Discontinuous rest for predictable traffic

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for non-continuous rest of predictable traffic. A method may include receiving, by a user device, a discontinuous rest configuration, and at the end of an activity time and if a number of data packets transmitted and a number of data packets received are less than respective thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration before expiration of the activity time. If so, a discontinuous rest timer indicated by the discontinuous rest configuration is started by the user equipment. A discontinuous rest timer is associated with a discontinuous reception group.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some example embodiments may generally relate to mobile or wireless telecommunication systems, such as Long Term Evolution (LTE), fifth generation (5G) radio access technology (RAT), new radio (NR) access technology, sixth generation (6G), and / or other communication systems. For example, certain example embodiments may relate to systems and / or methods for discontinuous rest of predictable traffic. Background Art

[0002] Examples of mobile or wireless telecommunication systems may include radio frequency (RF) 5G RAT, universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), LTE evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN), advanced LTE (LTE-A), professional LTE-A, NR access technology, and / or MulteFire Alliance. 5G wireless system refers to the next generation (NG) radio system and network architecture. 5G systems are mainly built on 5G NR, but 5G (or NG) networks can also be built on E-UTRA radio. It is estimated that NR can support service categories such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC), and massive machine type communication (mMTC). NR is expected to provide extremely high bandwidth, ultra-strong low-latency connectivity, and large-scale networking to support the Internet of Things (IoT). The next generation radio access network (NG-RAN) represents a RAN for 5G, which can provide radio access for NR, LTE, and LTE-A. It should be noted that a node that provides radio access functions to user equipment in 5G (e.g., similar to a Node B in UTRAN, or an evolved Node B (eNB) in LTE) may be referred to as a next-generation Node B (gNB) when built on an NR radio, and may be referred to as a next-generation eNB (NG-eNB) when built on an E-UTRA radio. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to some example embodiments, a method may include: receiving, by a user equipment, a discontinuous rest configuration. The method may also include: at the end of an active time, and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the expiration of the active time are less than corresponding thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration, starting, by the user equipment, a discontinuous rest timer indicated by the discontinuous rest configuration. The discontinuous rest timer is associated with a discontinuous reception group.

[0004] According to certain example embodiments, an apparatus may include: means for receiving a discontinuous rest configuration. The apparatus may also include: means for starting a discontinuous rest timer indicated by the discontinuous rest configuration at the end of an active time and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the expiration of the active time are less than respective thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration. The discontinuous rest timer is associated with a discontinuous reception group.

[0005] According to various 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 a discontinuous rest configuration. The method may also include: at the end of an active time, and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the expiration of the active time are less than the corresponding thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration, starting a discontinuous rest timer indicated by the discontinuous rest configuration. The discontinuous rest timer is associated with a discontinuous reception group.

[0006] According to some example embodiments, a computer program product may perform a method. The method may include: receiving a discontinuous rest configuration. The method may also include: at the end of an active time, and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the expiration of the active time are less than the corresponding thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration, starting a discontinuous rest timer indicated by the discontinuous rest configuration. The discontinuous rest timer is associated with a discontinuous reception group.

[0007] According to certain example embodiments, an 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, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: receive a discontinuous rest configuration. The at least one memory and the computer program code may also be configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: at the end of an active time, and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the expiration of the active time are less than corresponding thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration, start a discontinuous rest timer indicated by the discontinuous rest configuration. The discontinuous rest timer is associated with a discontinuous reception group.

[0008] According to various example embodiments, an apparatus may include: a circuit system configured to receive a discontinuous rest configuration. The circuit system may also be configured to: at the end of an active time, and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the expiration of the active time are less than the corresponding thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration, start a discontinuous rest timer indicated by the discontinuous rest configuration. The discontinuous rest timer is associated with a discontinuous reception group.

[0009] According to some example embodiments, a method may include sending, by a network entity, a discontinuous rest configuration indicating that a discontinuous rest timer starts at the end of an activity time associated with a discontinuous reception group and if a number of packets sent and a number of packets received before expiration of the activity time are less than respective thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration.

[0010] According to certain example embodiments, an apparatus may include means for sending a discontinuous rest configuration indicating that a discontinuous rest timer starts at the end of an activity time associated with a discontinuous reception group and if a number of packets sent and a number of packets received before expiration of the activity time are less than respective thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration.

[0011] According to various 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 sending a discontinuous rest configuration indicating that a discontinuous rest timer starts at the end of an active time associated with a discontinuous reception group and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the expiration of the active time are less than respective thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration.

[0012] According to some example embodiments, a computer program product may perform a method. The method may include sending a discontinuous rest configuration indicating that a discontinuous rest timer starts at the end of an activity time associated with a discontinuous reception group and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the expiration of the activity time are less than corresponding thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration.

[0013] According to some example embodiments, an 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, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least send a discontinuous rest configuration indicating that: at the end of an activity time associated with a discontinuous reception group, and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the expiration of the activity time are less than corresponding thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration, a discontinuous rest timer starts.

[0014] According to various example embodiments, an apparatus may include a circuit system configured to send a discontinuous rest configuration indicating that a discontinuous rest timer starts at the end of an active time associated with a discontinuous reception group and if a number of packets sent and a number of packets received before expiration of the active time are less than respective thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

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

[0016] Figure 1 An example of an extended reality (XR) video service is shown.

[0017] Figure 2 An example of matching a discontinuous reception (DRX) on duration to a packet arrival jitter range is shown.

[0018] Figure 3 An example of a discontinuous rest (DRST) applied when a data packet arrives after the on-duration is shown.

[0019] Figure 4 An example of a signaling diagram is shown in accordance with some example embodiments.

[0020] Figure 5 An example of a flow chart of a method according to various example embodiments is shown.

[0021] Figure 6 An example of another flow chart of a method according to various example embodiments is shown.

[0022] Figure 7 An example of parameters for a discontinuous rest timer is shown.

