Paging cluster in low load cells

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for paging clustering in low load cells. A method may include receiving, from a network element, cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration. The method may also include determining a paging occasion within a cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration. The method may also include monitoring the paging occasion within the cluster paging window.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as long term evolution (LTE) or fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) access technology, or above 5G, or other communication systems. For example, certain example embodiments may relate to apparatus, systems and / or methods for paging clustering in low load cells. Background Art

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Advanced LTE (LTE-A), LTE-APro and / or fifth generation (5G) or new radio (NR) telecommunication systems, and next generation telecommunication systems. The fifth generation (5G) telecommunication system refers to the next generation (NG) radio access network and the network architecture for the core network. The 5G telecommunication system is mainly based on the new radio (NR) radio access technology (5G NR), but the 5G (or NG) network can also be built on E-UTRAN. It is estimated that 5G NR will provide bit rates of 10-20Gbit / s or higher, and will support at least enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) and massive machine type communication (mMTC). 5G NR is expected to provide ultra-wideband and ultra-robustness, low latency connections and large-scale networks to support the Internet of Things (IoT). Summary of the invention

[0003] Some example embodiments may be directed to a method. The method may include receiving cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration from a network element. The method may also include determining a paging opportunity within a cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration. The method may also include monitoring the paging opportunity within the cluster paging window.

[0004] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and computer program code may also be configured to utilize the at least one processor to cause the apparatus to at least receive cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration from a network element. The apparatus may also be caused to determine a paging opportunity within a cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration. The apparatus may also be caused to monitor the paging opportunity within the cluster paging window.

[0005] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include means for receiving cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration from a network element. The apparatus may also include means for determining a paging opportunity within a cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration. The apparatus may also include means for monitoring the paging opportunity within the cluster paging window.

[0006] According to other example embodiments, a non-transitory computer readable medium may be encoded with instructions that, when executed in hardware, may perform a method. The method may include receiving cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration from a network element. The method may also include determining a paging occasion within a cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration. The method may also include monitoring the paging occasion within the cluster paging window.

[0007] Other example embodiments may be directed to a computer program product for performing a method. The method may include receiving cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration from a network element. The method may also include determining a paging opportunity within a cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration. The method may also include monitoring the paging opportunity within the cluster paging window.

[0008] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus that may include circuitry configured to receive cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration from a network element. The apparatus may also include circuitry configured to determine a paging opportunity within a cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration. The apparatus may also include circuitry configured to monitor the paging opportunity within the cluster paging window.

[0009] Certain example embodiments may be directed to a method. The method may include transmitting cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration to a user equipment. The method may also include determining that the user equipment needs to be paged. The method may also include paging the user equipment based on the paging window configuration. According to certain example embodiments, the cluster paging window may include one or more paging frames, or one or more paging occasions.

[0010] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus. The apparatus may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured to utilize at least one processor to cause the apparatus to transmit cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration to at least a user equipment. The apparatus may also be caused to determine that a user equipment needs to be paged. The apparatus may also be caused to page the user equipment based on the paging window configuration. According to certain example embodiments, the cluster paging window may include one or more paging frames, or one or more paging occasions.

[0011] Other example embodiments may be directed to a device. The device may include means for transmitting cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration to a user equipment. The device may also include means for determining that the user equipment needs to be paged. The device may also include means for paging the user equipment based on the paging window configuration. According to certain example embodiments, the cluster paging window may include one or more paging frames, or one or more paging occasions.

[0012] According to other example embodiments, a non-transitory computer readable medium may be encoded with instructions that can perform a method when executed in hardware. The method may include transmitting cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration to a user equipment. The method may also include determining that the user equipment needs to be paged. The method may also include paging the user equipment based on the paging window configuration. According to certain example embodiments, the cluster paging window may include one or more paging frames, or one or more paging occasions.

[0013] Other example embodiments may be directed to a computer program product for performing a method. The method may include transmitting cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration to a user equipment. The method may also include determining that the user equipment needs to be paged. The method may also include paging the user equipment based on the paging window configuration. According to certain example embodiments, the cluster paging window may include one or more paging frames, or one or more paging occasions.

[0014] Other example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus that may include a circuit configured to transmit cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration to a user equipment. The apparatus may also include a circuit configured to determine that paging the user equipment is required. The apparatus may also include a circuit configured to page the user equipment based on the paging window configuration. According to certain example embodiments, the cluster paging window may include one or more paging frames, or one or more paging occasions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] For a proper understanding of the various exemplary embodiments, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0016] Figure 1 Example impacts of synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block burst transmission periodicity and resource usage on energy consumption are shown.

[0017] Figure 2 An example paging procedure is shown.

[0018] Figure 3 An example paging transmission window and extended discontinuous reception are shown.

[0019] Figure 4Example combinations of cluster paging windows and additional reference signals are shown in accordance with certain example embodiments.

[0020] Figure 5 An example flow diagram of a process according to certain example embodiments is shown.

[0021] Figure 6 An example paging window is shown in accordance with certain example embodiments.

[0022] Figure 7 An example of another paging window is shown in accordance with certain example embodiments.

[0023] Figure 8 An example signal flow diagram is shown in accordance with certain example embodiments.

[0024] Fig. 9 An example flow chart of a method according to certain example embodiments is shown.

[0025] Fig.10 An example flow chart of another method according to certain example embodiments is shown.

[0026] Fig.11 A set of apparatuses according to certain example embodiments is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] It will be readily appreciated that the components of certain example embodiments, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Some example embodiments of systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for paging clustering in low-load cells are described in detail below.

[0028] The features, structures, or characteristics of the various example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. For example, the use of the phrases "certain embodiments," "example embodiments," or "some embodiments," or similar language throughout this specification refers to the fact that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment. Therefore, throughout this specification, the appearance of the phrases "in certain embodiments," "example embodiments," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," or other similar language does not necessarily refer to the same set of embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more example embodiments. In addition, the terms "cell," "node," "gNB," or "network," or other similar language may be used interchangeably throughout this specification.

