SDT handling to enable cell DTX / DRX

Abstract

A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for enhancing cell discontinuous transmission (DTX) operation and discontinuous reception (DRX) operation are provided. In the context of a method, the method comprises receiving paging information from a network node, the paging information containing cell discontinuous operation information, where the paging information indicates to a user equipment when to send a response message based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The method further includes sending a response message to the network node using a small data transmission (SDT) process based at least on the paging information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Example embodiments relate generally to small data transmission processing, and more particularly to small data transmission processing when an enabling cell is discontinuously transmitting or receiving. Background Art

[0002] To save energy, a cell may operate in discontinuous reception and / or discontinuous transmission. Operation in discontinuous reception allows a cell to partially or completely shut down reception of user data traffic, control signaling and reference signals during periods of discontinuous reception inactivity. Conversely, operation in discontinuous transmission allows a cell to partially or completely shut down transmission of user data traffic, control signaling and reference signals during periods of discontinuous transmission inactivity.

[0003] The user equipment device may operate in a radio resource control inactive mode or a radio resource control idle mode. In this case, the user equipment may receive a paging message with a mobile terminated small data transmission indication. In some cases, the paging message is a 1-bit indication. Upon receiving the paging message, the user equipment may respond by performing a random access-based small data transmission or a configured authorized small data transmission, including initial downlink data reception in the radio resource control inactive mode or the radio resource control idle mode, and subsequent uplink and downlink data transmission.

[0004] The discontinuous reception and / or discontinuous transmission mode of a cell may be based on a mode configuration provided to a user device connected to a radio resource control via dedicated radio resource control signaling. In some cases, a cell may have a separate discontinuous transmission and discontinuous reception configuration. A dynamic deactivation indication may be provided via L1 signaling. However, a user device in a radio resource control inactive mode or a radio resource control idle mode is not aware of the mode (deactivation) activation or L1 monitoring timing of the cell. Upon receiving a paging message with a mobile terminated small data transmission indication, the radio resource control inactive user device may start a mobile terminated small data transmission when the network is in a discontinuous reception inactive period. In this case, the cell does not receive a response from the user equipment to the paging. Summary of the invention

[0005] In one or more embodiments, a user equipment (110) is provided, comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the user equipment to: receive (340) paging information (340A) from a network node (120), the paging information (340A) containing cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The user equipment (110) is also caused to send (350) a response message (350A) to the network node (120) using a small data transmission (SDT) procedure (350B) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0006] In one or more embodiments, a network node (120) is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the network node (120) to: send (340) paging information (340A) to a user equipment (110), the paging information (340A) containing cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The network node (120) is also caused to receive (350) a response message (350A) from the user equipment (110) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0007] In one or more embodiments, a computer-implemented method is provided, the method being performed by a user equipment (110), and comprising: receiving (340) paging information (340A) from a network node (120), the paging information (340A) comprising cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The method further comprises: sending (350) a response message (350A) to the network node (120) using a small data transfer (SDT) procedure (350B) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0008] In one or more embodiments, a computer-implemented method is provided, the method being performed by a network node (120), and comprising: sending (340) paging information (340A) to a user equipment (110), the paging information (340A) comprising cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The method further comprises: receiving (350) a response message (350A) from the user equipment (110) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0009] In one or more embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer instructions is provided, which, when executed by a user equipment (110), causes the user equipment (110) to receive (340) paging information (340A) from a network node (120), the paging information (340A) including cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The user equipment (110) is also caused to send (350) a response message (350A) to the network node (120) using a small data transfer (SDT) procedure (350B) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0010] In one or more embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer instructions is provided, which, when executed by a network node (120), causes the network node (120) to send (340) paging information (340A) to a user equipment (110), the paging information (340A) including cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The network node (120) is also caused to receive (350) a response message (350A) from the user equipment (110) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0011] In one or more embodiments, a user equipment (110) is provided, comprising: a component for receiving (340) paging information (340A) from a network node (120), the paging information (340A) including cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The user equipment (110) also includes: a component for sending (350) a response message (350A) to the network node (120) using a small data transmission (SDT) procedure (350B) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0012] In one or more embodiments, a network node (120) is provided, comprising: a component for sending (340) paging information (340A) to a user equipment (110), the paging information (340A) including cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The network node (120) also includes: a component for receiving (350) a response message (350A) from the user equipment (110) based at least on the paging information (340A). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Having generally described certain example embodiments of the present disclosure, reference will hereinafter be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and in which:

[0014] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a system according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure, the system comprising both a user equipment and a network node configured to communicate via at least uplink and downlink transmissions;

[0015] Figure 2 According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 1 A block diagram of an example communication system of a system;

[0016] Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a case in which a network node signals an active cell discontinuous reception / transmission mode identifier to a user equipment according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a case in which a network node signals a cell discontinuous reception / transmission timer to a user equipment according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 5 is a paging message indicating discontinuous reception / transmission information of a cell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0019] Figure 6 is a paging early indication indicating discontinuous reception / transmission information of a cell according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating operations performed by a user device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0021] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating operations performed by a network node according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein some but not all embodiments are shown. In fact, various embodiments can be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein; on the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Similar reference numerals always refer to similar elements. As used herein, the terms "data", "content", "information" and similar terms may be used interchangeably to refer to data that can be sent, received and / or stored according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Therefore, any such terms should not be used to limit the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] Additionally, as used herein, the term "circuitry" refers to (a) a hardware circuit implementation only (e.g., an implementation using analog circuitry and / or digital circuitry); (b) a combination of circuitry and (multiple) computer program products, including software and / or firmware instructions stored on one or more computer-readable memories, which work together to cause the device to perform one or more functions described herein; and (c) circuitry, such as, for example, (multiple) microprocessors or a portion of (multiple) microprocessors, which requires software or firmware to operate even if the software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of "circuitry" applies to all uses of the term herein, including in any claims. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" also includes an implementation including one or more processors and / or (multiple) portions thereof and accompanying software and / or firmware. As a further example, as used herein, the term "circuitry" also includes, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or application processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, other network equipment (such as a core network device), a field programmable gate array, and / or other computing device.