[0023] Figure 8 Probability distribution of frame arrivals and examples of possible connected mode DRX (CDRX) configurations with DRST are shown.

[0024] Fig. 9 a to Fig. 9 b shows the energy saving gains of four schemes according to some example embodiments.

[0025] Fig.10 Examples of various network devices are shown according to some example embodiments.

[0026] Fig.11 Examples of 5G network and system architectures are shown in accordance with certain example embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] It should be understood that, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, the components of certain example embodiments may be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of some example embodiments of systems, methods, devices, and computer program products for non-continuous rest of predictable traffic is not intended to limit the scope of certain embodiments, but rather represents selected example embodiments.

[0028] As used herein, “at least one of: ” and “at least one of ” and similar expressions, where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, mean at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0029] XR downlink traffic may mainly include video frames, as shown in Figure 1. Specifically, the process of XR traffic arriving at the base station can be characterized as a quasi-periodic process with a period associated with the video frame rate, and the jitter can be modeled as a truncated Gaussian distribution. For example, for a video with 60 frames per second (fps), the average inter-arrival time should be 1 / 60fps=16.67 milliseconds, the jitter mean is 0 milliseconds, and the standard deviation is 2 milliseconds. The range of the truncated distribution will be + / -4 milliseconds. Therefore, if Figure 1 As shown, packets can be expected to arrive within an 8 ms window, followed by an 8 ms silence window.

[0030] DRX and physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring techniques have been studied with respect to XR and general UE energy conservation. For example, some techniques have been discussed with respect to adaptive DRX and dynamic control of DRX, where parameters of the DRX cycle can be dynamically adjusted through layer 1 (L1) and layer 2 (L2) signaling. Improvements to UE energy conservation have included techniques that utilize DRX wake-up signals (e.g., dynamic clustering protocol (DCP): downlink control information (DCI) with cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by power saving radio network temporary identifier (PS-RNTI), PDCCH monitoring adaptation scheme based on search space set group (SSSG) switching, and PDCCH monitoring hopping indication via DCI.

[0031] However, existing UE energy saving techniques are not related to XR services, and many enhancements to XR only consider the possibility of shortening the active period of the DRX cycle when a frame has been correctly received. This will require a relatively long on-duration (OnDuration), which will be shortened with L1 / L2 signaling and / or conditions. However, a longer on-duration may result in a waste of UE energy because the frame is usually completely transmitted before the end of the jitter range, which can be defined by the on-duration. Continuous signaling to shorten the on-duration from the network to the UE may result in higher signaling overhead because the network may need to signal when the frame has been completely sent.

[0032] The truncated Gaussian distribution may allow for knowing that packet arrivals occur within the truncated range and that packet arrivals are periodic based on the frame arrival rate. Additionally, there may be a packet delay budget requirement of 10 ms or 15 ms for XR. Due to jitter in packet arrivals, the DRX on-duration may not be limited without violating the packet delay budget. However, since the UE may need to monitor the PDCCH during the on-duration, a longer on-duration may increase the energy consumption of the UE. Figure 2 It is shown how the duration of the OnDuration is matched with the packet arrival jitter to ensure that the network can schedule packets to the UE within the packet delay budget.

[0033] In order to improve the UE energy saving gain of DRX for predictable services (such as XR), a discontinuous rest (DRST) scheme allows the on-duration timer to be extended when no service is received when the on-duration timer has expired. Certain example embodiments of the DRST described herein may have various benefits and / or advantages to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings. For example, certain example embodiments may allow the UE to be configured with a shorter on-duration whenever a video frame arrives within the on-duration, thereby saving energy. In addition, the base station may not need to predict when the video frame transmission is completed because the UE will automatically extend the PDCCH monitoring until it has received the video frame. In addition, due to the non-integer periodicity of the XR service, the UE can automatically fix the time drift (shift) between the DRX and the frame arrival time. The time drift may eventually cause the on-duration to exceed the expected frame arrival interval; extending the on-duration can avoid frame loss. Therefore, certain example embodiments discussed below are directed to improvements in computer-related technologies.

[0034] like Figure 3As shown, some of the example embodiments discussed herein may involve applying DRST parameters when a data packet arrives after an on-duration period. Specifically, the UE and the base station may agree to send XR services based on certain characteristics. A key characteristic is the number of video frames expected to arrive per DRX active time instance, for example, 1 video frame per configured DRX cycle. Although some of the example embodiments herein are described in terms of XR type services, the various example embodiments are generally applicable to services with predictable arrival patterns, where the UE and NE can agree on the number of expected data packets within a time period.

[0035] Figure 4 An example of a signaling diagram depicting a discontinuous rest for predictable traffic is shown. According to some example embodiments, UE 430 and NE 440 may be similar to Fig.10 UE 1020 and NE 1010 are shown. In various example embodiments, UE 430 may automatically extend PDCCH monitoring based on DRST configuration.

[0036] At 401, the UE 430 and the NE 440 may agree on XR service parameters. For example, this may be performed using RRC signaling during an RRC connection establishment or RRC reconfiguration procedure. Alternatively, this may be performed by extending the PDU session establishment procedure: During the PDU session establishment, the XR service parameters are exchanged between the UE and the AMF. After the PDU session has been established, the AMF signals the service parameters to the RAN.

[0037] At 402, NE 440 may send an RRC information element to UE 430 indicating that DRST is active and / or time-related parameters and / or (multiple) thresholds indicating the number of expected packets to be sent / received during the DRX cycle. For example, the time-related parameters may indicate an on-duration (e.g., covering 1 / 4 or 1 / 2 of the jitter range) and a DRST extended timer value. The DRST extended timer value may run according to a specific timer value (inactive timer), an indication from NE 440, until a video frame is received (i.e., one time slot at a time), or until the next on-duration. In some example embodiments, when DRST is configured, the inactive timer may not be configured, or may be limited to a short value.

