Method for user equipment to know discontinuous transmission or reception of network

Abstract

A method performed by a user equipment (UE) includes receiving (204), from a wireless communication network, a configuration of a sleep occasion for a network node, where the configuration indicates a shutdown occasion during which transmission or reception activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; and communicating with the network node according to the configuration (206). A method performed by a network node comprises transmitting (204) a configuration of a sleep opportunity for the network node to a UE, where the configuration indicates a turn-off opportunity during which transmission or reception activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; and communicating with the UE according to the configuration (208).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly to a wireless communication system using discontinuous transmission or reception. Background Art

[0002] Energy consumption is a significant challenge for New Radio (NR) 5G systems. The main contributor to energy consumption is the radio unit of the Radio Access Network (RAN) system. It is claimed that the network (NW) power consumption of NR is lower compared to the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system due to its streamlined design. For example, the cell-specific reference signal (CRS) is not used and the synchronization signal block (SSB) period is 20ms by default. However, in current implementations, NR systems may consume more energy compared to LTE, partly due to the higher bandwidth (BW), shorter transmission time interval (TTI) and a large number of antennas. This is still evident even when the cell and beam are lightly loaded or there is no traffic or no users at all. One basic approach for saving NW energy is to simply turn off the base station (such as gNodeB or gNB) or cell completely when it is found (or predicted) that there is little or no traffic or even no users in the cell.

[0003] Discontinuous Reception

[0004] Like LTE, NR includes a mechanism for discontinuous reception (DRX) for user equipment (UE) to reduce UE power consumption. Figure 1 The DRX cycle of the UE is shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, the DRX cycle includes a period (on-duration) during which the UE is assumed to be active and able to receive communications from the network, followed by a period during which the UE is assumed to be dormant. When the UE is configured with DRX, the DRX cycle repeats.

[0005] DRX can be used for both Radio Resource Control (RRC) Connected Mode (C-DRX) and RRC Idle / Inactive (DRX) mode, and acts as a common agreement between the UE and the NW, i.e., in any downlink (DL) traffic, the NW will only try to contact the UE during the on time of the DRX mode. Based on the configured DRX cycle, the UE then only needs to monitor the DL channel according to this agreement, otherwise it goes to sleep. For uplink (UL) traffic, the UE can initiate a connection regardless of the DRX configuration, i.e., the gNB must be ready to receive UL communications at any time. Summary of the invention

[0006] A method performed by a user equipment comprises: receiving a configuration of a sleep occasion for a network node from a wireless communication network, wherein the configuration indicates a shutdown occasion during which a transmission or reception activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; and communicating with the network node according to the configuration.

[0007] In some embodiments, communicating with the network node in accordance with the configuration includes avoiding communicating with the network node when the network node is within a shutdown opportunity in accordance with the configuration.

[0008] In some embodiments, communicating with the network node according to the configuration includes: communicating with the network node at a reduced frequency when the network node is in a shutdown opportunity according to the configuration.

[0009] The shut-off occasions may apply to downlink transmissions from the network node to the UE and / or uplink transmissions from the UE to the network node.

[0010] The configuration may include a periodicity configuration indicating a length of a power-off occasion and a period of the power-off occasion for the network node.

[0011] The configuration may indicate when a first of the configured shutdown opportunities should occur.

[0012] In some embodiments, the configuration includes an off-timing timer and / or an on-timing timer, during which the sending or receiving activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; during which the sending or receiving activity of the network node is normal.

[0013] The configuration may indicate the time at which the shutdown opportunity will begin and / or the duration of the shutdown opportunity.

[0014] In some embodiments, the configuration is provided in dedicated signaling, via RRC signaling or MAC control element, in common signaling, or in system information.

[0015] The method may further include: receiving an updated configuration for sleep occasions of the network node from the network node, and communicating with the network node according to the updated configuration. The updated configuration may be provided via dedicated signaling or via public signaling.

[0016] The configuration may include multiple sleep configurations for shutdown occasions of the network node.

[0017] In some embodiments, the configuration comprises a first dormant configuration applicable to radio bearers of a first type and a second configuration applicable to radio bearers of a second type.

[0018] In some embodiments, the configuration includes a first dormant configuration applicable to a first type of service and a second configuration applicable to a second type of service.

[0019] In some embodiments, the configuration includes a first dormant configuration applicable to uplink channels of a first type and a second configuration applicable to uplink channels of a second type.

[0020] The method may further include sending a wake-up signal (WUS) to the network node during the shutdown opportunity.

[0021] The method may further comprise sending a preferred configuration for the shutdown opportunity to the network node.

[0022] The configuration may be received from a network node.In some embodiments, the network node is a first network node and the configuration is received from a second network node.

[0023] In some embodiments, the UE enters a sleep mode or another reduced power mode during an off-occasion.

[0024] The method may also include providing user data, and forwarding the user data to the host via transmission to the network node.

[0025] The configuration may indicate a time at which an on-opportunity is to begin and / or a duration of an on-opportunity during which the transmission or reception activity of the network node is not reduced or suspended.

[0026] According to some embodiments, a user equipment includes a processing circuit, a communication interface coupled to the processing circuit, and a memory coupled to the processing circuit. The memory includes computer-readable program instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the user equipment to perform operations, including: receiving a configuration of a sleep occasion for a network node from a wireless communication network, wherein the configuration indicates a shutdown occasion during which a transmission or reception activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; and communicating with the network node according to the configuration.

[0027] A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium containing computer-readable program instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a user device, cause the user device to perform the operations described above.

[0028] A method performed by a network node includes: sending a configuration for a sleep occasion of the network node to a user equipment, wherein the configuration indicates a shutdown occasion during which a transmission or reception activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; and communicating with the UE according to the configuration.

[0029] The configuration may be based on the transmission or reception activity of the UE served by the network node.In some embodiments, the configuration is based on a preferred configuration indicated by the UE served by the network node.

[0030] The network node may be a first network node, and the method may further comprise sending a configuration of a dormancy occasion for a second network node to the UE, wherein the configuration indicates a shutdown occasion during which a transmission or reception activity of the second network node is reduced or suspended.

