variables and other intermediate information to be executed by the processor during instruction execution. Similarly, the computing system may include read-only memory (ROM) or other static storage devices for storing static information and instructions for the processor.

[0081] The computing system may further include an information storage system, which may include, for example, a media drive and a removable storage interface. The media drive may include a drive or other mechanism to support fixed or removable storage media, such as a hard disk drive, floppy disk drive, magnetic tape drive, optical disc drive, compact disc (CD) or digital video drive (DVD) read or write drive (R or RW), or other removable or fixed media drive. The storage medium may include, for example, a hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disc, CD or DVD, or other fixed or removable media read or written by a media drive. The storage medium may include a computer-readable storage medium having specific computer software or data stored therein.

[0082] In alternative embodiments, the information storage system may include other similar components for allowing computer programs or other instructions or data to be loaded into the computing system. Such components may include, for example, removable storage units and interfaces, such as program boxes and box interfaces, removable memory (e.g., flash memory or other removable memory modules) and memory slots, as well as other removable storage units and interfaces that allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage units to the computing system.

[0083] The computing system may also include a communication interface. Such a communication interface can be used to allow software and data to be transferred between the computing system and external devices. Examples of communication interfaces may include modems, network interfaces (such as Ethernet or other NIC cards), communication ports (such as, for example, Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports), PCMCIA slots and cards, and so on. Software and data transmitted via the communication interface are in the form of signals, which may be electrical, electromagnetic, and optical signals, or other signals that can be received by the communication interface medium.

[0084] In this document, the terms "computer program product," "computer-readable medium," etc., can generally be used to refer to tangible media, such as memory, storage devices, or storage units. These and other forms of computer-readable media can store one or more instructions for use by a processor, including a computer system, to cause the processor to perform specified operations. Such instructions, generally referred to as "computer program code" (which may be grouped as computer programs or otherwise), when executed, enable a computing system to perform the functions of embodiments of the present invention. Note that the code may directly cause the processor to perform specified operations, be compiled to do so, and / or be combined with other software, hardware, and / or firmware elements (e.g., libraries for performing standard functions) to do so.

[0085] The non-transitory computer-readable medium may include at least one of the group consisting of: hard disks, CD-ROMs, optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, and flash memory. In embodiments where the elements are implemented using software, the software may be stored in the computer-readable medium and loaded into the computing system, for example, using a removable storage drive. The control module (in this example, software instructions or executable computer program code), when executed by a processor in the computer system, causes the processor to perform the functions of the invention as described herein.

[0086] Furthermore, the concepts of this invention can be applied to any circuit used to perform signal processing functions within a network element. It is further foreseeable that, for example, semiconductor manufacturers can utilize these concepts when designing stand-alone devices and / or any other subsystem elements such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) or digital signal processors (DSPs).

[0087] It will be appreciated that, for clarity, the above description has referred to embodiments of the invention with reference to a single processing logic. However, the inventive concept can also be implemented by a number of different functional units and processors to provide signal processing functionality. Therefore, references to specific functional units should be considered merely as references to appropriate means for providing the described functionality, and not as indications of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0088] Various aspects of the invention can be implemented in any suitable form, including hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. The invention can optionally be implemented, at least in part, as computer software running on one or more data processors and / or digital signal processors, or as configurable modular components such as FPGA devices.

[0089] Therefore, the elements and components of embodiments of the present invention can be implemented physically, functionally, and logically in any suitable manner. In fact, the functionality can be implemented in a single unit, in multiple units, or as part of other functional units. Although the invention has been described in conjunction with some embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims. Furthermore, although certain features have been described in conjunction with specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that different features of the described embodiments can be combined according to the invention. In the claims, the term "comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps.

[0090] Furthermore, although listed individually, multiple means, elements, or method steps may be implemented by a single unit or processor. Additionally, while a single feature may be included in different claims, these may also be advantageously combined, and including a feature in different claims does not imply that such a combination is not feasible and / or advantageous. Moreover, including a feature in a claim of one class does not imply limitation to that class, but rather indicates that the feature is equally applicable to other claim classes where appropriate.