[0024] As used herein, the term "computer-readable medium" refers to non-transient storage hardware, non-transient storage devices, or non-transient computer system memory that can be accessed by a controller, a microcontroller, a computing system, or a module of a computing system to have computer executable instructions or software programs encoded thereon. Non-transient "computer-readable medium" can be accessed by a computing system or a module of a computing system to retrieve and / or execute computer executable instructions or software programs encoded on the medium. Examples of non-transient computer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, one or more types of hardware memory, non-transient tangible media (e.g., one or more magnetic storage disks, one or more optical disks, one or more universal synchronous bus (USB) flash drives), computer system memory, or random access memory (such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), extended data output random access memory (EDO RAM)), etc.

[0025] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , a system 100 is provided according to an exemplary embodiment to handle a small data transmission process when a cell is in a discontinuous reception or transmission mode. Although the system can be configured in various ways, the system of one embodiment is Figure 1 1 and includes a user equipment 110 and a network node 120, which are configured to communicate via uplink and downlink transmission and reception beams. Although one user equipment and one network node are depicted, in other embodiments, the system may include the user equipment 110 and the network node 120, and the user equipment 110 and the network node 120 may communicate with additional user equipment and network nodes. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 and the network node 120 may be configured to support, for example, 5G, advanced 5G, or 6G. In one or more embodiments, the system 100 may support carrier aggregation and / or dual connectivity. As described below, the system may support paging-triggered small data transmissions, such as mobile-terminated small data transmissions and / or mobile-initiated small data transmissions.

[0026] The data sent via the uplink and downlink beams between the user equipment 120 and the network node 120 may be any of a variety of data, including but not limited to digital image data, including video data, audio data, and data provided by sensors, radars, telescopes, and radio receivers. In at least some instances, the data is encoded prior to being communicated via the uplink and downlink beams and decoded upon receipt. The resulting data received may be used for a variety of purposes, including presentation to a user, storing the data for subsequent use, and / or providing the data to one or more applications, such as applications that perform statistical inference on the data for a variety of purposes, including object recognition, image classification, spectrum sensing, speech transcription, and / or prediction or detection of events.

[0027] Figure 1The user equipment 110 (also referred to as UE, user equipment, user terminal, terminal device, etc.) illustrates a device for allocating and assigning resources over the air interface. The user equipment 110 generally refers to a portable computing device including a wireless mobile communication device operating with or without a subscriber identity module (SIM), including but not limited to the following types of devices: mobile stations (mobile phones), smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, devices using wireless modems (alarm or measurement devices, etc.), laptops and / or touch screen computers, tablet computers, game consoles, notebook computers, and multimedia devices. The user equipment 110 may also be a device with the ability to operate in an Internet of Things (IoT) network, which is a scenario where objects are provided with the ability to transfer data through a network without human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. To mention only a few names or devices, the user equipment 110 may also be referred to as a subscriber unit, a mobile station, a remote terminal, an access terminal, a user terminal, or a user equipment (UE). The user equipment 110 may be connected via a radio resource control. The user carrier may be in a radio resource control inactive mode or a radio resource control idle mode.

[0028] Figure 1 The network node 120 may include, for example, a base station, such as a remote radio head (RRH), a transmission reception point (TRP), an access point, a Node B (e.g., a gNB), or other transmission source. The network node 120 may be configured to communicate with the user equipment 110 via a network. The network node 120 may have an active period of reception and / or transmission, and an inactive period of reception and / or transmission. The network node may operate with discontinuous reception and / or transmission in a cell.

[0029] Figure 2 An example apparatus 200 is depicted that may be configured to act as a user equipment 110 or a network node 120. Figure 2As shown in , the device includes a processing circuit system 220, a memory 240 and a communication interface 260, which are associated with or communicated with it. The processing circuit system 220 can communicate with the memory device 240 via a bus for transferring information between components of the device. The memory device can be non-transient and can include, for example, one or more volatile and / or non-volatile memories. In other words, for example, the memory device can be an electronic storage device (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium) including a gate, which is configured to store data (e.g., bits) that can be retrieved by a machine (e.g., a computing device like the processing circuit system). The memory device can be configured to store information, data, content, applications, instructions, etc., for enabling the device to perform various functions according to the example embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the memory device can be configured to buffer input data for processing by the processing circuit system. Additionally or alternatively, the memory device can be configured to store instructions for execution by the processing circuit system.

[0030] In some embodiments, the device 200 may be implemented in the various computing devices described above. However, in some embodiments, the device may be implemented as a chip or a chipset. In other words, the device may include one or more physical packages (e.g., chips), including materials, components, and / or wires on a structural assembly (e.g., a substrate). The structural assembly may provide physical strength, dimensional conservation, and / or limitations on electrical interactions for the component circuitry included thereon. Therefore, in some cases, the device may be configured to implement the embodiments on a single chip or as a single "system on a chip." Therefore, in some cases, a chip or chipset may constitute a component for performing one or more operations for providing the functionality described herein.

[0031] The processing circuit system 220 (also referred to as a processor) can be implemented in many different ways. For example, the processing circuit system can be implemented as one or more of various hardware processing components (such as a coprocessor, a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a processing element with or without an accompanying DSP, or various other circuit systems), and various other circuit systems include integrated circuits, such as, for example, ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), microcontroller units (MCUs), hardware accelerators, special-purpose computer chips, etc. Therefore, in some embodiments, the processing circuit system may include one or more processing cores configured to execute independently. Multi-core processing circuit systems can enable multi-processing within a single physical package. Additionally or alternatively, the processing circuit system may include one or more processors configured in series via a bus to enable independent execution, pipelining, and / or multi-threading of instructions.

[0032] In an example embodiment, the processing circuit system 220 may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory device 240 or otherwise accessible to the processing circuit system. Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuit system may be configured to execute hard-coded functionality. Therefore, whether configured by hardware or software methods, or by a combination thereof, the processing circuit system may represent an entity (e.g., physically implemented in a circuit system) that is capable of performing operations according to embodiments of the present disclosure when configured accordingly. Therefore, for example, when the processing circuit system is implemented as an ASIC, FPGA, etc., the processing circuit system may be specially configured hardware for performing the operations described herein. Alternatively, as another example, when the processing circuit system is implemented as an executor of instructions, the instructions may specifically configure the processor to perform the algorithms and / or operations described herein when executing the instructions. However, in some cases, the processing circuit system may be a processor of a specific device (e.g., an image or video processing system), which is configured to adopt an embodiment by also configuring the processing circuit system through instructions for performing the algorithms and / or operations described herein. Among other things, the processing circuitry may include a clock, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and logic gates configured to support operation of the processing circuitry.