[0031] The network node may include a central unit CU and a distributed unit DU, and the method may further include: determining the configuration at the CU and transmitting the configuration from the CU to the DU. In some embodiments, the method may further include: determining the configuration at the DU and transmitting the configuration from the DU to the CU.

[0032] In some embodiments, the method may further include determining, at the DU, a suggested configuration for discontinuous transmission or reception (DTRX), and communicating the suggested configuration for DTRX from the DU to the CU, wherein the CU generates the configuration based on the suggested DTRX configuration.

[0033] The method may further include obtaining user data, and forwarding the user data to a host or a user device.

[0034] The method may also include determining a configuration of sleep occasions for the network node.

[0035] The shut-off occasions may apply to downlink transmissions from the network node to the UE or uplink transmissions from the UE to the network node.

[0036] The configuration may include a periodicity configuration indicating a length of a power-off occasion and a period of the power-off occasion for the network node.

[0037] The configuration may indicate when a first of the configured shutdown opportunities should occur.

[0038] The configuration may include an off-opportunity timer and / or an on-opportunity timer, during which the sending or receiving activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; during which the sending or receiving activity of the network node is normal.

[0039] The configuration may indicate the time at which the shutdown opportunity will begin and / or the duration of the shutdown opportunity.

[0040] The configuration may be provided in dedicated signaling, via RRC signaling or MAC control element, in common signaling or in system information.

[0041] The method may further include: sending an updated configuration for sleep occasions of the network node to the UE, and communicating with the UE according to the updated configuration.

[0042] The configuration may be sent to the UE via dedicated signaling or public signaling.

[0043] The configuration may include multiple sleep configurations for shutdown occasions of the network node.

[0044] In some embodiments, the configuration may include a first dormant configuration applicable to radio bearers of a first type and a second configuration applicable to radio bearers of a second type.

[0045] In some embodiments, the configuration includes a first dormant configuration applicable to a first type of service and a second configuration applicable to a second type of service.

[0046] In some embodiments, the configuration includes a first dormant configuration applicable to uplink channels of a first type and a second configuration applicable to uplink channels of a second type.

[0047] The method may also include receiving a wake-up signal (WUS) from the UE during the off occasion.

[0048] The method may also include receiving a preferred configuration for the shut-down occasions from the UE.

[0049] According to some embodiments, a network node includes a processing circuit, a communication interface coupled to the processing circuit, and a memory coupled to the processing circuit. The memory includes computer-readable program instructions, which, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the network node to perform operations, including: sending a configuration for a sleep occasion of the network node to a user equipment UE, wherein the configuration indicates a shutdown occasion during which a transmission or reception activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; and communicating with the UE according to the configuration.

[0050] A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium containing computer-readable program instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a network node, cause the network node to perform the above operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] For a better understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and to show how the same may be implemented, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0052] Figure 1 The DRX cycle of the UE is shown.

[0053] Figure 2The operation of a UE and a network node according to some embodiments is shown.

[0054] Figure 3 An example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments is shown.

[0055] Figure 4 A UE according to some embodiments is shown.

[0056] Figure 5 A network node according to some embodiments is shown.

[0057] Figure 6 It is a block diagram of the host.

[0058] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment capable of virtualizing functionality implemented by some embodiments.

[0059] Figure 8 A communication diagram is shown in which a host communicates with a UE via a network node over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] As mentioned above, DRX can be used to reduce energy consumption in wireless communication systems. However, there are certain challenges. Since the gNB is not aware of the potential UL traffic requirements of the UE, the gNB cannot freely adopt a dormant mode. If the gNB were to enter a dormant state, it would cause several problems. For example, the UE may send a scheduling request to the NW, or measure the cell quality. However, if the NW is in dormant mode, it may not listen to the UE request, or may not send a reference signal for the UE to measure, which may cause interruption problems such as radio link failure in connected mode, or out-of-coverage indication in idle / inactive mode.

[0061] Furthermore, in the current specification, while there is an efficient C-DRX or DRX mechanism at the UE, at the NW side, there is no such mechanism, resulting in unnecessary transmissions and listening even though the UE may be in the DRX off duration.

[0062] Certain aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof may provide solutions to these or other challenges.In particular, some embodiments provide systems and / or methods that may enable a UE to receive information about NW sleep modes and act accordingly.

[0063] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. According to some embodiments, the UE will be informed about the NW sleep mode and procedures may be triggered based on the mode. The UE's knowledge of the NW sleep mode will help avoid events such as false detection of radio link failure (when the NW is in sleep state) or retrying to send UL messages during the NW sleep period.

[0064] Some embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.The embodiments are provided merely as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0065] Sleep occasions are those when transmission and / or reception is reduced or not expected (due to network sleep mode for energy saving), so they may apply to various NW sleep states (eg, light sleep, or fully powered off cells).

[0066] An occasion (e.g., symbol / time slot / frame / etc.) may be indicated as an OFF occasion or an ON occasion based on signaling or other indication (e.g., OFF / ON signaling) from the gNB. Some occasions (which may be predetermined or dynamically configured) may be considered as ON occasions. For example, such an occasion may correspond to a symbol in which an SSB is transmitted. During an OFF occasion, no gNB transmission or reception of a signal / channel is expected. The UE may expect the gNB to be able to transmit / receive a signal / channel during an ON occasion. In some embodiments, during an OFF occasion, gNB transmission or reception of a signal / channel is expected to have a relatively reduced arrangement (e.g., time / frequency sparse) relative to an ON occasion. In some cases, the UE is not allowed to transmit (and / or receive) during an OFF occasion. In some cases, an OFF occasion may be defined for both downlink and uplink, only downlink, or only uplink. Signaling (e.g., downlink control information (DCI) signaling, medium access control (MAC) element (CE) signaling, or RRC signaling) may be used to indicate an OFF occasion.

[0067] UE

[0068] According to some embodiments, the UE may be configured with NW sleep occasions (or shutdown occasions). Figure 2 , the network node 10 determines a discontinuous transmission or reception (DTRX) configuration including a turn-off opportunity of the network node (block 202). The network node sends the DTRX configuration to the UE (arrow 204). The UE then applies the DTRX configuration of the network node and communicates with the network node according to the DTRX configuration (block 206). The network node also applies the DTRX configuration and communicates with the UE according to the DTRX configuration (block 208).