[0038] As described above, DRST can be implemented as a timer that is triggered if no packets have been received, or if the number of received packets is less than the expected number of packets to be sent and / or received during the DRX cycle, and the drx-OnDuration timer has expired. As an example, the MAC can be modified to include DRST to facilitate definition of parameters such as the duration of the "discontinuous rest" timer, conditions for its activation / deactivation (e.g., if the number of received packets is less than the expected number of packets to be sent and / or received during the DRX cycle), and interactions with other DRX processes, similar to the parameters shown in FIG. 7. DRST parameters can be associated with a DRX group; for example, a DRX group can have DRST parameters specific to each DRX group for a single group or all DRST parameters. In addition, two DRX groups can be associated with two dedicated DRX configurations (i.e., each group can have its own DRX parameters, such as OnDuration and inactive timers). DRST parameters can include enable / disable, extended timers, and the number of expected packets.

[0039] At 403, UE 430 may apply the received DRX configuration.

[0040] At 404, UE 430 and NE 440 may enter a first DRX cycle.

[0041] At 405, the UE 430 may enable DRX according to an On Duration parameter. The UE 430 may monitor the PDCCH according to the On Duration.

[0042] At 406, NE 440 may send the scheduled DL data packet to UE 430 and indicate to UE 430 that the scheduled DL data packet is the last data packet of the burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a data packet header) may be used to indicate that the data packet is the last data packet of the burst.

[0043] In some example embodiments, L1 / L2 signals (DCI or MAC CE commands) may be used by NE 440 to enable and / or disable DRST behavior. This may enable NE 440 to detect the boundaries of delay-constrained bursts of packets (e.g., packets belonging to the same video frame). If the packet is the last packet of a burst, NE 440 may indicate to UE 430 that no additional packets are expected, and UE 430 may disable the DRST timer. NE 440 may signal scheduling information on PDDCH regarding whether this is the last packet of a burst (i.e., whether no additional transmissions are expected until the next DRX cycle). This information may be used by the UE 430 to increment a count of the number of received packets, which together with the drx-DiscontinousRestNrRxPdus, the number of transmitted packets, and the drx-DiscontinousRestNrTxPdus may be used to determine whether a drx-DiscontinousRestTimer should be started after the expiration of the drx-onDurationTimer.

[0044] In various example embodiments, NE 440 may trigger DRST by using DCI in the absence of scheduling information. For example, NE 440 may not schedule UE 430 during the on-duration, but if NE 440 may estimate that data will arrive shortly thereafter, NE 440 may send DCI to trigger DRST (or an inactivity timer, if configured) to ensure that UE 430 monitors the PDCCH after the on-duration expires. Additionally or alternatively, a group common physical downlink control channel (GC-PDCCH) may be used to address multiple UEs for such extensions.

[0045] At 407 , NE 440 may send a transfer DL data packet to UE 330 .

[0046] At 408, UE 430 may enter sleep mode. For example, if a video frame is received within the on-duration, or if all expected data packets have been successfully received within the on-duration, UE 430 may enter sleep mode earlier than if there is no on-duration because the on-duration is relatively short.

[0047] At 409, UE 430 and NE 440 may enter a second DRX cycle.

[0048] At 410, UE 430 may start DRX according to the on-duration parameter. For example, if UE 430 does not receive a video frame within the on-duration, or if the number of packets received within the on-duration is less than the expected number of packets to be sent / received during the DRX cycle, UE 430 may automatically extend the DRX active time, specifically DRST, according to the configured extension timer. In addition, NE 440 may monitor how often DRST is needed and may adjust the on-duration with UE 430.

[0049] At 411, UE 430 may end DRX according to the OnDuration parameter.

[0050] At 412, UE 430 may start a "discontinuous rest" timer.

[0051] At 413, NE 440 may send a scheduled DL data packet to UE 430 and indicate to UE 430 that the scheduled DL data packet is the last data packet of the burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a data packet header) may be used to indicate that the data packet is the last data packet of the burst.

[0052] At 414 , NE 440 may send a transmit DL data packet to UE 430 .

[0053] At 415, UE 430 may enter sleep mode. For example, if a video frame is received within the on-duration, or if all expected data packets have been successfully received within the on-duration, UE 430 may enter sleep mode earlier than without the on-duration because the on-duration is relatively short.

[0054] At 416, UE 430 and NE 440 may enter a second DRX cycle.

[0055] At 417, the UE 430 may start DRX according to the on-duration parameter. For example, if the UE 430 does not receive a video frame within the on-duration, or if the number of packets received within the on-duration is less than the expected number of packets to be sent / received during the DRX cycle, the UE 430 may automatically extend the DRX active time according to the configured extension timer, specifically DRST.

[0056] At 418, NE 440 may send the scheduled DL data packet to UE 430 and indicate to UE 430 that the scheduled DL data packet is the last data packet of the burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a data packet header) may be used to indicate that the data packet is the last data packet of the burst.

[0057] At 419 , NE 440 may send a transmit DL data packet to UE 430 .

[0058] At 420, UE 430 may end DRX according to the OnDuration parameter.

[0059] At 421, UE 430 may start a "discontinuous rest" timer.

[0060] At 422, NE 440 may send a scheduled DL data packet to UE 430 and indicate to UE 430 that the scheduled DL data packet is the last data packet of a burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a data packet header) may be used to indicate that the data packet is the last data packet of a burst.

[0061] At 423 , NE 440 may send a transmit DL data packet to UE 430 .

[0062] At 424, the UE 430 may enter a sleep mode, and transmit DL data packets may be received according to the XR service configuration.

[0063] Figure 5 1 shows a method that can be performed by a UE (such as Fig.10 An example of a flowchart of a method performed by UE 1020) shown in FIG.

[0064] At 501, the method may include communicating with a NE (such as Fig.10 1010) agrees on the XR service parameters. For example, this can be performed using RRC signaling during RRC connection establishment or RRC reconfiguration procedures. Alternatively, this can be performed by extending the PDU session establishment procedure: During the PDU session establishment, the XR service parameters are exchanged between the UE and the AMF. After the PDU session has been established, the AMF signals the service parameters to the RAN.