[0033] The communication interface 260 can be any component implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software configured to receive and / or send data (including media content in the form of video or image files, one or more audio tracks, etc.), such as a device or circuit system. In this regard, the communication interface may include, for example, an antenna (or multiple antennas) and support hardware and / or software to enable communication with a wireless communication network. Additionally or alternatively, the communication interface may include a circuit system for interacting with (multiple) antennas to send signals via (multiple) antennas or process the reception of signals received via (multiple) antennas. In some environments, the communication interface may alternatively or also support wired communication. Therefore, for example, the communication interface may include a communication modem and / or other hardware / software for supporting communication via a cable, a digital subscriber line (DSL), a universal serial bus (USB) or other mechanisms.

[0034] Now go to Figure 3 , provides a flow chart illustrating a case where a network node signals an active cell discontinuous reception / transmission mode identifier to a user equipment according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 is connected via a radio resource control in operation 310. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 is capable of receiving information from the network node 120 via dedicated radio resource control signaling.

[0036] In one or more embodiments, in operation 320, the user equipment 110 receives a configured authorized small data transmission configuration from the network node 120. In one or more embodiments, the configured authorized small data transmission configuration is received via dedicated radio resource control signaling. In one or more embodiments, the configured authorized small data transmission configuration configures the user equipment to send a response message via the configured authorized small data transmission in response to a mobile terminated small data transmission paging.

[0037] In one or more embodiments, in operation 330, the user equipment 110 enters a radio resource control (RRC) inactive mode. In one or more alternative embodiments, the user equipment 110 enters a radio resource control idle mode. In one or more embodiments, the radio resource control connection 310 is released or suspended.

[0038] In one or more embodiments, in operation 340, the user equipment 110 receives paging information 340A from the network node 120. In one or more embodiments, the network node 120 is an anchor network node that has previously configured a cell discontinuous operation mode identifier for the user equipment 110. In one or more embodiments, the paging information 340A is one of a paging message, a paging early indication, a wake-up signal, or a paging downlink control information. In one or more embodiments, the paging information 340A includes a mobile terminated small data transmission (SDT) indication. For example, the paging information 340A may indicate when the user equipment 110 should send a response message 350A. In one or more embodiments, the paging information 340A includes cell discontinuous operation information 340B. In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information 340B indicates at least one of a discontinuous reception operation or a discontinuous transmission operation. In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information includes an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier 340C. For example, before entering the radio resource control inactive mode 330, the user equipment 110 may have previously received and stored multiple cell discontinuous operation modes with associated cell discontinuous operation mode identifiers. In one or more embodiments, the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier 340C indicates one of the previously received and stored cell discontinuous operation mode identifiers. In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information includes information defining the cell discontinuous operation mode, including at least one of a periodicity, an activity period, and a start offset.

[0039] In one or more alternative embodiments, the network node 120 broadcasts the cell discontinuous operation mode. In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation mode is broadcast via system information or radio resource control configuration. In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation mode is a discontinuous reception (DRX) mode or a discontinuous transmission (DTX) mode. In one or more embodiments, the activation state of the mode is not received through paging. In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation mode includes at least one of periodicity, activity period, and starting offset.

[0040] In one or more embodiments, the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier 340C indicates a cell discontinuous reception inactivity period 390A and a cell discontinuous reception activity period 390C. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 does not send a response message during the cell discontinuous reception inactivity period 390A. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 waits until the start 390B of the next cell discontinuous reception activity period 390C of the activated cell discontinuous operation mode to send a response message.

[0041] In one or more embodiments, in operation 350, the user equipment 110 sends a response message 350A after the start 390B of the next cell discontinuous reception activity period 390C. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 uses a small data transmission (SDT) process 350B to send a response message 350A based on the paging information 340A. In one or more embodiments, the response message can be a configured authorized small data transmission. In one or more alternative embodiments, the user equipment performs a small data transmission based on random access. In one or more embodiments, the response message 350A can use a small data transmission terminated by a mobile, a small data transmission initiated by a mobile, a subsequent uplink transmission, or a subsequent downlink transmission. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 can monitor other paging frames and paging opportunities before the small data transmission initiated by the mobile is initiated to detect paging information that can contain cell discontinuous operation information. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 monitors a limited time period before initiating a subsequent uplink transmission or a small data transmission initiated by a mobile to avoid excessive user equipment power consumption caused by physical downlink control channel monitoring.

[0042] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 performs subsequent uplink transmissions to the network node 120 in operation 360. In one or more alternative embodiments, the network node 120 performs subsequent downlink transmissions to the user equipment 110.

[0043] In one or more embodiments, in operation 370, the network node 120 sends a radio resource control release suspension indication to the user equipment 110. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 suspends or releases any radio resource control connectivity.

[0044] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 returns to the radio resource control inactive mode in operation 380 based at least on the radio resource control release suspension indication received in operation 370 .

[0045] Now go to Figure 4 , provides a flow chart illustrating a case where a network node signals a cell discontinuous reception / transmission timer to a user equipment according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 is connected via a radio resource control in operation 310. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 is capable of receiving information from the network node 120 via dedicated radio resource control signaling.

[0047] In one or more embodiments, in operation 320, the user equipment 110 receives a configured authorized small data transmission configuration from the network node 120. In one or more embodiments, the configured authorized small data transmission configuration is received via dedicated radio resource control signaling. In one or more embodiments, the configured authorized small data transmission configuration configures the user equipment to send a response message via the configured authorized small data transmission in response to a mobile terminated small data transmission paging.

[0048] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 enters a radio resource control inactive mode in operation 330. In one or more alternative embodiments, the user equipment 110 enters a radio resource control idle mode. In one or more embodiments, the radio resource control connection 310 is released or suspended.