[0069] Depending on the occurrence of NW sleep occasions, UE configurations for periodic, one-time or semi-persistent NW sleep occasions may be provided. The UE may be provided with multiple configurations so that the NW can easily trigger or indicate / use a specific configuration as needed.

[0070] In the case of a periodic configuration, the UE may be provided with a specific length of an off opportunity and the periodicity of when such an off opportunity will occur. The configuration may also include an offset value to indicate when the first off opportunity should occur. A similar approach may be used to indicate an on opportunity. During the NW off opportunity, the UE may enter sleep mode on its own. During the NW on opportunity, the UE may continue to be in sleep mode, or it may enter a non-sleep mode (e.g., perform transmission and reception) during the entire or only a portion of the NW on opportunity duration.

[0071] Alternatively, the periodic configuration may also be defined based on an on-opportunity timer and an off-opportunity timer, such that once configured by the network, the UE starts an on-opportunity timer, which should span the duration of the NW on-opportunity. When the on-opportunity timer expires, the UE starts an off-opportunity timer, which should span the duration of the NW off-opportunity. When the off-opportunity timer expires, the UE starts an on-opportunity timer, and so on. During the duration of the off-opportunity timer, the UE may enter sleep mode on its own. During the duration of the on-opportunity timer, the UE may continue to be in sleep mode, or it may enter a non-sleep mode (e.g., perform transmission and reception) during the entire or partial on-opportunity timer duration.

[0072] In the case of a one-time configuration, the UE may be provided with a specific length of an off-opportunity and an offset value indicating when that off-opportunity should occur. A similar approach may be used to indicate an on-opportunity. This is a one-time configuration that is not maintained by the UE, as it only indicates a single off-opportunity or on-opportunity. During a single off-opportunity, the UE may enter sleep mode on its own. During a single on-opportunity, the UE may continue to be in sleep mode, or it may enter a non-sleep mode (e.g., perform transmission and reception) during all or part of the on-opportunity.

[0073] In the case of a semi-periodic configuration, the UE may be provided with a specific length of the off opportunity and the periodicity of when such an off opportunity will occur. The configuration may also include an offset value to indicate when the first off opportunity should occur. A similar approach may be used to indicate the on opportunity. This may also indicate when to start / stop such a periodic configuration. During the NW off opportunity, the UE may enter sleep mode on its own. During the NW on opportunity, the UE may continue to be in sleep mode, or it may enter non-sleep mode (e.g., perform transmission and reception) during the entire or only part of the NW on opportunity duration.

[0074] The UE may be configured with NW sleep timing and conditions in various ways.

[0075] For example, in some embodiments, the UE may be configured with a sleep occasion via dedicated signaling. Thus, in some embodiments, the current NW sleep configuration may be provided in a dedicated RRC message (such as an RRCReconfiguration message). In one aspect, the configuration may take effect immediately upon provision. In another aspect, the configuration may be latent and may remain inactive until later activated. In yet another aspect, whether the configuration is immediately activated or latent may be controlled by a configuration parameter.

[0076] In some embodiments, the NW sleep configuration may be provided in a MAC CE command.

[0077] In some embodiments, multiple configurations may be provided in a dedicated RRC message and the current configuration may be dynamically signaled / (de)activated via DCI, where the DCI contains an index for selecting one of the NW sleep occasion mode configurations. A dedicated or group common DCI may be used to indicate the current configuration.

[0078] In some embodiments, multiple configurations may be provided in a dedicated RRC message, and the current configuration may be dynamically signaled / (de)activated via downlink (DL) MAC CE signaling containing an index for selecting one of the NW sleep opportunity mode configurations.

[0079] In other embodiments, the UE may be configured with sleep occasions and conditions via system information (eg, in SIB1 or another system information block (SIB) or in a dedicated energy saving SIB).

[0080] In the event of any subsequent changes to the sleep occasions, various options exist for updating the UE.

[0081] For example, in some embodiments, any subsequent change to the timing requires another dedicated signaling (eg, a dedicated RRC message).

[0082] In further embodiments, any subsequent change to the opportunity requires another reception of the system information (SI). The change may be indicated via an SI Update short message. Alternatively, the change may not be indicated via an SI Update message, but the UE may be expected to poll the NW sleep opportunity pattern in the SI. The UE may be configured with a guaranteed validity timer for the currently configured NW sleep opportunity pattern to reduce the SI polling rate.

[0083] In some embodiments, subsequent changes may be indicated in the initial NW dormancy occasion configuration. For example, the RRC or SI based configuration may include a timer or reference time setting that indicates when the dormancy occasion configuration ends and the gNB will return to normal (non-dormancy) operation mode.

[0084] The configured timing and subsequent changes to the timing may be accomplished using a combination of dedicated signaling (eg, dedicated RRC messages) and system information.

[0085] In one example, initial configuration may be provided via dedicated signaling (eg, a dedicated RRC message), and subsequent changes may be indicated via system information.

[0086] In another case, the initial configuration may be provided via system information, and subsequent changes may be indicated via dedicated signaling (eg, dedicated RRC messages).

[0087] In another case, the initial configuration and some subsequent changes may be provided via dedicated signaling (eg, dedicated RRC messages), and other subsequent changes may be provided via system information.

[0088] In another case, the initial configuration and some subsequent changes may be provided via system information, and other subsequent changes may be provided via dedicated signaling (eg, dedicated RRC messages).

[0089] For network DRX configuration, the UE may be configured with multiple conditions / criteria and associated opportunities / modes. Each opportunity / mode may only apply to one or more specific conditions. For example, the UE may be provided with a first mode that includes more UL access opportunities for certain higher priority actions, compared to a second or more modes (which include fewer UL access opportunities for lower priority actions than the first mode).

[0090] In some embodiments, the UE may be configured with a first mode applicable to access associated with a first type of radio bearer (e.g., a signaling radio bearer (SRB) or an SRB with a specific number (such as SRB1)) and a second mode applicable to a second type of radio bearer (e.g., a data radio bearer (DRB) or another SRB).