[0091] Furthermore, the order of features in the claims does not imply a specific order in which any feature must be performed, and in particular, the order of individual steps in a method claim does not imply that the steps must be performed in that order. Rather, the steps can be performed in any suitable order. Moreover, singular references do not exclude plurals. Therefore, references to “a,” “first,” “second,” etc., do not exclude plural cases.

[0092] Although the invention has been described in conjunction with some embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein. Rather, the scope of the invention is defined only by the appended claims. Furthermore, although certain features have been described in conjunction with specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that different features of the described embodiments can be combined according to the invention. In the claims, the terms "comprising" or "including" do not exclude the presence of other elements.

Claims

1. A method for paging a user equipment (UE) in a cellular communication system, the method being executed at a base station, characterized in that, comprises an indication that the UE should decode a second paging indication, the first paging indication being a DCI message, the DCI message of the first paging indication comprising a bitmap, wherein each bit of the bitmap corresponds to a predefined plurality of groups of UEs; transmitting the second paging indication, wherein the second paging indication comprises an indication of which UEs to expect a paging message at a subsequent paging occasion; and transmitting a paging message at the subsequent paging occasion for reception by the UEs indicated in the second paging indication, wherein the paging message comprises a plurality of paging DCI messages, each paging DCI message being associated with a different CORESET and / or scrambled with a different P-RNTI, the CORESET and / or P-RNTI of the paging DCI message for the UE being indicated by the second paging indication. comprises the steps of:

2. A method of paging a user equipment, UE, in a cellular communications network, the method being performed at the UE, characterized in that, receiving a first paging indication, the first paging indication being a DCI message, the DCI message of the first paging indication comprising a bitmap, wherein each bit of the bitmap corresponds to a predefined plurality of groups of UEs; determining whether the first paging indication comprises an indication that the UE should decode a second paging indication, and if so, receiving the second paging indication; and determining whether the second paging indication comprises an indication that the UE should decode a paging message, and if so, receiving and decoding the paging message, wherein the paging message comprises a plurality of paging DCI messages, each paging DCI message being associated with a different CORESET and / or scrambled with a different P-RNTI, the CORESET and / or P-RNTI of the paging DCI message for the UE being indicated by the second paging indication. The second paging indication is transmitted after the first paging indication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, Further comprising:

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, transmitting at least one synchronization signal block between the first paging indication and the paging message. The first paging indication is reference signal based.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second paging indication is reference signal based.

6. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The second paging indication is a DCI message.

7. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first paging indication indicates a group of UEs or all UEs associated with the paging occasion.

8. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein, The first paging indication comprises at least one sequence corresponding to a predefined group of UEs.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein, The second paging indication comprises at least one sequence corresponding to a predefined group of UEs.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein, The paging DCI messages are common DCI messages.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein, The paging DCI messages are group common DCI messages.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein, The paging DCI messages are scrambled with a related P-RNTI.

13. The method of any one of claims 11-12, wherein, comprises the steps of:

14. A method of paging indication to a user equipment, UE, in a radio resource control, RRC, idle / inactive state, the method being performed by a base station, characterized by, sending a downlink control information, DCI, message to the UE scrambled with a paging indication, RNTI, wherein the DCI message comprises a paging indication field in the form of a bitmap, each bit in the bitmap indicating a plurality of groups of UEs to decode a subsequent paging DCI message of a paging occasion. comprises the steps of:

15. A method of paging indication to a user equipment (UE) in a radio resource control (RRC) idle / inactive state, the method being performed by the UE, the method comprising: receiving (S102), from a network node, a paging indication message comprising a paging indication; and determining (S104) whether to enter an RRC connected state based on the paging indication. ​ receiving a downlink control information, DCI, message scrambled with a paging indication RNTI, wherein the DCI message comprises a paging indication field in the form of a bitmap, wherein each bit in the bitmap indicates a group of UEs to decode a subsequent paging DCI message of a paging occasion.

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