[0049] In one or more embodiments, in operation 340, the user equipment 110 receives paging information 340A from the network node 120. In one or more embodiments, the network node 120 is an anchor network node previously connected to the user equipment 110, or a network node to which the user equipment 110 moves when it is in a radio resource control idle mode or a radio resource control inactive mode. In one or more embodiments, the paging information 340A is a paging message, a paging early indication, a wake-up signal, or a paging downlink control information. In one or more embodiments, the paging information 340A includes a mobile terminated small data transmission indication. For example, the paging information 340A may indicate when the user equipment 110 should send a response message 350A. In one or more embodiments, the paging information 340A includes a cell discontinuous operation information 340B. In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information 340B indicates at least one of a discontinuous reception operation or a discontinuous transmission operation. In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information includes a cell discontinuous operation timer 410 corresponding to a current time period 420B, which starts at time 420A and defines that the cell is in discontinuous operation during the period, which means that the cell may not be able to receive and / or send. In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation timer 410 is based on the start time of the received paging information, or a configured reference time. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 120 delays the transmission of the response message 350A to the end 420C of the current time period 420B. In one or more embodiments, the timer is applied after receiving the paging information 340A and is given in ms value or time slot number. In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation timer 410 is based on the cell and is generally configured for all user equipment devices in the cell. In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation timer 410 is specific to the user equipment 110. In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation timer 410 is determined based on an offset value provided for the user equipment 110. In one or more embodiments, the offset value is preconfigured for the user equipment 110. In one or more embodiments, the offset value is multiplied by a random value from a preconfigured range of values. In one or more embodiments, the value of the cell discontinuous operation timer 410 is indicated using a bitmap (i.e., an index in the paging information 340A can be used to determine the timer value according to a table in, for example, a specification, a system information broadcast, a cell discontinuous transmission configuration, a cell discontinuous reception configuration, etc.).

[0050] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 does not initiate the configured authorization-based small data transmission 350 or random access-based small data transmission until the end 420C of the current time period 420B. In one or more embodiments, specific conditions can be defined to stop the cell discontinuous operation timer 410, and perform access-based small data transmission or random access procedures on specific random access resources during the current time period 420B. For example, the specific conditions can be an emergency call or an emergency / alarm / warning service. In one or more embodiments, the paging information 340A can indicate the duration of the user equipment 110 to send a response message after the end 420C of the current time period 420B. The duration can correspond to the cell discontinuous operation activity time that the cell can receive and / or send.

[0051] In one or more alternative embodiments, the user equipment 110 may send the response message before the end 420C of the current time period 420B. In these example embodiments, the current time period 420B corresponds to the cell discontinuous reception activity period. In these example embodiments, if the next configured authorization opportunity is after the end 420C of the current time period 420B, even if the configured authorization-based small data transmission condition is met, the user equipment 110 uses a random access-based small data transmission or a random access process to send the response message, so that the cell receives the response during the cell discontinuous reception activity period.

[0052] In one or more embodiments, in operation 350, the user equipment 110 sends a response message 350A. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 uses a small data transmission (SDT) process 350B based on the paging information 340A to send the response message 350A. In one or more embodiments, the response message is a configured authorized small data transmission. In one or more alternative embodiments, the user equipment performs a small data transmission based on random access. In one or more alternative embodiments, the user equipment performs a small data transmission based on random access. In one or more embodiments, the response message 350A may use a small data transmission terminated by a mobile, a small data transmission initiated by a mobile, a subsequent uplink transmission, or a subsequent downlink transmission. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 may monitor other paging frames and paging occasions before a small data transmission initiated by a mobile or a subsequent uplink transmission is initiated to detect paging information that may contain cell discontinuous operation information. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 monitors a limited time period before initiating a subsequent uplink transmission or a small data transmission initiated by a mobile to avoid excessive user equipment energy consumption caused by physical downlink control channel monitoring.

[0053] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 performs subsequent uplink transmissions to the network node 120 in operation 360. In one or more alternative embodiments, the network node 120 performs subsequent downlink transmissions to the user equipment 110.

[0054] In one or more embodiments, in operation 370, the network node 120 sends a radio resource control release suspension indication to the user equipment 110. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 suspends or releases any radio resource control connectivity.

[0055] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 returns to the radio resource control inactive mode in operation 380 based at least on the radio resource control release suspension indication received in operation 370 .

[0056] Reference Figures 3 to 4 In one or more embodiments, the paging information 340A may indicate whether to use an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier or a cell discontinuous operation timer. In one or more embodiments, the indication is provided as a flag bit or bit in the paging downlink control information that schedules the paging information. In one or more embodiments, the indication is provided as a flag bit or bit in the paging information 340A (e.g., in a paging message). In one or more embodiments, if only one of the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier 340C or the cell discontinuous operation timer 410 is included in the paging information 340A, the user equipment 110 applies the included identifier or timer. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 applies the cell discontinuous operation timer 410, if it is included in the paging information 340A, regardless of whether the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier 340C is included in the paging information 340A, wherein if the cell discontinuous operation timer 410 is not included in the paging information 340A, the user equipment 110 applies the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier 340C. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment 110 applies the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier 340C, if it is included in the paging information 340A, regardless of whether the cell discontinuous operation timer 410 is included in the paging information 340A, wherein if the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier 340C is not included in the paging information 340A, the user equipment 110 applies the cell discontinuous operation timer 410.

[0057] Now go to Figure 5, an example paging information 340A is provided. In one or more embodiments, the paging information 340A is a paging message. In one or more embodiments, the paging message may be received by the user equipment 110. In one or more embodiments, the paging message includes a paging record with a paging identity. In one or more embodiments, the paging message includes a CellDTX-DRX-r19 indication, such as indication 510 or 520. In one or more embodiments, when indication 510 or 520 is included in the paging message, the user equipment 110 assumes that cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception is enabled. If a single discontinuous operation mode is enabled, indication 510 / 520 may be a single bit. In one or more embodiments in which multiple modes are configured, the indication indicates which mode identifier is activated. For example, the indication may be a discontinuous reception mode, a discontinuous transmission mode, or a combination mode of discontinuous reception and discontinuous transmission.

[0058] In one or more embodiments, the indication 510 describes the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier 340C. In one or more embodiments, the indication 520 describes the cell discontinuous operation timer 410. In one or more embodiments, the indication 510 / 520 can be directly included in the paging message. In one or more alternative embodiments, the indication 510 / 520 is an index to a preconfigured table. In one or more alternative embodiments, the indication 520 is a flag or bit indicating that the user equipment 110 should apply the cell discontinuous operation timer.

[0059] Now go to Figure 6 , a paging early indication 600 is provided. In one or more embodiments, the indication 510 / 520 is included in a short message of paging downlink control information of a scheduled paging message, or in a paging early indication. In one or more embodiments, the paging early indication 600 is downlink control information sent using a physical downlink control channel. In one or more embodiments, the indication 610 indicates the number of bits used for CellDTX-DRX, which is used for the CellDTX-DRX indication in the paging early indication. In one or more embodiments, the paging early indication configuration is DownlinkConfigCommonSIB.