[0091] In some embodiments, the UE may be configured with a first mode applicable to access associated with a first type of service (e.g., identified with a first 5G Quality of Service (QoS) indicator (5QI)) and a second mode applicable to a second type of service (e.g., a second 5QI).

[0092] In some embodiments, the UE may be configured with a first mode applicable to access associated with a first type of UL channel (e.g., a physical uplink control channel or PUCCH) or a first type of UL channel dedicated to an action (e.g., a scheduling request or hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback), and a second mode applicable to access associated with a second type of UL channel (e.g., a physical uplink shared channel or PUSCH) or a second type of UL channel dedicated to an action (e.g., a certain type of MAC-CE report (such as a buffer status report) and / or a radio link control (RLC) status report).

[0093] In some embodiments, when the UE is configured with NW sleep occasions as described above, the signaling for UE DRX configuration can be reused and a new field can be added to indicate that no transmission and reception should occur during the off duration of the configured DRX cycle (or outside of DRX off or DRX active time). The UE can be configured with additional exceptions, such as measurement related signaling (such as SSB or CSI-RS transmission) that is still ongoing.

[0094] In some embodiments, the UE may be configured with a wake-up signal (WUS) or similar mechanism such that the UE may send a WUS during the NW sleep time to immediately wake up the NW or indicate to the NW that it should monitor the UE UL during the next NW side DTRX on duration, or that it should send a reference signal (RS) or other requested signal.

[0095] In some embodiments, the UE may be configured to send a WUS to a node / cell A in sleep mode via neighbor node / cell B, i.e., in this case, node / cell B "wakes up" node / cell A upon receiving a WUS to node / cell A from the UE.

[0096] In another embodiment, the UE may be configured to send a WUS directly to the node / cell A, in which case the node / cell A is not in full sleep mode because it still needs to monitor certain UL signals, such as the WUS signal.

[0097] In some embodiments, the UE may be configured with a mechanism to indicate to the NW whether it should stop the DTRX mechanism, i.e. always be active as usual, or based on a validity timer, or alternatively indicate to the NW whether it can start the DTRX mechanism. The former is useful, for example, if the UE is an Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) UE and requires low latency, while the latter is useful when the UE has low traffic, so that both the NW and the UE can get longer sleep time.

[0098] The UE may be configured with a mechanism for providing its assistance information regarding, for example, the preferred DTRX configuration.

[0099] The UE may be configured with NW off occasions, but only considers that the NW will sleep on these occasions when receiving additional NW indications. Such additional NW indications may be sent via DCI, MAC CE, dedicated RRC and / or SIB. The indication may be valid for a single sleep occasion, multiple sleep occasions of a number indicated via signaling, or a time interval indicated in the signaling.

[0100] The configuration may contain different options (eg, periodic sleep occasions with different periods, one-time or semi-persistent sleep occasions, as discussed in A), which may be stored by the UE and triggered by the NW via MAC CE or DCI.

[0101] Each configuration option may be associated with a validity period, which indicates how long the configuration is valid once it is triggered by the NW. This may be done, for example, via a timer, which the UE will start once the NW triggers one of the configuration candidates.

[0102] If the NW does not send a reconfiguration before the timer reaches the validity value associated with the triggered configuration candidate, the UE may assume that the NW node will end dormant mode when the timer expires.

[0103] During the duration of the timer, the UE may receive an indication from the NW that the current configuration will be applicable for a longer period of time, in which case the UE updates the expiration value of the timer according to the NW indication.

[0104] During the duration of the timer, the UE may receive an indication from the NW that a different sleep occasion configuration will apply for a certain period when the timer expires. When the timer expires, the UE then updates the configuration according to the NW indication and starts a new timer.

[0105] During the duration of the timer, the UE may receive an indication from the NW that a different sleep occasion configuration should be applied immediately upon receiving the indication. In this case, the UE does not wait for the timer to expire to update the configuration, but immediately updates the configuration and the associated timer value upon receiving the indication.

[0106] Neighbor cell DRTX information may be included. The UE may use this information, for example, during radio link reestablishment and, for example, during cell selection / reselection.

[0107] NW

[0108] The NW may configure a group of UEs with expected non-transmission / reception times to achieve synchronization among multiple UEs, thereby optimizing the sleep mode of the UEs.

[0109] The NW can estimate future transmission or reception opportunities based on the previous transmission or reception opportunities of the UE. In addition, the NW can identify UE groups with similar transmission or reception opportunities and optimize / adjust the sleep mode accordingly.

[0110] The NW may use the information from the UE to further optimize / adjust the UE sleep mode.

[0111] In the case of a handover, the candidate node that performs sleep to save energy transmits its sleep timing / mode to the source node. This allows the source node to inform the UE via RRC not only of its own sleep timing, but also of the sleep timing of the target node candidate. Based on this information, the UE can choose the right moment to trigger a random access (RA) to the target node (i.e., it can initiate RA when the target node wakes up), which can prevent false radio link failure (RLF) that would occur if RA was initiated during the sleep timing of the target node.

[0112] The serving NG-RAN node may include the sleep occasions / patterns of its neighboring nodes to send to the UE. If the UE is moving, the serving NG-RAN node may intelligently select the relevant neighboring nodes as potential handover targets for the UE.

[0113] Some embodiments may be implemented in a split NG-RAN architecture. In this case, one or more of the following may apply to gNB DTRX determination and communication.

[0114] In some embodiments, gNB DTRX is determined by the central unit (gNB-CU) and communicated to the distributed units (gNB-DU). The gNB-CU has generalized knowledge of the load situation between cells and the UEs / services handled by the gNB. It is better suited to make high-level decisions, especially when multiple cells have synchronized DRTX strategies. For example, this can ensure that there will always be some cells available for service at any time. When making decisions about DTRX, the gNB-CU can take into account operator policies related to NW energy saving.

[0115] In one embodiment, the gNB-CU indicates the DTRX decision to the gNB-DU, for example via the F1AP interface setup or modification procedure.

[0116] In some embodiments, the gNB-DU can suggest DRTX settings for its cells to the gNB-CU. The gNB-CU can then use this generalized knowledge along with the gNB-DU suggestion to make a final decision.

[0117] In another embodiment, the gNB-DU may suggest DRTX / cell to the gNB-CU via, for example, the F1AP procedure.