[0065] At 502, the method may include receiving an RRC IE from the NE indicating that the DRST is active and / or time-related parameters and / or (multiple) thresholds indicating the number of expected packets to be sent during the DRX cycle. For example, the time-related parameters may indicate an on-duration (e.g., covering 1 / 4 or 1 / 2 of the jitter range) and a DRST extended timer value. The DRST extended timer value may run according to a specific timer value (inactive timer), an indication from the NE, until a video frame is received (i.e., one time slot at a time), or until the next on-duration. In some example embodiments, when DRST is configured, the inactive timer may not be configured or may be limited to a short value.

[0066] As described above, DRST can be implemented as a timer that is triggered if no packets have been received or if the number of received packets is less than the expected number of packets to be sent / received during the DRX cycle, and the drx-OnDuration timer has expired. For example, the MAC can be modified to include DRST to facilitate definition of parameters such as the duration of the "discontinuous rest" timer, the conditions for its activation / deactivation (e.g., if the number of received packets is less than the expected number of packets to be sent and / or received during the DRX cycle), and the interaction with other DRX processes, which parameters are similar to Figure 7 . DRST timers may be associated with DRX groups; for example, a DRX group may have DRST parameters specific to each DRX group for a single group or for all DRST parameters. In addition, two DRX groups may be associated with two dedicated DRX configurations (i.e., each group may have its own DRX parameters, such as OnDuration and Inactivity timers). DRST parameters may include enable / disable, extended timer, and number of expected packets.

[0067] At 503, the method may include applying the received DRX configuration.

[0068] At 504, the method may include entering a first DRX cycle with the NE.

[0069] At 505, the method may include enabling DRX according to an OnDuration parameter. The UE may monitor the PDCCH according to the OnDuration.

[0070] At 506, the method may include receiving a scheduled DL data packet from the NE, and receiving an indication from the NE that the scheduled DL data packet is the last data packet of the burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a data packet header) may be used to indicate that the data packet is the last data packet of the burst.

[0071] In some example embodiments, L1 / L2 signals (DCI or MAC CE commands) may be used by the network to enable and disable DRST behavior. This may enable the network to detect the boundaries of delay-bounded packet bursts (e.g., packets belonging to the same video frame). If the packet is the last packet of a burst, the UE may receive an indication from the NE that no additional packets are expected, and the UE may disable the DRST timer. The UE may receive scheduling information from the NE on the PDDCH regarding whether this is the last packet of a burst (i.e., whether no additional transmissions are expected until the next DRX cycle). This information may be used by the UE to increment a count of the number of received packets, which together with the drx-DiscontinousRestNrRxPdus, the number of transmitted packets, and the drx-DiscontinousRestNrTxPdus may be used to determine whether the drx-DiscontinousRestTimer may be started after the expiration of the drx-onDurationTimer.

[0072] In various example embodiments, the UE may receive a trigger of DRST from the NE using DCI in the absence of scheduling information. For example, the UE may not be scheduled by the NE during the on-duration, but if the NE estimates that data will arrive shortly thereafter, the UE may receive DCI to trigger DRST (or an inactivity timer, if configured) to ensure that the UE monitors the PDCCH after the on-duration expires. Additionally or alternatively, the GC-PDCCH may be used to address multiple UEs for such extensions.

[0073] At 507, the method may include receiving a transmit DL data packet from the NE. At 508, the method may include entering a sleep mode. For example, if a video frame is received within the on-duration, or if all expected data packets have been successfully received within the on-duration, the UE may enter sleep mode earlier than if there is no on-duration because the on-duration is relatively short.

[0074] At 509, the method may include entering a second DRX cycle with the NE. At 510, the method may include initiating DRX according to an on-duration parameter. For example, if the UE does not receive a video frame within the on-duration, or if the number of packets received within the on-duration is less than the expected number of packets to be sent / received during the DRX cycle, the UE may automatically extend the DRX active time, specifically DRST, according to a configured extension timer. In addition, the NE may monitor how often DRST is needed and may adjust the on-duration with the UE.

[0075] At 511, the method may include ending the DRX according to the on-duration parameter. At 512, the method may include starting a "discontinuous rest" timer. At 513, the method may include receiving a scheduled DL data packet from the NE, and receiving an indication that the scheduled DL data packet is the last data packet of the burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a data packet header) may be used to indicate that the data packet is the last data packet of the burst.

[0076] At 514, the method may include receiving a transmit DL data packet from the NE.

[0077] At 515, the method may include entering a sleep mode. For example, if a video frame is received within the on-duration, or if all expected data packets have been successfully received within the on-duration, the UE may enter sleep earlier than without the on-duration because the on-duration is relatively short.

[0078] At 516, the method may include entering a second DRX cycle with the NE.

[0079] At 517, the method may include initiating DRX according to the on-duration parameter. For example, if the UE does not receive a video frame within the on-duration, or if the number of packets received within the on-duration is less than the expected number of packets to be sent / received during the DRX cycle, the UE may automatically extend the DRX active time according to a configured extension timer, specifically DRST.

[0080] At 518, the method may include receiving a scheduled DL data packet from the NE and receiving an indication that the scheduled DL data packet is the last data packet of the burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a data packet header) may be used to indicate that the data packet is the last data packet of the burst.

[0081] At 519, the method may include receiving a transmit DL data packet from the NE.

[0082] At 520, the method may include receiving a scheduled DL packet from the NE and receiving an indication that the scheduled DL packet is the last packet of the burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a packet header) may be used to indicate that the packet is the last packet of the burst.

[0083] At 521 , the method may include starting a “discontinuous rest” timer.

[0084] At 522, the method may include receiving a scheduled DL data packet from the NE and receiving an indication that the scheduled DL data packet is the last data packet of the burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a data packet header) may be used to indicate that the data packet is the last data packet of the burst.