[0060] Now go to Figure 7 , illustrates an example flow diagram of a process 700 performed by an apparatus implemented by, associated with, or otherwise in communication with (hereinafter generally referred to as implemented by) a user equipment 110 to send a response message based on a paging information using a small data transfer (SDT) process.

[0061] like Figure 7As shown in block 710 of , the apparatus implemented by the user equipment 110 includes components such as the processing circuit system 220, the communication interface 260, etc., for receiving (340) paging information (340A) from the network node (120), the paging information (340A) including cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) includes at least one of the following items: a paging early indication, a wake-up signal, a paging DCI, or a paging message. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment (110) is in a radio resource control idle mode or a radio resource control inactive mode (330). In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) indicates a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation or a discontinuous transmission (DTX) operation. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment (110) is configured to monitor first paging information that is not associated with a paging occasion associated with the user equipment (110) or second paging information (340A) of a paging occasion associated with the user equipment (110) within a second time period before initiating a subsequent uplink transmission (360A).

[0062] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) includes at least one of the following: an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C), a cell discontinuous operation mode, or a cell discontinuous operation timer (410) corresponding to a current time period (420B). In one or more embodiments, the current time period may be generally configured for all user equipment devices in a particular cell via a system information broadcast, specific to the user equipment (110), or indicated by using a bitmap in the paging information (340A). For example, the cell discontinuous operation timer (410) may be based on a start time at which the paging information is received, or a configured reference time. In some embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates whether to use the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or the cell discontinuous operation timer (410). For example, if only one of the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or the cell discontinuous operation timer (410) is included in the paging information (340A), the user equipment (110) only applies the included active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or the cell discontinuous operation timer (410). As another example, if the user equipment (110) is not aware of any cell discontinuous operation mode identifier, the user equipment (100) may apply the cell discontinuous operation timer (410). In some examples, the cell discontinuous operation mode includes at least one of periodicity, activity period, and starting offset. In some examples, the user equipment (110) may obtain the cell discontinuous operation mode from a system information broadcast (SIB) or a radio resource control (RRC).

[0063] like Figure 7As shown in block 720 of , the apparatus implemented by the user equipment 110 includes components such as the processing circuit system 220, the communication interface 260, for sending (350) a response message (350A) to the network node (120) using a small data transmission (SDT) procedure (350B) based at least on the paging information (340A). In one or more embodiments, the response message (350A) alternately uses at least one of the following items: a mobile terminated small data transmission, a mobile initiated small data transmission, a subsequent uplink transmission (360A), or a subsequent downlink transmission (360B). In the example where the paging information (340) indicates an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or a cell discontinuous operation mode, the user equipment (110) sends the response message (350A) at the beginning (390B) of the next cell discontinuous reception activity period (390C) of the activated cell discontinuous operation mode. In some examples, the response message (350A) can be a random access preamble or data sent directly in preconfigured resources. In an example where the paging information (340A) indicates a cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the user equipment (110) sends a response message (350A) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B). In some examples where the paging information (340A) indicates a cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the paging information (340A) further indicates a duration for the user equipment (110) to send the response message (350A) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B). In other examples where the paging information indicates a cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the paging information (340A) further indicates a specific condition for performing a random access-based small data transmission or a random access procedure on a specific random access resource before the end (420C) of the current time period (420B). For example, the specific condition may be high priority data / call (e.g., above a threshold priority) or a specific access category. For example, the specific condition may describe an emergency situation.

[0064] In some examples, when the paging information (340A) indicates the cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the user equipment (110) sends the response message (350A) before the end (420C) of the current time period (420B). In some of these examples, when the next configured authorization opportunity occurs after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B), the user equipment (110) sends the response message (350A) using a random access-based small data transmission or a random access procedure.

[0065] Now go to Figure 8, illustrates an example flow diagram of a process 800 performed by an apparatus implemented by, associated with, or otherwise in communication with (hereinafter generally referred to as implemented by) a network node 120 to receive a response message based on paging information.

[0066] like Figure 8 As shown in block 810 of , the apparatus implemented by the network node 120 includes components such as the processing circuit system 220 and the communication interface 260, for sending (340) paging information (340A) to the user equipment (110), the paging information (340A) including the cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) includes at least one of the following items: a paging early indication, a wake-up signal, a paging DCI, or a paging message. In one or more embodiments, the user equipment (110) is in a radio resource control idle mode or a radio resource control inactive mode (330). In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) indicates a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation or a discontinuous transmission (DTX) operation.

[0067] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) includes at least one of the following: an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C), a cell discontinuous operation mode, or a cell discontinuous operation timer (410) corresponding to a current time period (420B). In one or more embodiments, the current time period may be generally configured for all user equipment devices in a specific cell via a system information broadcast, specific to the user equipment (110), or indicated by using a bitmap in the paging information (340A). For example, the cell discontinuous operation timer (410) may be based on a start time of receiving the paging information, or a configured reference time. In some embodiments, the paging information (340A) further indicates whether to use an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or a cell discontinuous operation timer (410). In some examples, the cell discontinuous operation mode includes at least one of periodicity, an active period, and a starting offset. In some examples, the user equipment (110) may obtain the cell discontinuous operation mode from a system information broadcast (SIB) or a radio resource control (RRC).

[0068] like Figure 8As shown in block 820 of , the apparatus implemented by the network node 120 includes components such as the processing circuit system 220, the communication interface 260, for receiving (350) a response message (350A) from the user equipment (110) based at least on the paging information (340A). In one or more embodiments, the response message (350A) alternately uses at least one of the following items: a mobile terminated small data transmission, a mobile initiated small data transmission, a subsequent uplink transmission (360A) or a subsequent downlink transmission (360B). In the example where the paging information (340) indicates an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or a cell discontinuous operation mode, the network node (120) receives the response message (350A) at the beginning (390B) of the next cell discontinuous reception activity period (390C) of the activated cell discontinuous operation mode. In some examples, the response message (350A) can be a random access preamble or data sent directly in preconfigured resources. In an example where the paging information (340A) indicates a cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the network node (120) receives the response message (350A) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B). In some examples where the paging information (340A) indicates a cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the paging information (340A) further indicates a duration for the network node (120) to receive the response message (350A) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B). In other examples where the paging information indicates a cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the paging information (340A) further indicates a specific condition for performing a random access-based small data transmission or a random access procedure on a specific random access resource before the end (420C) of the current time period (420B). For example, the specific condition may be high priority data / call (e.g., above a threshold priority) or a specific access category. For example, the specific condition may describe an emergency situation.