[0118] In some embodiments, the gNB DTRX may be determined by the gNB-DU and the gNB DTRX may be transmitted to the gNB-CU.

[0119] When DRTX is configured on a per-cell basis, the gNB-DU shall be the node entity for determining DTRX. When making a decision regarding DTRX, the gNB-DU may communicate it based on the following.

[0120] In one embodiment, the gNB-DU sends this information to the gNB-CU via, for example, the F1AP setup or modification procedure, or via a dedicated UE context procedure, so that the gNB-CU can later inform the UE via RRC signaling.

[0121] In another embodiment, the gNB-DU includes this information in the RRC container sent to the UE.

[0122] In another embodiment, gNB DTRX is suggested by gNB-CU and determined by gNB-DU. In one embodiment, gNB-CU suggests DTRX via F1AP setup / modify procedure and gNB-DU makes the final decision about DTRX based on its own knowledge and information received from gNB-CU. When making this decision, gNB-DU shall inform gNB-CU and / or UE of DTRX according to the above embodiments.

[0123] Figure 3An example of a communication system 300 is shown in accordance with some embodiments.

[0124] In this example, the communication system 300 includes: a telecommunications network 302, including an access network 304 such as a radio access network (RAN); and a core network 306, including one or more core network nodes 308. The access network 304 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 310a and 310b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 310), or any other similar third generation partnership project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. The network node 310 facilitates direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), such as connecting UE 312a, UE 312b, UE 312c, and UE 312d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UE 312) to the core network 306 through one or more wireless connections.

[0125] Example wireless communications via wireless connections include sending and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information without using wiring, cables, or other material conductors. In addition, in different embodiments, the communication system 300 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that can facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals (whether via a wired connection or via a wireless connection). The communication system 300 may include any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar types of systems, and / or be connected to any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar types of system interfaces.

[0126] UE 312 may be any of a variety of communication devices, including wireless devices that are arranged, configured and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network node 310 and other communication devices. Similarly, network node 310 is arranged, capable, configured and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with UE 312 and / or with other network nodes or devices in telecommunication network 302 to enable and / or provide network access (e.g., wireless network access) and / or to perform other functions (e.g., management) in telecommunication network 302.

[0127] In the depicted example, the core network 306 connects the network node 310 to one or more hosts (such as host 316). These connections may be direct connections or indirect connections via one or more intermediate networks or devices. In other examples, the network node may be directly coupled to the host. The core network 306 includes one or more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 308) composed of hardware and software components. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UE, network nodes, and / or hosts, so that their descriptions are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 308. The example core network node includes the functions of one or more of the following items: a mobile switching center (MSC), a mobility management entity (MME), a home subscriber server (HSS), an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), an authentication server function (AUSF), a subscription identifier cancellation function (SIDF), a unified data management (UDM), a security edge protection proxy (SEPP), a network open function (NEF), and / or a user plane function (UPF).

[0128] The host 316 may be owned or under the control of a service provider other than the operator or provider of the access network 304 and / or the telecommunications network 302, and may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The host 316 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more services. Examples of such applications include real-time and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services (e.g., retrieving and compiling data about various environmental conditions detected by multiple UEs), analysis functions, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for alarm and monitoring centers, or any other such functions performed by a server.

[0129] As a whole, Figure 3 The communication system 300 implements the connection between the UE, the network node and the host. In this sense, the communication system can be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures such as a specific standard, which includes but is not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE) and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any future generation standards that may be applicable (e.g., 6G); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard (WiFi); and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0130] In some examples, the telecommunication network 302 is a cellular network implementing 3GPP standardized features. Therefore, the telecommunication network 302 can support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices connected to the telecommunication network 302. For example, the telecommunication network 302 can provide ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or providing massive machine type communication (mMTC) / massive IoT services to yet other UEs.

[0131] In some examples, UE 312 is configured to send and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the UE can be designed to send information to the access network 304 according to a predetermined plan when triggered by an internal or external event or in response to a request from the access network 304. In addition, the UE can be configured to operate in a single RAT mode or a multi-RAT mode or a multi-standard mode. For example, the UE can operate with any one or a combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, that is, configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio-Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0132] In this example, the central node 314 communicates with the access network 304 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 312c and / or UE 312d) and a network node (e.g., network node 310b). In some examples, the central node 314 may be a controller, a router, a content source and an analyzer, or any other communication device described herein with respect to a UE. For example, the central node 314 may be a broadband router that enables a UE to access the core network 306. As another example, the central node 314 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators of the UE. The commands or instructions may be received from the UE, the network node 310, or received through executable code, scripts, processes, or other instructions in the central node 314. As another example, the central node 314 may be a data collector that acts as a temporary storage device for UE data, and in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the central node 314 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, speaker, or other media delivery device, the central node 314 can retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via the network node, and then the central node 314 directly provides it to the UE after performing local processing and / or after adding additional local content. In yet another example, the central node 314 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UE, especially if one or more of the UEs are low-energy IoT devices.

[0133] The central node 314 may have a continuous / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 310b. The central node 314 may also allow different communication schemes and / or scheduling between the central node 314 and the UE (e.g., UE 312c and / or UE 312d) and between the central node 314 and the core network 306. In other examples, the central node 314 is connected to the core network 306 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. In addition, the central node 314 may be configured to be connected to an M2M service provider through the access network 304, and / or to another UE through a direct connection. In some scenarios, the UE may establish a wireless connection with the network node 310 while still being connected through the central node 314 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the central node 314 may be a dedicated central node, that is, a central node whose main function is to route communications from the network node 310b to the UE / route communications from the UE to the network node 310b. In other embodiments, the central node 314 may be a non-dedicated central node - ie, a device operable to route communications between UEs and the network node 310b but additionally operable as a communications origin and / or endpoint for certain data channels.

[0134] Figure 4 A UE 400 according to some embodiments is shown. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with a network node and / or other UEs. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smart phones, mobile phones, cellular phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablet computers, laptop computers, laptop embedded devices (LEEs), laptop-mounted devices (LMEs), smart devices, wireless client equipment (CPEs), vehicle-mounted or vehicle-embedded / integrated wireless devices, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UEs, machine type communication (MTC) UEs, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UEs.