[0085] At 523, the method may include receiving a transmit DL data packet from the NE.

[0086] At 524 , the method may include entering a sleep mode and receiving a transmit DL data packet according to the XR service configuration.

[0087] Figure 6 It shows that a NE (such as Fig.10 An example of a flowchart of a method performed by NE 1020) shown in FIG.

[0088] At 601, the method may include communicating with a UE (such as Fig.10 1020) agrees on the XR service parameters. For example, this can be performed using RRC signaling during RRC connection establishment or RRC reconfiguration procedures. Alternatively, this can be performed by extending the PDU session establishment procedure: during PDU session establishment, the XR service parameters are exchanged between the UE and the AMF. After the PDU session has been established, the AMF signals the service parameters to the RAN.

[0089] At 602, the method may include sending an RRC information element to the UE indicating that the DRST is active and / or time-related parameters and / or (multiple) thresholds indicating the number of expected packets to be sent / received during the DRX cycle. For example, the time-related parameters may indicate an on-duration (e.g., covering 1 / 4 or 1 / 2 of the jitter range) and a DRST extended timer value. The DRST extended timer value may run according to a specific timer value, an inactive timer, an indication to the UE until a video frame is received (i.e., one time slot at a time), or until the next on-duration. In some example embodiments, when DRST is configured, the inactive timer may not be configured or may be limited to a short value.

[0090] As described above, DRST can be implemented as a timer that is triggered if no packets have been received or if the number of received packets is less than the expected number of packets to be sent / received during the DRX cycle, and the drx-OnDuration timer has expired. For example, the MAC can be modified to include DRST to facilitate definition of parameters such as the duration of the "discontinuous rest" timer, the conditions for its activation / deactivation (e.g., if the number of received packets is less than the expected number of packets to be sent and / or received during the DRX cycle), and interactions with other DRX processes, similar to Figure 7 . DRST timers may be associated with DRX groups; for example, a DRX group may have DRST parameters specific to each DRX group for a single group or for all DRST parameters. In addition, two DRX groups may be associated with two dedicated DRX configurations (i.e., each group may have its own DRX parameters, such as OnDuration and Inactivity timers). DRST parameters may include enable / disable, extended timer, and number of expected packets.

[0091] At 603, the method may include entering a first DRX cycle with the UE.

[0092] At 604, the method may include sending a scheduled DL data packet to the UE and indicating to the UE that the scheduled DL data packet is the last data packet of the burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a data packet header) may be used to indicate that the data packet is the last data packet of the burst.

[0093] In some example embodiments, L1 / L2 signals (DCI or MAC CE commands) are used by the network to enable and / or disable DRST behavior. This may enable the network to detect the boundaries of delay-bounded packet bursts (e.g., packets belonging to the same video frame). If the packet is the last packet of a burst, the NE may indicate to the UE that no additional packets are expected and the UE may disable the DRST timer. The NE may signal scheduling information on the PDDCH as to whether this is the last packet of a burst (i.e., whether no additional transmissions are expected until the next DRX cycle). This information may be used by the UE to increment a count of the number of received packets, which is used together with the drx-DiscontinousRestNrRxPdus, the number of transmitted packets, and the drx-DiscontinousRestNrTxPdus to determine whether the drx-DiscontinousRestTimer may be started after the expiration of the drx-onDurationTimer.

[0094] In various example embodiments, the NE may trigger DRST by using DCI in the absence of scheduling information. For example, the NE may not schedule UE 430 during the OnDuration, but the NE estimates that data will arrive shortly thereafter, the NE may send DCI to trigger DRST (or an inactivity timer, if configured) to ensure that the UE monitors the PDCCH after the OnDuration expires. Additionally or alternatively, GC-PDCCH may be used to address multiple UEs for such extensions.

[0095] At 605, the method may include sending a transmit DL data packet to the UE.

[0096] At 606, the method may include entering a second DRX cycle with the UE.

[0097] At 607, the method may include sending a scheduled DL data packet to the UE and indicating to the UE that the scheduled DL data packet is the last data packet of the burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a data packet header) may be used to indicate that the data packet is the last data packet of the burst.

[0098] At 608, the method may include sending a transmit DL data packet to the UE.

[0099] At 609, the method may include entering a third DRX cycle with the UE.

[0100] At 610, the method may include sending a scheduled DL data packet to the UE and indicating to the UE that the scheduled DL data packet is the last data packet of the burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a data packet header) may be used to indicate that the data packet is the last data packet of the burst.

[0101] At 611, the method may include sending a transmit DL data packet to the UE.

[0102] At 612, the method may include sending a scheduled DL data packet to the UE and indicating to the UE that the scheduled DL data packet is the last data packet of the burst. An end-of-burst indication (such as a bit carried in a DCI command or in a data packet header) may be used to indicate that the data packet is the last data packet of the burst.

[0103] At 613, the method may include sending a transmit DL data packet to the UE.

[0104] Figure 8The probability distribution of the frame arrival process (e.g., a truncated Gaussian distribution centered on the arrival time) simulating random jitter is depicted, as well as three DRX configurations with DRST. In all three configurations, the long duration can be 16 milliseconds, and the DRX cycle can start at 12 and end at 28.

[0105] The three configurations may include S1, where DRST extends the OnDuration only in 30% of cases. XR frames arriving between 12 and 15 may be delayed by up to 3 ms. The three configurations may also include S2, which does not trigger an extension of the OnDuration unless time drift causes the XR frame to fall after the OnDuration, which may require reconfiguration of the DRX cycle if the drift is too large. However, this configuration may also introduce an additional delay of 6 ms for frames arriving at 12, making HARQ retransmissions impossible in error cases, as the delay budget for XR services is quite limited (e.g., 10 ms for AR / VR applications).