[0029] In New Radio (NR), adaptation of the synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel (PBCH) block (SSB) transmission periods can achieve network energy saving due to the longer period, and the longer period can achieve longer sleep time between each transmission for the base station (BS). Figure 1 An example effect of SSB burst transmission period and resource usage (RU) on energy consumption is shown. Specifically, Figure 1 The potential gain (in a specific scenario) when adjusting the SSB burst transmission period is shown. Figure 1 As shown in , changing the SSB transmission period (and similarly the system information broadcast (SIB) period) may affect the ability of the user equipment (UE) to obtain time / frequency synchronization of the current cell, detect and measure new / target cells, obtain information required for cell access, and initiate connection setup. Therefore, careful consideration may be required before making such adjustments.

[0030] The technical standards of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) describe UE power saving and obtaining time / frequency synchronization with the network before being ready to monitor for paging. In some cases, when the paging downlink control information (DCI) indicates that the UE is being paged, the UE may need tight synchronization to receive the paging message.

[0031] During the synchronization process, if the SSB burst transmission period is extended, the UE being paged in the monitoring cell may need a longer period of time to wake up before the paging opportunity, where the time is proportional to the SSB burst transmission period. For example, assuming that the UE needs to receive 2 SSB bursts before starting paging monitoring, the time the UE needs to wake up in advance may vary with the change of the SSB burst period. For example, with a period of 20ms, the UE can wake up 40ms in advance (depending on the alignment with PO and SSB), while if the period is increased to 40ms, the UE may now have to wake up 80ms in advance. However, the disadvantage of extending the SSB burst transmission period is that it may affect the UE's ability to sleep and save energy. In this case, 3GPP has specified that a tracking reference signal (TRS) can be provided to idle / inactive UEs. The availability of TRS enables the UE to achieve synchronization by receiving TRS in addition to / instead of SSB. In addition, depending on the network configuration, TRS may be available more frequently than SSB and / or at a more convenient time point. However, the network may not be required to transmit such a TRS if there is no Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection to the UE that requires it, which means that the network may not be required to transmit a TRS only for the benefit of RRC Idle / Inactive UEs.

[0032] Currently, the paging occasions for UEs in a cell may be evenly distributed in the time domain, and sufficiently short periodic SSB transmissions may need to be configured to ensure short latency for paging reception. However, even in low-load scenarios where there are no UEs to page or there are few UEs to page, the current paging occasions of the UEs do not allow network (NW) energy saving for SSB transmissions. To this end, certain example embodiments may at least address the problem of SSB burst transmission period adaptation in low-load scenarios where a limited number of (RRC idle / inactive) UEs are camping in the cell and monitoring for paging. For example, this may be a cell during nighttime. However, the example embodiments should not be interpreted as being limited to only this scenario.

[0033] In a paging occasion, if the SSB burst transmission period is extended, the UE that monitors according to the traditional paging process may need to wake up a long time before the paging occasion due to the need to receive 1-3 SSB bursts for synchronization. Therefore, in certain example embodiments, paging enhancements may be provided to achieve network energy saving without affecting the UE's ability to monitor paging in a timely manner and save UE energy. Certain example embodiments may also achieve more efficient dynamic and / or semi-static operation in one or more network energy saving techniques in the time, frequency, space, and power domains, as well as finer granularity adaptation of transmission and / or reception, with potential support / feedback from the UE and potential UE assistance information.

[0034] According to 3GPP, the UE may assume that the half frame with the synchronization signal (SS) / PBCH block appears with a period of 2 frames. This restriction suggests that the UE performing the initial cell selection may not be able to detect a cell that aims to increase the SSB burst transmission period to more than 2 radio frames (i.e., 20ms). Therefore, if there is no need to ensure support for legacy UEs (initial cell search), the cells of the capacity layer may operate with a longer SSB burst transmission period. The legacy UE here may correspond to a UE implementing the 3GPP specification that defines the above-mentioned 20ms period assumption.

[0035] 3GPP may also define a system frame number (SFN) for a paging frame (PF). For example, the SFN for a PF may be determined by (SFN+PF_offset) mod T = (T div N) * (UE_ID mod N), and Index(i_s) indicates that the index of a paging occasion (PO) is determined by i_s = floor(UE_ID / N) mod Ns. According to the RRC specification, N may be defined as N = T / x, where x = [1, 2, 4, 8, 16], and T is the paging cycle (e.g., 128 radio frames). If x=16, T=128, N=T / x=128 / 16=8, and PF_offset=0, then the PF may be defined by (SFN+PF_offset) mod T=(T div N)*(UE_ID mod N), which becomes ((SFN+0) mod 128=(16)*(UE_ID mod 8). This means that UEs are grouped into multiple PFs, PFs occur every 16 radio frames according to the currently allowed minimum configuration, and the specific PF for a UE is based on the UE_ID. In addition, a specific PF may be located at radio frames 0*16, 1*16, 2*16, etc.

[0036] Figure 2 An example conventional paging process is shown. Specifically, Figure 2 A scenario with a long SSB period is shown, where some UEs need to wake up a long period of time in advance if they need to receive 3 SSB bursts before their PO. Figure 2 As shown in , if a larger paging load is required, x can be set to a value lower than 16, or more POs can be configured per PF. For example, with up to 4 POs per PF (defined by parameter ns), a total of 32*4*(1000 / 160)=800 unique paging attempts per second are possible in one paging cycle (given maxNrofPageRec=32). However, since UEs can be distributed into 4 POs every 16th radio frame, the NW can also provide random access (RA) opportunities in a similar distributed manner so as not to delay any UE that responds to paging.