[0135] The UE may, for example, support device-to-device (D2D) communications by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to-everything (V2X). In other examples, the UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Alternatively, the UE may represent a device that is intended to be sold to or operated by a human user but may not or may not initially be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, the UE may represent a device that is not intended to be sold to or operated by an end user but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0136] UE 400 includes processing circuitry 402 operatively coupled to input / output interface 406, power supply 408, memory 410, communication interface 412, and / or any other components or any combination thereof via bus 404. Some UEs may utilize Figure 4 All or a subset of the components shown. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. In addition, some UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0137] The processing circuit 402 is configured to process instructions and data, and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute instructions stored in the memory 410 as a machine-readable computer program. The processing circuit 402 may be implemented as: one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., implemented in discrete logic, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors (e.g., microprocessors or digital signal processors (DSPs)) together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 402 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0138] In an example, the input / output interface 406 may be configured to provide one or more interfaces to an input device, an output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of output devices include speakers, sound cards, video cards, displays, monitors, printers, actuators, transmitters, smart cards, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE 400. Examples of input devices include touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive displays, cameras (e.g., digital cameras, digital video cameras, web cameras, etc.), microphones, sensors, mice, trackballs, directional keyboards, trackpads, scroll wheels, smart cards, etc. A presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use an interface port of the same type as an input device. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) port may be used to provide input devices and output devices.

[0139] In some embodiments, the power supply 408 is configured as a battery or a battery pack. Other types of power supplies may be used, such as an external power supply (e.g., a power socket), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. The power supply 408 may also include a power supply circuit for delivering power from the power supply 408 itself and / or an external power supply to various parts of the UE 400 via an input circuit or an interface such as a power cable. The delivered power may be used, for example, for charging the power supply 408. The power supply circuit may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification on the power from the power supply 408 to make the power suitable for the corresponding components of the UE 400 to which the power is supplied.

[0140] The memory 410 may be or be configured to include a memory, such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a hard disk, a removable tape, a flash drive, etc. In one example, the memory 410 includes one or more application programs 414, such as an operating system, a web browser application, a widget, a gadget engine, or other applications, and corresponding data 416. The memory 410 may store any of a variety of operating systems or a combination of operating systems used by the UE 400.

[0141] The memory 410 may be configured to include multiple physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical drive, a built-in hard drive, a Blu-ray optical drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory (e.g., a tamper-proof module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as USIM and / or ISIM), other memories, or any combination thereof. The UICC may be, for example, an embedded UICC (eUICC), an integrated UICC (iUICC), or a removable UICC commonly referred to as a "SIM card". The memory 410 may allow the UE 400 to access instructions, applications, etc. stored on a temporary or non-temporary storage medium to offload data or upload data. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in memory 410, which may be or include a device-readable storage medium.

[0142] The processing circuit 402 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using a communication interface 412. The communication interface 412 may include one or more communication subsystems and may include an antenna 422 or be communicatively coupled to the antenna 422. The communication interface 412 may include one or more transceivers for communication (such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network)). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 418 and / or a receiver 420 suitable for providing network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocation, etc.). In addition, the transmitter 418 and the receiver 420 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 422) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0143] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functionality of the communication interface 412 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near field communication, location-based communication (e.g., using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine location), another type of communication functionality, or any combination thereof. Communication may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards (e.g., IEEE 802.11, code division multiple access (CDMA), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, new radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / Internet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical network (SONET), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), QUIC, hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), etc.).

[0144] Regardless of the type of sensor, the UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensor through its communication interface 412 via a wireless connection to a network node. The data captured by the UE's sensor may be transmitted via another UE via a wireless connection to a network node. The output may be periodic (e.g., every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to balance the load of reports from several sensors), in response to a trigger event (e.g., sending an alarm when humidity is detected), in response to a request (e.g., a user-initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0145] As another example, the UE includes an actuator, motor, or switch associated with a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input, the state of the actuator, motor, or switch can change. For example, the UE can include a motor that adjusts a control surface or rotor of a drone in flight based on the received input, or adjusts a robotic arm performing a medical procedure based on the received input.

[0146] When the UE is in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) device, the UE can be a device used in one or more application areas, including but not limited to urban wearable technology, extended industrial applications, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such IoT devices are the following devices or devices embedded in the following devices: connected refrigerators or freezers, televisions, connected lighting devices, electricity meters, robotic vacuum cleaners, voice-controlled smart speakers, home security cameras, motion detectors, thermostats, smoke detectors, door and window sensors, flood / humidity sensors, electronic door locks, connected doorbells, air conditioning systems (such as heat pumps), autonomous vehicles, monitoring systems, weather monitoring devices, vehicle parking monitoring devices, electric vehicle charging stations, smart watches, fitness trackers, head-mounted displays for augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), wearable devices for tactile enhancement or sensory enhancement, sprinklers, animal tracking or item tracking devices, sensors for monitoring plants or animals, industrial robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and any kind of medical equipment (such as heart rate monitors or teleoperated surgical robots). In addition to the above, Figure 4 In addition to the other components depicted in the illustrated UE 400 , a UE in the form of an IoT device may include circuitry and / or software depending on the intended application of the IoT device.

[0147] As yet another specific example, in an IoT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and sends the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another UE and / or a network node. In this case, the UE may be an M2M device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context. As a specific example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle (e.g., a car, bus, truck, ship, and airplane) or other device that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0148] In fact, for a single use case, any number of UEs may be used together. For example, a first UE may be a drone or integrated in a drone and provide the drone's speed information (obtained via a speed sensor) to a second UE, which is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone's speed. The first UE and / or the second UE may also include more than one of the above functions. For example, a UE may include a sensor and an actuator and handle data communications for both the speed sensor and the actuator.

[0149] Figure 5A network node 500 according to some embodiments is shown. As used herein, a network node refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or devices in a telecommunications network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), and NR NodeBs (gNBs)).