[0106] The three configurations can also include S3; in 86% of cases, the on-duration can be extended. There may be some benefit in adopting a DRX configuration that starts at 12 and ends at 20, because in 14% of cases, DRST does not require an extended on-duration. Therefore, DRST can add flexibility to easily configure DRX while balancing user satisfaction with energy saving. About Figure 6 In S2, DRST may rarely extend the on-duration.

[0107] As described above, certain embodiments may provide advantages in terms of energy saving gains. In one example, the UE may consume 100, 280, and 300 units of power for monitoring the PDCCH of each time slot, decoding the symbols of the PDSCH, and decoding the PDCCH+PDSCH, respectively. The performance can be evaluated relative to a subcarrier spacing of 30kHz and a time slot duration of 0.5 milliseconds, and the XR service can also be modeled. Video frames can be generated using a constant frame rate of 60fps, which can correspond to a period of 16.67ms between two consecutive frames. A random variable distributed as a truncated Gaussian distribution can also be added to the constant period to model jitter. The truncated Gaussian distribution can have a mean of 0, a standard deviation of 2 milliseconds, and a range of [-4, 4] milliseconds.

[0108] Four schemes can be used for analysis, including: 1) CDRX with LongCycle = 16 ms and OnDuration = 8 ms; 2) CDRX with LongCycle = 16 ms and OnDuration = 12 ms; 3) CDRX with LongCycle = 16 ms and OnDuration = 4 ms, and DRST; and 4) CDRX with LongCycle = 16 ms and OnDuration = 6 ms, and DRST.

[0109] The second CDRX configuration can have an OnDuration that is larger than the jitter range (i.e., 12 ms > 8 ms) because the XR frame arrival deviates from the CDRX cycle. The XR frame arrival process can also have an average arrival interval time of 16.67 ms, and the CDRXLongCycle can be equal to 16 ms. The 0.67 ms misalignment between the XR arrival and the CDRX cycle can cause time drift that accumulates over time. A larger OnDuration can alleviate time drift. In addition, DRST can be configured only for the 3rd DRX scheme and the 4th DRX scheme, which have an OnDuration that is shorter than the expected interval of frame arrival (i.e., the jitter range).

[0110] The four schemes can be compared based on the energy saving gain relative to an “always on” UE (specifically, a UE with all energy saving functions disabled). is calculated as follows: PPS is the average power consumed by all UEs with the power saving scheme enabled, and PB is the average power consumed by “always on” UEs. Fig. 9 a depicts the energy saving gains of the four schemes considering only the power consumed by PDCCH, and similarly, Fig. 9 bFor PDCCH+PDSCH. Fig. 9 a to Fig. 9 In b, a scheme that uses DRST to achieve greater energy-saving gains among the four schemes is shown. Specifically, using only PDCCH, DRX (16, 4) and DRX (16, 6) coupled with DRST can reduce the power of monitoring PDCCH by 75% and 65%, respectively. In contrast, DRX (16, 8) and DRX (16, 12) may only reduce the PDCCH monitoring power by up to 50% and 25%. In addition, based on the power spent on decoding the frame transmission (PDSCH decoding power), the energy-saving gains for all schemes will be reduced, but the power saved is still not negligible, and the relative gains between the four schemes are roughly the same.

[0111] The large energy saving gains of DRST schemes 3 and 4 may be due to the shorter OnDuration, which is rarely extended by the DRST mechanism. In fact, a shorter OnDuration based on the expected arrival time (i.e., every 16.67 milliseconds) may be the optimal configuration for most video frames. In a limited number of cases, frames can arrive after the OnDuration expires; however, DRST can recover from these impossible events by extending the user's active time beyond the OnDuration.

[0112] Fig.10 An example of a system according to some example embodiments is shown. In an example embodiment, the system may include a plurality of devices, such as NE 1010 and / or UE 1020.

[0113] NE 1010 may be one or more of: a base station (such as an eNB or gNB), a serving gateway, a server, and / or any other access node or a combination thereof.

[0114] The NE 1010 may also include at least one gNB-CU, which may be associated with at least one gNB-DU. The at least one gNB-CU and the at least one gNB-DU may communicate with each other via at least one F1 interface, at least one X n -C interface, and / or communicate via at least one NG interface of 5GC.

[0115] UE 1020 may include one or more mobile devices, such as mobile phones, smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablet computers or portable media players, digital cameras, camcorders, video game consoles, navigation units (such as global positioning system (GPS) devices), desktop or laptop computers, single location devices (such as sensors or smart meters), or any combination thereof. In addition, NE 1010 and / or UE 1020 may be one or more Citizen Broadband Radio Service Devices (CBSDs).

[0116] NE 1010 and / or UE 1020 may include at least one processor, respectively denoted as 1011 and 1021. Processors 1011 and 1021 may be embodied by any computing or data processing device, such as a central processing unit (CPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or the like. The processor may be implemented as a single controller, or multiple controllers or processors.

[0117] At least one memory may be provided in one or more devices, as shown in 1012 and 1022. The memory may be fixed or removable. The memory may include computer program instructions or computer codes contained therein. Memories 1012 and 1022 may independently be any suitable storage device, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The term "non-transitory" as used herein is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, rather than a signal), rather than a limitation of data storage persistence (e.g., RAM vs. ROM). A hard disk drive (HDD), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, or other suitable memory may be used. The memory may be combined on a single integrated circuit as a processor, or may be separated from one or more processors. In addition, the computer program instructions stored in the memory and that may be processed by the processor may be computer program codes in any suitable form, for example, a compiled or interpreted computer program written in any suitable programming language.

[0118] Processors 1011 and 1021, memories 1012 and 1022, and any subset thereof may be configured to provide Figures 3 to 6 Components corresponding to the various boxes of . Although not shown, the device may also include positioning hardware, such as GPS or micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) hardware, which can be used to determine the location of the device. Other sensors (such as barometers, compasses, etc.) are also allowed and can be configured to determine location, altitude, speed, direction, etc.