[0037] Figure 3 An example of a paging time window (PTW) and eDRX is shown. Figure 3 , 3GPP describes a UE configured with extended discontinuous reception (DRX) (a period in minutes / hours instead of seconds) and monitoring paging within a PTW. The PTW may be UE-specific and confined to a PTW_start point and a PTW_end point. In addition, the PTW may be located within a paging superframe (PH), where the UE may monitor for paging according to the configured paging cycle. Figure 3As shown in , PTW is located based on PH, and then the UE determines the PF within the PTW. Therefore, the PTW may target at least one PO in the extended DRX cycle for monitoring, but clustering of UEs and short paging delays may not be achieved because each UE derives its own PF / PO / PTW based on UE_ID. In addition, even when the UE monitors paging based on the eDRX cycle, the PTW may not allow NW energy saving.

[0038] In view of the shortcomings of traditional paging opportunities in low-load cell scenarios, certain example embodiments may enable cells to operate in paging clusters and allow long SSB burst transmission cycles for NW energy saving without affecting paging latency and the battery life of UEs monitoring paging. For example, in certain example embodiments, a cell of a network may cluster RRC idle / inactive UEs to monitor paging in a dedicated paging window of each paging cycle, during which the cell may transmit paging. The cell may also indicate in the SIB that the cell is operating in cluster paging mode and provide additional reference signals for synchronization in / before the cluster paging window. For example, a UE supporting cluster paging mode may monitor PO within the cluster paging window, which may enable the network to reduce its activities outside the cluster paging window to save energy. In addition, the cell may be configured with a long SSB burst transmission cycle (e.g., >20ms) for energy saving, and the cell may configure cluster paging operations on another carrier / bandwidth portion (BWP) separate from the carrier / BWP for traditional UEs.

[0039] Figure 4 An example combination of a cluster paging window 400 and an additional reference signal 405 is shown according to certain example embodiments. Specifically, Figure 4 The example of shows that UEs are clustered to monitor paging within a paging window defined by the NW. According to certain example embodiments, the window 400 may be supplemented with an associated additional reference signal 405, enabling the UE to obtain network synchronization prior to paging acquisition, while the SSB burst transmission period for outside the paging window is extended for the UE to detect cells or perform measurements other than for paging monitoring. Figure 4 The example differs from the conventional specification in which the POs of different UEs may be spread throughout the paging cycle. For example, in a 1280ms cycle, a first UE may have a PO at time 0ms of the paging cycle, while a second UE may have a PO at time 160ms, and a third UE may have a PO at 320ms, etc. Additionally, a conventional UE may monitor the PO anywhere in the paging cycle based on the UE ID, while in certain example embodiments, paging monitoring may be within a cluster window, such as Figure 4 As shown in .

[0040] Figure 5An example flow chart of a process according to some example embodiments is shown. For example, Figure 5 An example flow chart of may involve a process performed by a UE, wherein at 500, the UE may receive a cluster paging window configuration from the NW. In certain example embodiments, the UE may rely on the NW configuration, which may define the paging window in which the PF (and PO) is located. At 505, the UE may receive an additional reference signal configuration from the NW. In addition, at 510, the UE may receive an indication from the NW that the NW cluster paging mode is active at the NW. In certain example embodiments, the indication may be provided in the SIB. In other example embodiments, the SIB may also indicate the cluster paging window configuration, the additional reference signal configuration, and whether legacy UEs are allowed to reside on the cell, or (for example, by setting the cell to be disabled for legacy UEs) only UEs that support cluster paging windows can reside on the cell.

[0041] In addition, at 515, the UE may optionally use a longer SSB burst transmission period, wherein the SSB may be received from the NW switching to the longer period. Figure 5 As further shown in the example of , at 520, the UE may determine the paging opportunity within the cluster paging window based on the configuration received at operation 500. In addition, at 525, according to operation 505, the UE may optionally receive an additional reference signal from the NW. For example, when the SSB period is extended, the UE (which may require SSB for synchronization before paging monitoring) may need to wake up very early. Therefore, in some example embodiments, using additional reference signals, the UE can avoid early wake-up and instead use additional reference signals for synchronization. According to other example embodiments, the additional reference signal can be a primary synchronization signal (PSS) or a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), or any other reference signal. At 530, the UE may monitor the paging opportunity within the paging window based on the paging window configuration. In addition, at 535, if paged, the UE may optionally use a RA opportunity linked to the paging window.

[0042] As previously mentioned, a cell may cluster RRC idle / inactive UEs in a paging window for paging monitoring. This means that the UE may rely on the NW configuration that defines the paging window where the PF (and PO) is located. In some example embodiments, a paging window may include one or more PFs and / or one or more POs. Alternatively, a paging window may indicate where it starts (i.e., where the PF starts).

[0043] According to other example embodiments, the UE-specific portion of the paging window monitored by the UE may be defined by modifying the conventional paging process. The modified process may result in the PF appearing once every x subframes within the paging window, rather than every x radio frames within the paging cycle. For example, the start of the window may be defined as PW_start = (SFN*10 + PW_offset) mod T, where PW_offset is the paging window offset in the subframe. Optionally, radio frames may be used by omitting the factor * 10 and defining PW_offset in the radio frame. In other example embodiments, the position of the PF within the paging window may be given as UE_PF = PF_offset + PF_spacing * (UE_ID mod N), where PF-offset defines the offset within the window, N is the number of PFs, and PF_spacing defines the spacing between each PF in the window. In the above expression, PF_spacing may be x time slots / subframes / radio frames. In addition, in some example embodiments, small values ​​of x may make the paging window denser, and in the case of a small number of time slots / subframes, there may not be room for many POs per PF. For example, in some example embodiments, the small value of x may be as low as 1 subframe (i.e., there is a PF per subframe, but it can be 2, 4, or 8 subframes). This may be due to resource limitations and the need to reserve resources for any other transmissions including, for example, SSB / RS. In some example embodiments, the UE's selection of its PO may reuse the traditional process to identify the index i+s of the PO as i_s=floor(UE_ID / N)mod Ns). Here, "floor" may represent an operation where the value is always rounded to the nearest minimum integer (e.g., 4.3→4, 4.5→4, 4.8→4). In addition, "mod" may be a modular operation, such as, for example, 5mod 2 with a remainder of 1. However, N has now been modified to define a PF that is only within the paging window.