[0150] Base stations may be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or in other words, their transmit power level), and thus may be referred to as femto, pico, micro or macro base stations, depending on the amount of coverage provided. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). These remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Portions of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0151] Other examples of network nodes include a multi-transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access node, a multi-standard radio (MSR) device (e.g., an MSR BS), a network controller (e.g., a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC)), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmission node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), an operation and maintenance (O&M) node, an operation support system (OSS) node, a self-organizing network (SON) node, a positioning node (e.g., an evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)), and / or a minimization of drive tests (MDT).

[0152] The network node 500 includes a processing circuit 502, a memory 504, a communication interface 506, and a power supply 508. The network node 500 may be composed of multiple physically separated components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may have their own corresponding components. In certain scenarios where the network node 500 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more separate components may be shared between several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique "NodeB and RNC pair" may be considered as a single separate network node in some cases. In some embodiments, the network node 500 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such an embodiment, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memories 504 exist for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 510 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 500 may also include multiple sets of the various components shown for different wireless technologies (e.g., GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, radio frequency identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies) integrated into the network node 500. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chipsets and other components within the network node 500.

[0153] The processing circuit 502 may include a combination of one or more of the following: a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic that is operable to provide network node 500 functionality alone or in combination with other network node 500 components (e.g., memory 504).

[0154] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 502 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, processing circuitry 502 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 512 and baseband processing circuitry 514. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 512 and baseband processing circuitry 514 may be on separate chips (or chipsets), boards, or units (e.g., a radio unit and a digital unit). In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 512 and baseband processing circuitry 514 may be on the same chip or chipset, board, or unit set.

[0155] The memory 504 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to permanent storage devices, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile memory or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data and / or instructions that can be used by the processing circuit 502. The memory 504 may store any suitable instructions, data or information, including computer programs, software, applications including one or more of logic, rules, codes, tables, and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 502 and used by the network node 500. The memory 504 may be used to store any calculations performed by the processing circuit 502 and / or any data received via the communication interface 506. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 502 and the memory 504 are integrated together.

[0156] The communication interface 506 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between network nodes, access networks and / or UEs. As shown, the communication interface 506 includes a port / terminal 516 for, for example, sending data to the network and receiving data from the network via a wired connection. The communication interface 506 also includes a radio front-end circuit 518, which can be coupled to the antenna 510, or in some embodiments, coupled to a part of the antenna 510. The radio front-end circuit 518 includes a filter 520 and an amplifier 522. The radio front-end circuit 518 can be connected to the antenna 510 and the processing circuit 502. The radio front-end circuit can be configured to adjust the signal transmitted between the antenna 510 and the processing circuit 502. The radio front-end circuit 518 can receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 518 can use a combination of a filter 520 and / or an amplifier 522 to convert the digital data into a radio signal with appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The radio signal can then be sent via the antenna 510. Similarly, when data is received, antenna 510 may collect the radio signal, which may then be converted to digital data by radio front end circuit 518. The digital data may be passed to processing circuit 502. In other embodiments, the communication interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0157] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 500 does not include a separate radio front end circuit 518, instead the processing circuit 502 includes the radio front end circuit and is connected to the antenna 510. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuit 512 is part of the communication interface 506. In yet another embodiment, the communication interface 506 includes one or more ports or terminals 516, the radio front end circuit 518, and the RF transceiver circuit 512 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 506 communicates with the baseband processing circuit 514, which is part of the digital unit (not shown).

[0158] Antenna 510 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 510 may be coupled to radio front end circuit 518 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly sending and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 510 is separate from network node 500 and may be connected to network node 500 via an interface or port.

[0159] Antenna 510, communication interface 506 and / or processing circuit 502 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or certain obtaining operations performed by a network node as described herein. Any information, data and / or signal may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network device. Similarly, antenna 510, communication interface 506 and / or processing circuit 502 may be configured to perform any sending operation performed by a network node as described herein. Any information, data and / or signal may be sent to a UE, another network node and / or any other network device.

[0160] The power supply 508 provides power to the various components of the network node 500 in a form suitable for the various components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required by each corresponding component). The power supply 508 may also include power management circuitry or be coupled to a power management circuitry to supply power to the components of the network node 500 for performing the functions described herein. For example, the network node 500 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., a power grid, a power outlet) via an input circuit or interface (e.g., a cable), whereby the external power source supplies power to the power circuit of the power supply 508. As another example, the power supply 508 may include a power source in the form of a battery or a battery pack, which is connected to the power circuit or integrated in the power circuit. If the external power source fails, the battery can provide backup power.

[0161] Embodiments of network node 500 may include beyond Figure 5Additional components to the components shown are used to provide certain aspects of the functionality of the network node (including any functionality described herein and / or any functionality required to support the subject matter described herein). For example, the network node 500 may include a user interface device to allow information to be input into the network node 500 and to allow information to be output from the network node 500. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions for the network node 500.

[0162] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a host 600 according to various aspects described herein, which host 600 may be Figure 3 316 of the embodiment of the host. As used herein, the host 600 can be or include various combinations of hardware and / or software (including processing resources in a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, a container, or a server cluster). The host 600 can provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0163] Host 600 includes processing circuitry 602, which is operably coupled to input / output interface 606, network interface 608, power supply 610, and memory 612 via bus 604. Other components may be included in other embodiments. The features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the previous figures (e.g., Figure 4 and Figure 5 ) so that its description is generally applicable to corresponding components of the host 600.

[0164] The memory 612 may include one or more computer programs including data 616 and one or more host applications 614, which may include user data, such as data generated by a UE for the host 600, or data generated by the host 600 for the UE. An embodiment of the host 600 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application 614 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for a variety of different categories, types, or implementations of UE (e.g., mobile phones, desktop computers, wearable display systems, head-up display systems). The host application 614 may also provide user authentication and permission checks, and may periodically report health status, routing, and content availability to a central node (e.g., a device in the core network or a device on the edge of the core network). Thus, the host 600 can select and / or indicate to the UE a different host for an over-the-top service. The host application 614 can support various protocols, such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0165] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing a virtualized environment 700, in which the functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device that may include a virtualized hardware platform, storage device, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization may be applied to any device or component thereof described herein, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functions are implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs), which are implemented in one or more virtual environments 700 hosted by one or more of a hardware node (e.g., a hardware computing device operating as a network node, UE, core network node, or host). In addition, in an embodiment where a virtual node does not require a radio connection (e.g., a core network node or host), the node may be fully virtualized.