[0119] like Fig.10 As shown, transceivers 1013 and 1023 may be provided, and one or more devices may also include at least one antenna, shown as 1014 and 1024, respectively. The device may have many antennas, such as an antenna array configured for multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication, or multiple antennas for multiple RATs. For example, other configurations of these devices may be provided. Transceivers 1013 and 1023 may be transmitters, receivers, both transmitters and receivers, or may be configured as units or devices for both sending and receiving.

[0120] The memory and the computer program instructions may be configured together with a processor for a specific device to cause a hardware device (such as a UE) to perform any of the above processes (ie, Figures 3 to 6 ). Thus, in certain example embodiments, a non-transitory computer readable medium may be encoded with computer instructions that, when executed in hardware, perform a process such as one of the processes described herein. Alternatively, certain example embodiments may be performed entirely in hardware.

[0121] In certain example embodiments, the apparatus may include a Figures 3 to 6. For example, the circuit system can be a hardware circuit implementation only, such as an analog and / or digital circuit system. In another example, the circuit system can be a combination of hardware circuits and software, such as a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuit systems and software or firmware, and / or any part of a hardware processor with software (including a digital signal processor), software, and at least one memory, which work together to enable the device to perform various processes or functions. In another example, the circuit system can be a hardware circuit system and / or a processor, such as a microprocessor or a part of a microprocessor, which includes software (such as firmware) for operation. When the operation of the hardware is not required, the software in the circuit system may not exist.

[0122] Fig.11 Examples of 5G network and system architectures according to certain example embodiments are shown. Multiple network functions are shown, which may be implemented as software as part of a network device or dedicated hardware, as a network device itself or dedicated hardware, or as virtual functions that operate as a network device or dedicated hardware. Fig.11 The NE and UE shown in the figure may be similar to NE 1010 and UE 1020, respectively. The user plane function (UPF) may provide services such as intra-RAT and inter-RAT mobility, routing and forwarding of data packets, packet inspection, user plane quality of service (QoS) processing, buffering of downlink data packets and / or triggering of downlink data notification, etc. The application function (AF) may be primarily connected to the core network to facilitate application use of service routing and interact with the policy framework.

[0123] According to some example embodiments, processors 1011 and 1021, and memories 1012 and 1022 may be included in a processing circuit system or a control circuit system, or may form a part of a processing circuit system or a control circuit system. In addition, in some embodiments, transceivers 1013 and 1023 may be included in a transceiver circuit system, or may form a part of a transceiver circuit system.

[0124] In some example embodiments, an apparatus (e.g., NE 1010 and / or UE 1020) may include a component for performing a method, process, or any variant discussed herein. Examples of the component may include one or more processors, memories, controllers, transmitters, receivers, and / or computer program codes for causing the execution of operations.

[0125] The features, structures, or characteristics of the example embodiments described throughout this specification may be combined in one or more example embodiments in any suitable manner. For example, the use of the phrases "various embodiments," "certain embodiments," "some embodiments," or other similar language throughout this specification refers to the specific features, structures, or characteristics described in connection with the example embodiments that may be included in at least one example embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in various embodiments," "certain embodiments," "in some embodiments," or other similar language that appear throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same set of example embodiments, and the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in one or more example embodiments in any suitable manner.

[0126] Additionally, if desired, the different functions or processes discussed above may be performed in different orders and / or simultaneously with each other. In addition, if desired, one or more of the functions or processes described may be optional or may be combined. Therefore, the above description should be viewed as an illustration of the principles and teachings of some example embodiments, rather than a limitation thereof.

[0127] Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that the example embodiments discussed above may be implemented using processes in a different order, and / or using hardware elements in a different configuration than disclosed. Therefore, although some embodiments have been described based on these example embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that certain modifications, variations, and alternative configurations will be apparent while still being within the spirit and scope of the example embodiments.

[0128] Partial Glossary

[0129] 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

[0130] 5G Fifth Generation

[0131] 5GC Fifth Generation Core

[0132] 6G Sixth Generation

[0133] ASIC Application-Specific Integrated Circuit

[0134] BS Base Station

[0135] CBSD Citizens Broadband Radio Service Device

[0136] CDRX Connected Mode Discontinuous Receive

[0137] CE Control Elements

[0138] CN Core Network

[0139] CPU Central Processing Unit

[0140] CRC Cyclic Redundancy Check

[0141] DCI Downlink Control Information

[0142] DCP Dynamic Clustering Protocol

[0143] DL Downlink

[0144] DRST Discontinuous Rest

[0145] DRX Discontinuous Reception

[0146] eMBB Enhanced Mobile Broadband

[0147] eNB Evolved Node B

[0148] EPS Evolved Packet System

[0149] FR Frequency Range

[0150] GC-PDCCH Group Common Physical Downlink Control Channel

[0151] gNB Next Generation Node B

[0152] GPS Global Positioning System

[0153] HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request HDD Hard Disk Drive L1 Layer 1 L2 Layer 2 LTE Long Term Evolution

[0154] LTE-A Long Term Evolution-Advanced MAC Medium Access Control MEMS Micro Electro Mechanical System MIMO Multiple Input Multiple Output MME Mobility Management Entity mMTC Massive Machine Type Communication NE Network Entity

[0155] NG Next Generation

[0156] NG-eNB Next Generation Evolved Node B NG-RAN Next Generation Radio Access Network NR New Radio

[0157] NR-U Unlicensed New Radio PDA Personal Digital Assistant PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel PDU Protocol Data Unit PS-RNTI Power-Saving Radio Network Temporary Identifier RAM Random Access Memory RAN Radio Access Network RAT Radio Access Technology RE Resource Element

[0158] RF

[0159] RLC Radio Link Control RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier

[0160] RRC Radio Resource Control

[0161] RS reference signal

[0162] SMF session management functions

[0163] SSSG Search Space Group

[0164] TB Transfer Block

[0165] TTI Transmission Time Interval

[0166] Tx Transmission

[0167] UE User Equipment

[0168] UL Uplink

[0169] UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

[0170] UPF User Plane Function

[0171] URLLC Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications

[0172] UTRAN Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Terrestrial Radio Access Network