[0044] Figure 6 An example paging window with 2 PFs and 4 POs per PF is shown, and Figure 7 An example paging window with 1 PF and 8 POs is shown. In particular, Figure 6 An example is shown in which N=2 (#PF) and Ns=4 (#PO). Figure 7 In the example of , N=1(#PF / paging cycle), and Ns(#PO / PF)>4. In other words, in 7, the number of PFs is smaller than that in the conventional specification, and the number of POs for PFs is greater than that specified in the conventional specification.

[0045] As described above, in certain example embodiments, a cell may indicate to a UE that the cell is operating in cluster paging mode. In some example embodiments, the indication may be provided in a SIB, and the SIB may also indicate a cluster paging window configuration, an additional reference signal configuration (optional), and whether legacy UEs are allowed to reside on the cell or only UEs supporting cluster paging windows may reside in the cell (e.g., by setting the cell to be disabled for legacy UEs). In some example embodiments, if a legacy UE can reside on the cell and monitor paging, the network still chooses to use the cluster paging window for UEs supporting cluster paging windows. Therefore, the network can still obtain some cluster gains and can still operate with a longer SSB period at the expense of increased power consumption of legacy UEs.

[0046] In certain example embodiments, switching to cluster paging mode may also trigger a change in the SSB burst transmission period, SIB transmission period (e.g., to provide SIBs only near / during the paging window), and RA timings so that those timings are within / shortly after the cluster paging window. By doing so, the latency between UEs being paged may be reduced until the UEs can attempt RRC connection setup / recovery.

[0047] As described above, in some example embodiments, the cell may provide additional reference signals for synchronization during / before the paging window. In some example embodiments, the additional reference signal may be a PSS / SSS (i.e., a signal included in an SSB) or any other reference signal. In other example embodiments, the SSB may also be clustered near the cluster paging window to improve the synchronization options for the UE. That is, the duration between the SSB and the subsequent paging window may be as short as possible, provided that the SSB is before the paging window, not after it. In some example embodiments, "near" may be defined as 0 or any non-zero value. However, it is preferred that the value be as low as possible to reduce the time that the UE must wake up in advance and enable the NW to sleep longer outside the combined active time (SSB+paging window). In addition, the cell may provide TRS to RRC idle / inactive UEs, and therefore, the additional reference signal may also be based on TRS. In other example embodiments, the network may not be interested in this unless there is also an RRC-connected UE that requires TRS. Furthermore, additional reference signals may be located within and before the paging window to provide the best opportunity for RRC Idle / Inactive UEs to quickly acquire synchronization before monitoring for paging.

[0048] According to certain example embodiments, as described above, the cell may be configured with a long SSB burst transmission period (eg, >20ms) for energy saving. In certain example embodiments, the cell may not be useful for initial cell search depending on whether legacy UEs are supported.

[0049] Figure 8 An example signal flow diagram according to certain example embodiments is shown. Specifically, Figure 8 The example of shows a signaling diagram for communication between a UE and a network providing a cell. For example, at 800, the NW may transmit a cluster paging window configuration (e.g., signaling based on a dedicated RRC or SIB) to the UE. In some example embodiments, the NW may also optionally transmit an additional reference signal configuration and a cluster paging window configuration to the UE. At 805, the NW may transmit an indication to the UE, notifying the UE that the NW is operating in cluster paging mode. In some example embodiments, the indication may be implemented via SIB or dedicated signaling (e.g., paging). At 810, the UE may determine the PO within the cluster paging window based on the received network configuration (i.e., the paging window configuration), and at 815, the UE may monitor the PO in the cluster paging window. In other example embodiments, the UE may also monitor a reference signal (SSB or additional reference signal) to ensure synchronization with the NW. In a further example embodiment, if the UE detects that it is being paged, the UE may follow a conventional process and initiate a connection setup by, for example, starting the RA process by transmitting an RA preamble. At 820, the NW may optionally transmit an additional reference signal to the UE, and at 825, determine whether the UE needs to be paged. At 825, the NW may also remap from a traditional PO to a PO in a cluster paging window. For example, a traditional UE may monitor in a PO identified based on the UE ID. However, according to certain example embodiments, the UE may monitor only within a paging window and still based on the UE ID. Therefore, in some example embodiments, the NW may determine what PO the UE is monitoring and send a paging DCI there (i.e., perform a remapping from the traditional PO to the new PO location). At 830, the NW may perform a paging transmission according to the cluster paging window configuration.

[0050] As described above, in some example embodiments, a cell may configure cluster paging operations on an additional carrier / BWP (separate from the carrier / BWSP used for legacy users). In this case, legacy UEs may follow the legacy paging operations, and new UEs may monitor paging on a dedicated carrier / BWP operating in cluster paging mode. In other example embodiments, one or more functions of the cell described above may be configured for this cluster paging carrier / BWP.

[0051] Fig. 9 An example flow chart of a method according to certain example embodiments is shown. In one example embodiment, Fig. 9 The method may be performed by a network entity or a group of multiple network elements in a 3GPP system (such as LTE or 5G-NR). For example, in an example embodiment, Fig. 9 The method can be similar to Fig.11The method is performed by a UE or a device of one of the apparatuses 10 or 20 shown in FIG.

[0052] According to certain example embodiments, Figure 4 The method may include receiving cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration from a network element at 900. The method may also include determining a paging occasion within the cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration at 905. The method may also include monitoring a paging occasion within the cluster paging window at 910.