[0069] In some examples, when the paging information (340A) indicates the cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the network node (120) receives the response message (350A) before the end (420C) of the current time period (420B). In some of these examples, when the next configured authorization opportunity occurs after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B), the user equipment (110) sends the response message (350A) to the network node (120) using a random access-based small data transmission or a random access procedure.

[0070] Figures 7 to 8The flowchart depicted according to the method of the example embodiment of the present disclosure is illustrated. It will be understood that each box of the flowchart and the combination of boxes in the flowchart can be implemented by various components, such as hardware, firmware, processor, circuit system and / or other communication devices associated with executing software including one or more computer program instructions. For example, one or more of the above-mentioned programs can be implemented by computer program instructions. In this regard, the computer program instructions that implement the above-mentioned process can be stored by the memory device 240 of the device using the embodiment and executed by the processor 220. As will be understood, any such computer program instructions can be loaded into a computer or other programmable device (such as hardware) to produce a machine so that the resulting computer or other programmable device implements the function specified in the flowchart box. These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer-readable memory, which can instruct the computer or other programmable device to operate in a specific manner so that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article, and the execution of the article implements the function specified in the flowchart box. The computer program instructions can also be loaded into a computer or other programmable device so that a series of operations are performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, so that the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device provide operations for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart box.

[0071] Therefore, the blocks of the flowchart support a combination of components for performing the specified functions and a combination of operations for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that one or more blocks of the flowchart and a combination of blocks in the flowchart can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based computer system (which performs the specified functions) or a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0072] In one or more embodiments, a user equipment (110) is provided, comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the user equipment to receive (340) paging information (340A) from a network node (120), the paging information (340A) containing cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The user equipment (110) is also caused to send (350) a response message (350A) to the network node (120) using a small data transmission (SDT) procedure (350B) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0073] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) includes at least one of: a paging early indication, a wake-up signal, a paging DCI, or a paging message.

[0074] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment (110) is in a radio resource control idle mode or a radio resource control inactive mode (330).

[0075] In one or more embodiments, the response message (350A) alternately uses at least one of: a mobile-terminated small data transmission, a mobile-originated small data transmission, a subsequent uplink transmission (360A), or a subsequent downlink transmission (360B).

[0076] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) indicates a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation or a discontinuous transmission (DTX) operation.

[0077] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) includes at least one of the following: an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C), a cell discontinuous operation mode, or a cell discontinuous operation timer (410) corresponding to a current time period (420B).

[0078] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation timer (410) is based on the start time of receiving the paging information, or a configured reference time.

[0079] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates whether to use the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or the cell discontinuous operation timer (410).

[0080] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation mode includes at least one of the following items: periodicity, activity period, and start offset.

[0081] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation mode is configured via system information broadcast (SIB) or radio resource control (RRC).

[0082] In one or more embodiments, when the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) includes the cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the user equipment uses the cell discontinuous operation timer (410).

[0083] In one or more embodiments, when the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) does not include the cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the user equipment uses the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier.

[0084] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340) indicates an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or a cell discontinuous operation mode, and the user equipment (110) sends a response message (350A) at the beginning (390B) of the next cell discontinuous reception activity period (390C) of the activated cell discontinuous operation mode.

[0085] In one or more embodiments, when the paging information (340A) indicates the cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the user equipment (110) sends a response message (350A) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0086] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates a duration for the user equipment (110) to send the response message (350A) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0087] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates specific conditions for performing a random access-based small data transmission or a random access procedure on a specific random access resource before the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0088] In one or more embodiments, when the paging information (340A) indicates the cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the user equipment (110) sends the response message (350A) before the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0089] In one or more embodiments, when the next configured authorization opportunity occurs after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B), the user equipment (110) sends a response message (350A) using a random access based small data transmission or random access procedure.

[0090] In one or more embodiments, the current time period (420B) is typically configured via a system information broadcast for all user equipment devices in a particular cell.

[0091] In one or more embodiments, the current time period (420B) is specific to the user device (110).

[0092] In one or more embodiments, the current time period (420B) is indicated by using a bitmap in the paging information (340A).

[0093] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment (110) is configured to monitor first paging information that is not associated with a paging occasion associated with the user equipment (110), or second paging information (340A) of a paging occasion associated with the user equipment (110), within a second time period before initiating a subsequent uplink transmission (360A).

[0094] In one or more embodiments, if only one of the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or the cell discontinuous operation timer (410) is included in the paging information (340A), the user equipment (110) applies the included active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or the cell discontinuous operation timer (410).

[0095] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment (110) applies the cell discontinuous operation timer (410), if it is included in the paging information (340A), regardless of whether the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) is included in the paging information (340A), wherein if the cell discontinuous operation timer (410) is not included in the paging information (340A), the user equipment (110) applies the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C).

[0096] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment (110) applies the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C), if it is included in the paging information (340A), regardless of whether the cell discontinuous operation timer (410) is included in the paging information (340A), wherein if the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) is not included in the paging information (340A), the user equipment (110) applies the cell discontinuous operation timer (410).

[0097] In one or more embodiments, a network node (120) is provided, comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the network node (120) to send (340) paging information (340A) to a user equipment (110), the paging information (340A) containing cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The network node (120) is also caused to receive (350) a response message (350A) from the user equipment (110) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0098] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) includes at least one of the following: a paging early indication, a wake-up signal, a paging DCI, or a paging message.

[0099] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment (110) is in a radio resource control idle mode, or a radio resource control inactive mode (330).

[0100] In one or more embodiments, the response message (350A) alternately uses at least one of: a mobile-terminated small data transmission, a mobile-originated small data transmission, a subsequent uplink transmission (380A), or a subsequent downlink transmission (380B).

[0101] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) indicates a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation or a discontinuous transmission (DTX) operation.

[0102] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) includes at least one of the following: an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C), a cell discontinuous operation mode, or a cell discontinuous operation timer (410) corresponding to a current time period (420B).

[0103] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation timer (410) is based on the start time of receiving the paging information, or a configured reference time.

[0104] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates whether to use the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or the cell discontinuous operation timer (410).

[0105] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation mode includes at least one of the following: periodicity, activity period, and start offset.

[0106] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation mode is configured via system information broadcast (SIB) or radio resource control (RRC).