[0173] WLAN Wireless Local Area Network

[0174] XR

Claims

1. A method comprising: Receiving, by the user equipment, a discontinuous rest configuration; as well as At the end of the activity time, and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the expiration of the activity time are less than the corresponding thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration, starting, by the user equipment, a discontinuous rest timer indicated by the discontinuous rest configuration, The discontinuous rest timer is associated with a discontinuous reception group. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-continuous rest configuration is received as a layer 1 signal or a layer 2 signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the layer 1 signal or the layer 2 signal is received in a media access control control element command or downlink control information.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the downlink control information or the medium access control control element command or the element of the data packet header indicates the last data packet of the data burst.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the elements of the data packet header include: Layer 1 or Layer 2 packet data unit.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the discontinuous rest configuration is received in downlink control information.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: When the discontinuous rest timer runs, a downlink control channel is monitored by the user equipment.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the activity time comprises: Start the duration timer, inactivity timer, or retransmission timer.

9. A method comprising: A discontinuous rest configuration is sent by a network entity, the discontinuous rest configuration indicating that a discontinuous rest timer starts when an activity time associated with a discontinuous reception group ends and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the activity time expires are less than corresponding thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the non-continuous rest configuration is sent as a layer 1 signal or a layer 2 signal.

11. The method according to any one of claims 9 or 10, wherein the layer 1 signal or the layer 2 signal is sent in a medium access control control element command or downlink control information.

12. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the downlink control information or the medium access control control element command or the element of the data packet header indicates the last data packet of the data burst.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the elements of the data packet header include: Layer 1 or Layer 2 Packet Data Unit.

14. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the discontinuous rest configuration is sent via downlink control information.

15. The method according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the activity time comprises: Start the duration timer, inactivity timer, or retransmission timer.

16. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: Receive non-continuous rest configuration; as well as At the end of the active time, and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the expiration of the active time are less than the corresponding thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration, starting a discontinuous rest timer indicated by the discontinuous rest configuration, The discontinuous rest timer is associated with a discontinuous reception group.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the non-continuous rest configuration is received as a layer 1 signal or a layer 2 signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the layer 1 signal or the layer 2 signal is received in a media access control control element command or downlink control information.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the downlink control information or the medium access control control element command or the element of the data packet header indicates the last data packet of the data burst.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the elements of the data packet header include: Layer 1 or Layer 2 Packet Data Unit.

21. The apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 20, wherein the discontinuous rest configuration is received in downlink control information.

22. The apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 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: While the discontinuous rest timer is running, a downlink control channel is monitored.

23. The apparatus according to any one of claims 16 to 22, wherein the activity time comprises: Start the duration timer, inactivity timer, or retransmission timer.

24. An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; as well as at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least: A discontinuous rest configuration is sent, the discontinuous rest configuration indicating that a discontinuous rest timer starts at the end of an activity time associated with a discontinuous reception group and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before the expiration of the activity time are less than corresponding thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the non-continuous rest configuration is sent as a layer 1 signal or a layer 2 signal.

26. The apparatus according to any one of claims 24 or 25, wherein the layer 1 signal or the layer 2 signal is sent in a medium access control control element command or downlink control information.

27. The apparatus according to any one of claims 24 to 26, wherein the downlink control information or the medium access control control element command or the element of the data packet header indicates the last data packet of the data burst.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the elements of the data packet header include: Layer 1 or Layer 2 Packet Data Unit.

29. The apparatus according to any one of claims 24 to 28, wherein the discontinuous rest configuration is sent via downlink control information.

30. The apparatus according to any one of claims 24 to 29, wherein the activity time comprises: Start the duration timer, inactivity timer, or retransmission timer.

31. An apparatus comprising: Components for receiving a non-continuous rest configuration; as well as means for starting a discontinuous rest timer indicated by the discontinuous rest configuration at the end of the active time and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before expiration of the active time are less than respective thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration, The discontinuous rest timer is associated with a discontinuous reception group.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the non-continuous rest configuration is received as a layer 1 signal or a layer 2 signal.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the layer 1 signal or the layer 2 signal is received in a media access control control element command or downlink control information.

34. The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 33, wherein the downlink control information or the medium access control control element command or the element of the data packet header indicates the last data packet of a data burst.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the elements of the data packet header include: Layer 1 or Layer 2 Packet Data Unit.

36. The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 35, wherein the discontinuous rest configuration is received in downlink control information.

37. The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 36, further comprising: means for monitoring a downlink control channel while said discontinuous rest timer is running.

38. The apparatus according to any one of claims 31 to 37, wherein the activity time comprises: Start the duration timer, inactivity timer, or retransmission timer.

39. An apparatus comprising: Means for sending a discontinuous rest configuration, the discontinuous rest configuration indicating that a discontinuous rest timer starts at the end of an activity time associated with a discontinuous reception group and if the number of packets sent and the number of packets received before expiration of the activity time are less than corresponding thresholds indicated in the discontinuous rest configuration.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the non-continuous rest configuration is sent as a layer 1 signal or a layer 2 signal.

41. The apparatus according to any one of claims 39 or 40, wherein the layer 1 signal or the layer 2 signal is sent in a medium access control control element command or downlink control information.

42. The apparatus according to any one of claims 39 to 41, wherein the downlink control information or the medium access control control element command or the element of the data packet header indicates the last data packet of the data burst.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the elements of the data packet header include: Layer 1 or Layer 2 Packet Data Unit.

44. The apparatus according to any one of claims 39 to 43, wherein the discontinuous rest configuration is sent via downlink control information.

45. The apparatus of any one of claims 39 to 44, wherein the activity time comprises: Start the duration timer, inactivity timer, or retransmission timer.

46. ​​A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions, which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

47. An apparatus comprising circuitry configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 15.

48. A computer program product encoded with instructions for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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