[0053] According to certain example embodiments, the method may further include receiving an indication from the network element that the network element is operating in cluster paging mode. According to other example embodiments, the method may further include determining a location of the cluster paging window in the time domain. According to some example embodiments, determining the location of the cluster paging window in the time domain is based on a paging window start time provided in the cluster paging information. In certain example embodiments, the paging window start time may correspond to a radio frame, a subframe, or it may be relative to a paging cycle.

[0054] In some example embodiments, the method may further include determining at least one of a paging frame and a paging occasion within the cluster paging window based at least on a position of the cluster paging window in the time domain. In other example embodiments, the method may further include mapping a conventional paging occasion to a paging occasion within the cluster paging window by identifying a paging frame and a paging occasion within the paging frame of the cluster paging window based on a position of the cluster paging window in the time domain. In further example embodiments, the method may further include receiving a reference signal configuration specific to the cluster paging window in the time domain, wherein the reference signal configuration includes one or more synchronization signals for synchronizing with a network element during and before the cluster paging window.

[0055] According to certain example embodiments, the method may further include receiving paging information from a network element based on a paging window configuration. According to some example embodiments, the method may further include receiving a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel block burst transmitted with a period greater than 20 ms. According to other example embodiments, the paging occasion may be monitored on a dedicated bandwidth portion operating in a cluster paging mode. According to further example embodiments, the method may include initiating a random access at an opportunity associated with a cluster paging window. According to some example embodiments, the method may further include determining a paging occasion based on a user equipment identity and a paging window configuration.

[0056] Fig.10 An example of a flow chart of another method according to certain example embodiments is shown. In one example embodiment, Fig.10 The method may be performed by a network entity or a group of multiple network elements in a 3GPP system such as LTE or 5G-NR. For example, in an example embodiment, Fig.10 The method can be similar to Fig.11 The method is performed by a network, a cell or a gNB of one of the devices 10 or 20 shown in FIG.

[0057] According to certain example embodiments, Fig.10 The method may include transmitting cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration to a user equipment at 1000. The method may also include determining that paging the user equipment is required at 1005. The method may also include paging the user equipment based on the paging window configuration at 1010. In some example embodiments, the cluster paging window may include one or more paging frames, or one or more paging occasions.

[0058] According to certain example embodiments, the method may further include transmitting an indication to the user equipment that the network element is operating in a cluster paging mode. According to some example embodiments, the transmission of the cluster paging information and the indication may be based on a system information broadcast or dedicated signaling. According to other example embodiments, the method may further include transmitting a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel block burst with a period greater than 20 ms.

[0059] In certain example embodiments, the method may further include transmitting an indication to the user equipment that the network element is operating in a cluster paging mode. In some example embodiments, the method may further include transmitting a reference signal configuration including one or more synchronization signals for synchronizing the user equipment with the network element within or before the cluster paging window. In other example embodiments, operating in the cluster paging mode triggers a change in at least one of a synchronization signal and a physical broadcast channel block, a system information broadcast transmission period, or a random access opportunity such that the random access opportunity is within or after the cluster paging window.

[0060] Fig.11 A set of apparatuses 10 and 20 according to some example embodiments are shown. In some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be a node or element in a communication network or associated with such a network, such as a UE, a mobile equipment (ME), a mobile station, a mobile device, a fixed device, an IoT device or other device. It should be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that the apparatus 10 may include Fig.11 Parts or features not shown.

[0061] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may include one or more processors, one or more computer-readable storage media (e.g., memory, storage device, etc.), one or more radio access components (e.g., modems, transceivers, etc.), and / or a user interface. In some example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be configured to operate using one or more radio access technologies, such as GSM, LTE, LTE-A, NR, 5G, WLAN, WiFi, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, NFC, MulteFire, and / or any other radio access technology. It should be noted that those skilled in the art will appreciate that the apparatus 10 may include Fig.11 Parts or features not shown.

[0062] like Fig.11 As shown in the example in , the device 10 may include or be coupled to a processor 12 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 12 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In fact, as an example, the processor 12 may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Fig.11 A single processor 12 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other example embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some example embodiments, the device 10 may include two or more processors, which may form a multiprocessor system that can support multiprocessing (e.g., in this case, the processor 12 may represent a multiprocessor). According to some example embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0063] Processor 12 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 10, including, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and processing of data including Figure 1-9 The process shown includes overall control of the device 10.

[0064] The device 10 may also include or be coupled to a memory 14 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 12 for storing information and instructions executable by the processor 12. The memory 14 may be one or more memories and may be of any type suitable for the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 14 may be composed of any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory such as a magnetic or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 14 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 12, enables the device 10 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0065] In certain example embodiments, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software for execution by the processor 12 and / or the device 10 to perform Figure 1-9 Any of the methods shown in .

[0066] In some example embodiments, the device 10 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 15 for receiving downlink signals and transmitting from the device 10 via an uplink. The device 10 may also include a transceiver 18 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 18 may also include a radio interface (e.g., a modem) coupled to the antenna 15. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of GSM, LTE, LTE-A, 5G, NR, WLAN, NB-IoT, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, RFID, UWB, etc. The radio interface may include other components, such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), symbol demappers, signal shaping components, inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) modules, etc., to process symbols carried by the downlink or uplink, such as OFDMA symbols.

[0067] For example, the transceiver 18 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna 15, and to demodulate information received via the antenna 15 for further processing by other elements of the device 10. In other example embodiments, the transceiver 18 is capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments, the device 10 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices). In certain example embodiments, the device 10 may also include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface or a touch screen.

[0068] In certain example embodiments, the memory 14 stores software modules that provide functionality when executed by the processor 12. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for the device 10. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality for the device 10. The components of the device 10 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software. According to certain example embodiments, the device 10 may optionally be configured to communicate with the device 20 via a wireless or wired communication link 70 according to any radio access technology, such as NR.

[0069] According to some example embodiments, the processor 12 and the memory 14 may be included in or may form part of a processing circuit or a control circuit.Furthermore, in some example embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be included in or may form part of a transceiver circuit.