[0107] In one or more embodiments, when the paging information (340) indicates an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C), or a cell discontinuous operation mode, the network node (120) receives a response message (350A) at the beginning (390B) of the next cell discontinuous reception activity period (390C) of the activated cell discontinuous operation mode.

[0108] In one or more embodiments, when the paging information (340A) indicates a cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the network node (120) receives the response message (350) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0109] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates a duration for the network node (120) to receive the response message (350A) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0110] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates specific conditions for performing a random access-based small data transmission or a random access procedure on a specific random access resource before the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0111] In one or more embodiments, when the paging information (340A) indicates a cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the network node (120) receives the response message (350A) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0112] In one or more embodiments, when the next configured authorization opportunity occurs after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B), the user equipment (110) sends a response message (350A) to the network node (120) using a random access based small data transmission or random access procedure.

[0113] In one or more embodiments, the current time period (420B) is typically configured via a system information broadcast for all user equipment devices in a particular cell.

[0114] In one or more embodiments, the current time period (420B) is specific to the user device (110).

[0115] In one or more embodiments, the current time period (420B) is indicated by using a bitmap in the paging information (340A).

[0116] In one or more embodiments, a computer-implemented method is provided, the method being performed by a user equipment (110), and comprising: receiving (340) paging information (340A) from a network node (120), the paging information (340A) comprising cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The method further comprises: sending (350) a response message (350A) to the network node (120) using a small data transfer (SDT) procedure (350B) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0117] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) includes at least one of the following: a paging early indication, a wake-up signal, a paging DCI, or a paging message.

[0118] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment (110) is in a radio resource control idle mode, or a radio resource control inactive mode (330).

[0119] In one or more embodiments, the response message (350A) alternately uses at least one of: a mobile-terminated small data transmission, a mobile-originated small data transmission, a subsequent uplink transmission (360A), or a subsequent downlink transmission (360B).

[0120] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) indicates a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation or a discontinuous transmission (DTX) operation.

[0121] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) includes at least one of the following: an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C), a cell discontinuous operation mode, or a cell discontinuous operation timer (410) corresponding to a current time period (420B).

[0122] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation timer (410) is based on the start time of receiving the paging information or a configured reference time.

[0123] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates whether to use the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or the cell discontinuous operation timer (410).

[0124] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation mode includes at least one of the following: periodicity, activity period, and start offset.

[0125] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation mode is configured via system information broadcast (SIB) or radio resource control (RRC).

[0126] In one or more embodiments, when the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) includes the cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the user equipment uses the cell discontinuous operation timer (410).

[0127] In one or more embodiments, when the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) does not include the cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the user equipment uses the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier.

[0128] In one or more embodiments, when the paging information (340A) indicates an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or a cell discontinuous operation mode, the user equipment (110) sends a response message (350A) at the beginning (390B) of the next cell discontinuous reception activity period (390C) of the activated cell discontinuous operation mode.

[0129] In one or more embodiments, when the paging information (340A) indicates the cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the user equipment (110) sends the response message (350A) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0130] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates a duration for the user equipment (110) to send the response message (350A) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0131] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates specific conditions for performing a random access-based small data transmission or a random access procedure on a specific random access resource before the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0132] In one or more embodiments, when the paging information (340A) indicates the cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the user equipment (110) sends the response message (350A) before the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0133] In one or more embodiments, when the next configured authorization opportunity occurs after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B), the user equipment (110) sends a response message (350A) using a random access based small data transmission or random access procedure.

[0134] In one or more embodiments, the current time period (420B) is typically configured via a system information broadcast for all user equipment devices in a particular cell.

[0135] In one or more embodiments, the current time period (420B) is specific to the user device (110).

[0136] In one or more embodiments, the current time period (420B) is indicated by using a bitmap in the paging information (340A).

[0137] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment (110) is configured to monitor first paging information that is not associated with a paging occasion associated with the user equipment (110), or second paging information (340A) of a paging occasion associated with the user equipment (110), within a second time period before initiating a subsequent uplink transmission (360A).

[0138] In one or more embodiments, a computer-implemented method is provided, the method being performed by a network node (120) and comprising: sending (340) paging information (340A) to a user equipment (110), the paging information (340A) comprising cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The computer-implemented method further comprises: receiving (350) a response message (350A) from the user equipment (110) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0139] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) includes at least one of the following: a paging early indication, a wake-up signal, a paging DCI, or a paging message.

[0140] In one or more embodiments, the user equipment (110) is in a radio resource control idle mode, or a radio resource control inactive mode (330).

[0141] In one or more embodiments, the response message (350A) alternately uses at least one of: a mobile terminated small data transmission, a mobile originated small data transmission, a subsequent uplink transmission (380A), or a subsequent downlink transmission (380B).

[0142] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) indicates a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation or a discontinuous transmission (DTX) operation.

[0143] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation information (340B) includes at least one of the following: an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C), a cell discontinuous operation mode, or a cell discontinuous operation timer (410) corresponding to a current time period (420B).

[0144] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation timer (410) is based on the start time of receiving the paging information or a configured reference time.

[0145] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates whether to use the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C) or the cell discontinuous operation timer (410).

[0146] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation mode includes at least one of the following: periodicity, activity period, and start offset.

[0147] In one or more embodiments, the cell discontinuous operation mode is configured via system information broadcast (SIB) or radio resource control (RRC).

[0148] In one or more embodiments, when the paging information (340) indicates an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier (340C), or a cell discontinuous operation mode, the network node (120) receives a response message (350A) at the beginning (390B) of the next cell discontinuous reception activity period (390C) of the activated cell discontinuous operation mode.

[0149] In one or more embodiments, when the paging information (340A) indicates a cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the network node (120) receives the response message (350) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0150] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates a duration for the network node (120) to receive the response message (350A) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0151] In one or more embodiments, the paging information (340A) also indicates specific conditions for performing a random access-based small data transmission or a random access procedure on a specific random access resource before the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0152] In one or more embodiments, when the paging information (340A) indicates a cell discontinuous operation timer (410), the network node (120) receives the response message (350A) after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B).

[0153] In one or more embodiments, when the next configured authorization opportunity occurs after the end (420C) of the current time period (420B), the user equipment (110) sends a response message (350A) to the network node (120) using a random access based small data transmission or random access procedure.

[0154] In one or more embodiments, the current time period (420B) is typically configured via a system information broadcast for all user equipment devices in a particular cell.