[0070] For example, in certain example embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to receive cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration from a network element. The apparatus 10 may also be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to determine a paging opportunity within the cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration. The apparatus 10 may also be controlled by the memory 14 and the processor 12 to monitor a paging opportunity within the cluster paging window.

[0071] like Fig.11 As shown in the example of , the device 20 may be a network, a core network element, or an element in a communication network or an element associated with such a network, such as a gNB. It should be noted that those skilled in the art will understand that the device 20 may include Fig.11 Parts or features not shown.

[0072] like Fig.11As shown in the example of , the device 20 may include a processor 22 for processing information and executing instructions or operations. The processor 22 may be any type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. For example, as an example, the processor 22 may include one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. Although Fig.11 A single processor 22 is shown in FIG. 1 , but according to other example embodiments, multiple processors may be used. For example, it should be understood that in some example embodiments, the device 20 may include two or more processors, which may form a multiprocessor system that can support multiprocessing (e.g., in this case, the processor 22 may represent a multiprocessor). In some example embodiments, the multiprocessor system may be tightly coupled or loosely coupled (e.g., to form a computer cluster).

[0073] According to certain example embodiments, processor 22 may perform functions associated with the operation of device 20, which may include, for example, precoding of antenna gain / phase parameters, encoding and decoding of individual bits forming communication messages, formatting of information, and processing of data including Figure 1-8 and the overall control of the device 20 including the process shown in 10.

[0074] The device 20 may also include or be coupled to a memory 24 (internal or external), which may be coupled to the processor 22 for storing information and instructions that can be executed by the processor 22. The memory 24 may be one or more memories and may be of any type suitable for the local application environment and may be implemented using any suitable volatile or non-volatile data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory, and / or removable memory. For example, the memory 24 may be composed of any combination of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), static memory such as a magnetic or optical disk, a hard disk drive (HDD), or any other type of non-transitory machine or computer readable medium. The instructions stored in the memory 24 may include program instructions or computer program code that, when executed by the processor 22, enables the device 20 to perform the tasks described herein.

[0075] In certain example embodiments, device 20 may also include or be coupled to a (internal or external) drive or port configured to accept and read an external computer-readable storage medium, such as an optical disk, a USB drive, a flash drive, or any other storage medium. For example, the external computer-readable storage medium may store a computer program or software to be executed by processor 22 and / or device 20 to perform Figure 1-8 and the method shown in 10.

[0076] In certain example embodiments, the device 20 may also include or be coupled to one or more antennas 25 for transmitting signals and / or data to the device 20 and receiving signals and / or data from the device 20. The device 20 may also include or be coupled to a transceiver 28 configured to transmit and receive information. The transceiver 28 may include, for example, a plurality of radio interfaces that may be coupled to the antenna 25. The radio interface may correspond to a variety of radio access technologies, including one or more of GSM, NB-IoT, LTE, 5G, WLAN, Bluetooth, BT-LE, NFC, Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID), Ultra-Wideband (UWB), MulteFire, etc. The radio interface may include components such as filters, converters (e.g., digital-to-analog converters, etc.), mappers, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) modules, etc., to generate symbols for transmission via one or more downlinks and receive symbols (e.g., via an uplink).

[0077] Thus, the transceiver 28 may be configured to modulate information onto a carrier waveform for transmission by the antenna 25, and to demodulate information received via the antenna 25 for further processing by other elements of the apparatus 20. In other example embodiments, the transceiver 18 may be capable of directly transmitting and receiving signals or data. Additionally or alternatively, in some example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may include input and / or output devices (I / O devices).

[0078] In certain example embodiments, memory 24 may store software modules that provide functionality when executed by processor 22. The modules may include, for example, an operating system that provides operating system functionality for device 20. The memory may also store one or more functional modules, such as applications or programs, to provide additional functionality to device 20. The components of device 20 may be implemented in hardware, or as any suitable combination of hardware and software.

[0079] According to some example embodiments, the processor 22 and the memory 24 may be included in or may form part of a processing circuit or a control circuit. Furthermore, in some example embodiments, the transceiver 28 may be included in or may form part of a transceiver circuit.

[0080] As used herein, the term "circuit" may refer to a hardware-only implementation of a circuit (e.g., analog and / or digital circuits), a combination of hardware circuits and software, a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, any portion of a hardware processor and software (including a digital signal processor) that work together to enable a device (e.g., devices 10 and 20) to perform various functions, and / or hardware circuits and / or processors, or portions thereof, that operate using software, but the software may not be present when not required for operation. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit" may also cover an implementation of a hardware-only circuit or processor (or multiple processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, and its accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuit may also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit in a server, cellular network node or device, or other computing or network device.

[0081] For example, in certain example embodiments, the apparatus 20 may be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to transmit cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration to the user equipment. The apparatus 20 may also be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to determine that the user equipment needs to be paged. The apparatus 20 may also be controlled by the memory 24 and the processor 22 to page the user equipment based on the paging window configuration. According to certain example embodiments, the cluster paging window may include one or more paging frames, or one or more paging occasions.

[0082] In some example embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., device 10 and / or device 20) may include means for performing the methods, processes, or any variations discussed herein. Examples of the means may include one or more processors, memories, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and / or computer program codes for performing operations.

[0083] Certain example embodiments may be directed to an apparatus comprising means for performing any of the methods described herein, for example, comprising means for receiving cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration from a network element. The apparatus may also include means for determining a paging occasion within the cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration. The apparatus may also include means for monitoring a paging occasion within the cluster paging window.

[0084] Certain example embodiments may also be directed to a device comprising means for transmitting cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration to a user equipment. The device may also include means for determining that the user equipment needs to be paged. The device may also include means for paging the user equipment based on the paging window configuration. According to certain example embodiments, the cluster paging window may include one or more paging frames, or one or more paging occasions.