[0155] In one or more embodiments, the current time period (420B) is specific to the user device (110).

[0156] In one or more embodiments, the current time period (420B) is indicated by using a bitmap in the paging information (340A).

[0157] In one or more embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer instructions is provided, which, when executed by a user equipment (110), causes the user equipment (110) to receive (340) paging information (340A) from a network node (120), the paging information (340A) including cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The user equipment (110) is also caused to send (350) a response message (350A) to the network node (120) using a small data transfer (SDT) procedure (350B) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0158] In one or more embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer instructions is provided, which, when executed by a network node (120), causes the network node (120) to send (340) paging information (340A) to a user equipment (110), the paging information (340A) including cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The network node (120) is also caused to receive (350) a response message (350A) from the user equipment (110) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0159] In one or more embodiments, a user equipment (110) is provided, comprising: a component for receiving (340) paging information (340A) from a network node (120), the paging information (340A) including cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The user equipment (110) also includes: a component for sending (350) a response message (350A) to the network node (120) using a small data transfer (SDT) procedure (350B) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0160] In one or more embodiments, a network node (120) is provided, comprising: a component for sending (340) paging information (340A) to a user equipment (110), the paging information (340A) including cell discontinuous operation information (340B), wherein the paging information (340A) indicates to the user equipment (110) when to send a response message (350A) based on the cell discontinuous operation information. The network node (120) also includes: a component for receiving (350) a response message (350A) from the user equipment (110) based at least on the paging information (340A).

[0161] Many modifications and other embodiments set forth herein will occur to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing description and associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

[0162] In addition, although the foregoing description and the associated drawings describe example embodiments in the context of certain example combinations of elements and / or functions, it should be understood that different combinations of elements and / or functions may be provided by alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In this regard, for example, combinations different from the combinations of elements and / or functions explicitly described above are also contemplated, as may be set forth in some of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used only in a general and descriptive sense, and not for purposes of limitation.

Claims

1. A user equipment for wireless communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the user device to: receiving paging information from a network node, the paging information including cell discontinuous operation information, wherein the paging information indicates to the user equipment when to send a response message based on the cell discontinuous operation information; as well as Based at least on the paging information, the response message is sent to the network node using a small data transfer (SDT) procedure. 2 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the paging information comprises at least one of the following items: a paging early indication, a wake-up signal, a paging DCI, or a paging message. 3 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the user equipment is in a radio resource control idle mode or a radio resource control inactive mode.

4. The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the response message alternately uses at least one of the following: a mobile-terminated small data transmission, a mobile-originated small data transmission, a subsequent uplink transmission, or a subsequent downlink transmission. 5 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the cell discontinuous operation information indicates a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation or a discontinuous transmission (DTX) operation. 6 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the cell discontinuous operation information comprises at least one of the following items: an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier, a cell discontinuous operation mode, or a cell discontinuous operation timer corresponding to a current time period. 7 . The user equipment according to claim 6 , wherein the cell discontinuous operation timer is based on a start time of receiving the paging information, or a configured reference time.

8. The user equipment according to claim 6, wherein when the paging information indicates one or more of the following items: an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier, or a cell discontinuous operation mode, the user equipment sending the response message at the start of the next cell discontinuous reception activity period of the activated cell discontinuous operation mode; or The cell discontinuous operation timer, the user equipment sends the response message after the current time period ends or before the current time period ends.

9. The user equipment according to claim 8, wherein the paging information further indicates one or more of the following items: a duration, during which the user equipment sends the response message after the end of the current time period; or A specific condition is used to perform a random access-based small data transmission or a random access process on a specific random access resource before the end of the current time period.

10. The user equipment according to claim 4, wherein the user equipment is configured to: monitor first paging information that is not associated with a paging occasion associated with the user equipment, or second paging information of the paging occasion associated with the user equipment, within a second time period before initiating the subsequent uplink transmission.

11. The user equipment according to claim 6, wherein if only one of an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier or a cell discontinuous operation timer is included in the paging information, the user equipment applies the included active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier or the cell discontinuous operation timer.

12. The user equipment according to claim 6, wherein the user equipment applies one or more of the following items: the cell discontinuous operation timer, if it is included in the paging information, is irrelevant to whether the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier is included in the paging information, wherein if the cell discontinuous operation timer is not included in the paging information, the user equipment applies the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier; or The active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier, if it is included in the paging information, is independent of whether the cell discontinuous operation timer is included in the paging information, wherein if the active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier is not included in the paging information, the user equipment applies the cell discontinuous operation timer.

13. A network node for wireless communication, comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the network node to: Sending paging information to a user equipment, the paging information including cell discontinuous operation information, wherein the paging information indicates to the user equipment when to send a response message based on the cell discontinuous operation information; as well as The response message is received from the user equipment based at least on the paging information.

14. The network node according to claim 13, wherein the paging information comprises at least one of the following: a paging early indication, a wake-up signal, a paging DCI, or a paging message.

15. The network node according to claim 13, wherein the user equipment is in a radio resource control idle mode or a radio resource control inactive mode.

16. The network node of claim 13, wherein the response message alternately uses at least one of: a mobile-terminated small data transmission, a mobile-originated small data transmission, a subsequent uplink transmission, or a subsequent downlink transmission. 17 . The network node according to claim 13 , wherein the cell discontinuous operation information indicates a discontinuous reception (DRX) operation or a discontinuous transmission (DTX) operation.

18. The network node according to claim 13, wherein the cell discontinuous operation information comprises at least one of the following items: an active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier, a cell discontinuous operation mode, or a cell discontinuous operation timer corresponding to a current time period.

19. The network node according to claim 18, wherein the cell discontinuous operation timer is based on a start time at which the paging information is received, or a configured reference time.

20. The network node according to claim 18, wherein when the paging information indicates one or more of the following items: An active cell discontinuous operation mode identifier, or a cell discontinuous operation mode, the network node receiving the response message at the start of a next cell discontinuous reception activity period of the activated cell discontinuous operation mode; or The cell discontinuous operation timer, the network node receives the response message after the current time period ends.

21. The network node according to claim 20, wherein the paging information further indicates one or more of the following: a duration during which the network node receives the response message after the end of the current time period; a specific condition for performing a random access-based small data transmission or a random access procedure on a specific random access resource before the end of the current time period; or The cell discontinuous operation timer, the network node receives the response message before the current time period ends.

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