[0085] Certain example embodiments described herein provide several technical improvements, enhancements, and / or advantages. For example, in some example embodiments, the network may focus all paging transmissions within a minimum paging window, which in turn may enable the network to sleep longer outside of this window when, for example, a long SSB transmission cycle is used, which in turn will achieve energy-efficient paging. In other example embodiments, the paging cycle may be short enough to serve voice calls because the paging delay for each UE may remain unchanged. According to further example embodiments, the network may have greater flexibility in adjusting paging capacity according to current needs by allocating resources within the paging window or configuring the window length according to these needs.

[0086] In certain example embodiments, additional advantages may be provided, for example, the network may be able to respond to paging by allocating RA opportunities to follow (in time) the window position and thereby adjust the PRACH configuration. This adjustment may enable the network to save energy by reducing preamble detection opportunities. In some example embodiments, the network may be able to utilize long SSB burst transmission periods without affecting the UE's synchronization capabilities. This may be achieved, for example, by providing additional reference signals to UEs connected to the paging window. Certain example embodiments may also enable legacy UEs to operate on cells configured with trunked paging mode.

[0087] The computer program product may include one or more computer executable components configured to perform some example embodiments when the program is run. The one or more computer executable components may be at least one software code or part thereof. Modifications and configurations required to implement the functionality of some example embodiments may be performed as routines or as added or updated software routines. The software routines may be downloaded to a device.

[0088] By way of example, software or computer program code or portions thereof may be in source code form, object code form or some intermediate form and may be stored in some carrier, distribution medium or computer readable medium, which may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, such carriers may include recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signals, telecommunication signals and software distribution packages. Depending on the processing power required, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or distributed among multiple computers. The computer readable medium or computer readable storage medium may be a non-transitory medium.

[0089] In other example embodiments, the function may be performed by hardware or circuitry included in a device (e.g., apparatus 10 or apparatus 20), such as by using an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable gate array (PGA), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other combination of hardware and software. In another example embodiment, the function may be implemented as a signal, an intangible means that may be carried by an electromagnetic signal downloaded from the Internet or other network.

[0090] According to certain example embodiments, an apparatus such as a node, a device or a corresponding component may be configured as a circuit, a computer or a microprocessor, such as a single-chip computer element, or a chipset, including at least a memory for providing storage capacity for arithmetic operations and an operation processor for performing arithmetic operations.

[0091] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the disclosure described above may be practiced with processes in a different order and / or with hardware elements in a configuration different from that disclosed. Therefore, although the present disclosure has been described based on these example embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain modifications, variations, and alternative constructions will be apparent while remaining within the spirit and scope of the various example embodiments. Although the above embodiments relate to 5G NR and LTE technologies, the above embodiments may also be applied to any other current or future 3GPP technologies, such as Advanced LTE and / or fourth generation (4G) technologies.

[0092] Partial glossary:

[0093] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0094] 5G Fifth Generation

[0095] 5GCN 5G Core Network

[0096] 5GS 5G System

[0097] BS Base Station

[0098] BWP Bandwidth Part

[0099] DL Downlink

[0100] eNB Enhanced Node B

[0101] E-UTRAN Evolved UTRAN

[0102] gNB 5G or Next Generation Node B

[0103] LTE Long Term Evolution

[0104] NR New Radio

[0105] NW Network

[0106] PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel

[0107] PF Paging Frame

[0108] PO Paging time

[0109] PSS Primary Synchronization Signal

[0110] RRC Radio Resource Control

[0111] RS reference signal

[0112] SIB System Information Broadcast

[0113] SSB synchronization signal and PBCH block

[0114] SSS Secondary synchronization signal

[0115] TRS Tracking Reference Signal

[0116] UE User Equipment

[0117] UL Uplink

Claims

1. A method comprising: receiving, from a network element, cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration; determining a paging occasion within a cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration; as well as The paging occasion within the cluster paging window is monitored.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: An indication is received from the network element that the network element is operating in a cluster paging mode.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: A position of the cluster paging window in the time domain is determined.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: The determining of the position of the cluster paging window in the time domain is based on a paging window start time provided in the cluster paging information.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: At least one of a paging frame and a paging occasion within the cluster paging window is determined based at least on a position of the cluster paging window in the time domain.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising: A conventional paging occasion is mapped to the paging occasion in the cluster paging window by identifying a paging frame of the cluster paging window and the paging occasion in the paging frame based on a position of the cluster paging window in the time domain.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: A reference signal configuration specific to the cluster paging window in a time domain is received, wherein the reference signal configuration includes one or more synchronization signals for synchronizing with the network element during or before the cluster paging window.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: Paging information is received from the network element based on the paging window configuration.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: Receive synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel block bursts transmitted with a period greater than 20ms.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The paging occasions are monitored over a dedicated bandwidth portion operating in the trunked paging mode.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising: A random access is initiated at a time associated with the cluster paging window.

12. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising: The paging occasion is determined based on a user equipment identity and the paging window configuration.

13. A method comprising: Transmitting cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration to a user equipment; Determining that paging a user device is required; as well as paging the user equipment based on the paging window configuration, The cluster paging window includes one or more paging frames or one or more paging occasions.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising: An indication is transmitted to the user equipment that the network element is operating in a cluster paging mode.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein: The transmission of the cluster paging information and the indication is based on system information broadcast or dedicated signaling.

16. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 15, further comprising: The synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block bursts are transmitted with a period greater than 20 ms.

17. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16, further comprising: An indication is transmitted to the user equipment that the network element is operating in a cluster paging mode.

18. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 17, further comprising: A reference signal configuration is transmitted during or before the cluster paging window, comprising one or more synchronization signals for synchronization of the user equipment with the network element.

19. The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18, wherein: Operating in the trunked paging mode triggers a change in at least one of the following: Synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel blocks, System information broadcast transmission period, or The random access opportunity is such that the random access opportunity is located within or after the cluster paging window.

20. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receiving, from a network element, cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration; determining a paging occasion within a cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration; as well as The paging occasion within the cluster paging window is monitored.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: An indication is received from the network element that the network element is operating in a cluster paging mode.

22. The device according to claim 20 or 21, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: A position of the cluster paging window in the time domain is determined.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein: The position of the cluster paging window in the time domain is determined based on a paging window start time provided in the cluster paging information.

24. The device according to any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: At least one of a paging frame and a paging occasion within the cluster paging window is determined based at least on a position of the cluster paging window in the time domain.

25. The device according to claim 24, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: A conventional paging occasion is mapped to the paging occasion in the cluster paging window by identifying a paging frame of the cluster paging window and the paging occasion in the paging frame based on a position of the cluster paging window in the time domain.

26. The device according to any one of claims 20 to 25, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: A reference signal configuration specific to the cluster paging window in a time domain is received, wherein the reference signal configuration includes one or more synchronization signals for synchronizing with the network element during or before the cluster paging window.

27. The device according to any one of claims 20 to 26, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: Paging information is received from the network element based on the paging window configuration.

28. The device according to any one of claims 20 to 27, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: Receive synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel block bursts transmitted with a period greater than 20ms.

29. The device according to any one of claims 20 to 28, wherein: The paging occasions are monitored over a dedicated bandwidth portion operating in the trunked paging mode.

30. The device according to any one of claims 20 to 29, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: A random access is initiated in an opportunity associated with the cluster paging window.

31. The device according to any one of claims 20 to 30, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: The paging occasion is determined based on a user equipment identity and the paging window configuration.

32. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory including computer program code, The at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: Transmitting cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration to a user equipment; determining that paging the user equipment is required; and paging the user equipment based on the paging window configuration, The cluster paging window includes one or more paging frames or one or more paging occasions.

33. The device according to claim 32, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: An indication is transmitted to the user equipment that the network element is operating in a cluster paging mode.

34. The device according to claim 32 or 33, wherein: The transmission of the cluster paging information and the indication is based on system information broadcast or dedicated signaling.

35. The device according to any one of claims 32 to 34, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: The synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel block bursts are transmitted with a period greater than 20 ms.

36. The device according to any one of claims 32 to 35, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: An indication is transmitted to the user equipment that the network element is operating in a cluster paging mode.

37. The device according to any one of claims 32 to 36, wherein: The at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: A reference signal configuration is transmitted during or before the cluster paging window, comprising one or more synchronization signals for synchronization of the user equipment with the network element.

38. The apparatus according to any one of claims 32 to 37, wherein: Operating in the cluster paging mode triggers a change in at least one of the following: Synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel blocks, System information broadcast transmission period, or The random access opportunity is such that the random access opportunity is located within or after the cluster paging window.

39. An apparatus comprising: means for receiving, from a network element, cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration; means for determining a paging occasion within a cluster paging window based on the paging window configuration; as well as Means for monitoring the paging occasion within the cluster paging window.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising: Means for receiving an indication from the network element that the network element is operating in a cluster paging mode.

41. The apparatus of claim 39 or 40, further comprising: Means for determining a position of the cluster paging window in the time domain.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein: The determining of the position of the cluster paging window in the time domain is based on a paging window start time provided in the cluster paging information.

43. The apparatus of any one of claims 39-42, further comprising: means for determining at least one of a paging frame and a paging occasion within the group paging window based at least on a position of the cluster paging window in the time domain.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising: means for mapping a legacy paging occasion to the paging occasion within the cluster paging window by identifying a paging frame within the cluster paging window and a paging occasion within the paging frame based on a position of the cluster paging window in the time domain.

45. The apparatus of any one of claims 39-44, further comprising: Means for receiving a reference signal configuration specific to the cluster paging window in a time domain, wherein the reference signal configuration includes one or more synchronization signals for synchronizing with the network element during or before the cluster paging window.

46. ​​The apparatus of any one of claims 39-45, further comprising: Means for receiving paging information from the network element based on a paging window configuration.

47. The apparatus of any one of claims 39-46, further comprising: Means for receiving synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel block bursts transmitted with a period greater than 20ms.

48. The apparatus according to any one of claims 39 to 47, wherein: The paging occasions are monitored over a dedicated bandwidth portion operating in the trunked paging mode.

49. The apparatus of any one of claims 39-48, further comprising: Means for initiating random access at an opportunity associated with the cluster paging window.

50. The apparatus of any one of claims 39-49, further comprising: Means for determining the paging occasion based on a user equipment identity and the paging window configuration.

51. An apparatus comprising: means for transmitting cluster paging information including at least a paging window configuration to a user equipment; means for determining that paging of the user equipment is required; as well as means for paging the user equipment based on the paging window configuration, The cluster paging window includes one or more paging frames or one or more paging occasions.

52. The apparatus of claim 51 , further comprising: Means for transmitting to the user equipment an indication that a network element is operating in a cluster paging mode.

53. Apparatus according to claim 51 or 52, wherein: The transmission of the cluster paging information and the indication is based on system information broadcast or dedicated signaling.

54. The apparatus of any one of claims 51-53, further comprising: Means for transmitting synchronization signals and physical broadcast channel block bursts with a period greater than 20ms.

55. The apparatus of any one of claims 51-54, further comprising: Means for transmitting to the user equipment an indication that a network element is operating in a cluster paging mode.

56. The apparatus of any one of claims 51-55, further comprising: Means for transmitting a reference signal configuration including one or more synchronization signals for synchronization of the user equipment with the network element during or before the cluster paging window.

57. The device according to any one of claims 51 to 56, wherein: Operating in the trunked paging mode triggers a change in at least one of the following: Synchronization signal and physical broadcast channel blocks, System information broadcast transmission period, or The random access opportunity is such that the random access opportunity is located within or after the cluster paging window.

58. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon for executing the method according to any one of claims 1-19.

59. An apparatus comprising circuitry configured to cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1-19.

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