[0166] Application 702 (which may alternatively be referred to as a software instance, a virtual application, a network function, a virtual node, a virtual network function, etc.) operates in virtualized environment 700 to implement some features, functions and / or benefits of some embodiments disclosed herein.

[0167] Hardware 704 includes processing circuitry, memory storing software and / or instructions that can be executed by the hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices described herein (such as network interfaces, input / output interfaces, etc.). The software can be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 706 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 708a and VMs 708b (one or more of which can be generally referred to as VMs 708), and / or perform any functions, features, and / or benefits described in connection with some embodiments described herein. Virtualization layer 706 can present a virtual operating platform to VM 708 that looks like network hardware.

[0168] The VM 708 includes virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networks or interfaces, and virtual storage, and can be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 706. Different embodiments of instances of virtual devices 702 can be implemented on one or more VMs 708, and these embodiments can be made in different ways. In some contexts, virtualization of hardware is referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to unify numerous network device types onto industry standard high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage that can be located in data centers and customer premises equipment (CPE).

[0169] In the context of NFV, VM 708 can be a software implementation of a physical machine whose operating program is executed as if it were executed on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each VM 708 and the hardware portion of hardware 704 that executes the VM (whether it is hardware dedicated to the VM and / or hardware shared by the VM with other VMs) form a separate virtual network element. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling a specific network function that operates in one or more VMs 708 on top of hardware 704 and corresponds to an application 702.

[0170] The hardware 704 may be implemented in a standalone network node with general or specific components. The hardware 704 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 704 may be part of a larger hardware cluster (e.g., in a data center or CPE), where many hardware nodes work together and are managed by management and orchestration 710, which in particular oversees the life cycle management of the application 702. In some embodiments, the hardware 704 is coupled to one or more radio units, each of which includes one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. The radio unit may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces, and may be used in conjunction with a virtual component to provide radio capabilities to a virtual node (e.g., a radio access node or base station). In some embodiments, some signaling may be provided by using a control system 712, which may alternatively be used for communication between a hardware node and a radio unit.

[0171] Figure 8 A communication diagram is shown in which a host 802 communicates with a UE 806 via a network node 804 over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. Figure 8 Describe the UE discussed in the previous paragraphs (e.g., Figure 3 UE 312a and / or Figure 4 UE 400), network node (e.g., Figure 3 The network node 310a and / or Figure 5 network node 500) and a host (e.g., Figure 3 Host 316 and / or Figure 6 An example implementation of a host 600 according to various embodiments.

[0172] Similar to the host 600, an embodiment of the host 802 includes hardware, such as a communication interface, a processing circuit, and a memory. The host 802 also includes software that is stored in the host 802 or can be accessed by the host 802 and can be executed by the processing circuit. The software includes a host application that is operable to provide services to a remote user, such as a UE 806 connected via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 850 extending between the UE 806 and the host 802. When providing services to the remote user, the host application can provide user data sent using the OTT connection 850.

[0173] The network node 804 includes hardware that enables it to communicate with the host 802 and the UE 806. The connection 860 can be a direct connection or through a core network (such as Figure 3The core network 306 of the present invention and / or one or more other intermediate networks (eg, one or more public, private, or managed networks). For example, the intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet.

[0174] UE 806 includes hardware and software that is stored in or accessible by UE 806 and can be executed by the processing circuitry of the UE. The software includes a client application (e.g., a web browser or an operator-specific "app") that is operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via UE 806 with the support of a host 802. In the host 802, an executing host application can communicate with an executing client application via an OTT connection 850, which terminates at UE 806 and the host 802. When providing services to a user, the client application of the UE can receive request data from the host application of the host and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 850 can send both request data and user data. The client application of the UE can interact with the user to generate user data that is provided to the host application via the OTT connection 850.

[0175] The OTT connection 850 may extend via a connection 860 between the host 802 and the network node 804 and via a wireless connection 870 between the network node 804 and the UE 806 to provide connectivity between the host 802 and the UE 806. The connection 860 and the wireless connection 870 that may provide the OTT connection 850 have been drawn abstractly to illustrate communications between the host 802 and the UE 806 via the network node 804 without explicitly involving any intermediate devices and the precise routing of messages via those devices.

[0176] As an example of sending data via the OTT connection 850, in step 808, the host 802 provides user data, which can be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a specific human user who interacts with the UE 806. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with the UE 806, which shares data with the host 802 without explicit human interaction. In step 810, the host 802 initiates a transmission to the UE 806, which carries the user data. The host 802 may initiate the transmission in response to a request sent by the UE 806. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 806 or by the operation of a client application executed on the UE 806. According to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the transmission may be transmitted via the network node 804. Therefore, in step 812, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the network node 804 sends the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the host 802 to the UE 806. In step 814 , UE 806 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executing on UE 806 that is associated with a host application executed by host 802 .

[0177] In some examples, UE 806 executes a client application that provides user data to host 802. User data may be provided as a reaction or response to data received from host 802. Therefore, in step 816, UE 806 may provide user data, which may be performed by executing a client application. When providing user data, the client application may also take into account user input received from a user via an input / output interface of UE 806. Regardless of the specific manner in which user data is provided, in step 818, UE 806 initiates transmission of user data to host 802 via network node 804. In step 820, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, network node 804 receives user data from UE 806 and initiates sending the received user data to host 802. In step 822, host 802 receives user data carried in the transmission initiated by UE 806.

[0178] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to UE 806 using OTT connection 850, in which wireless connection 870 forms the final part. More specifically, the teachings of these embodiments can improve the power consumption of UE, thereby providing benefits such as extended battery life.

[0179] In an example scenario, the host 802 may collect and analyze plant status information. As another example, the host 802 may process audio and video data that may have been retrieved from the UE for creating a map. As another example, the host 802 may collect and analyze real-time data to help control vehicle congestion (e.g., control traffic lights). As another example, the host 802 may store surveillance videos uploaded by the UE. As another example, the host 802 may store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR, or AR, which may be broadcast, multicast, or unicast to the UE. As other examples, the host 802 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time-critical power loads to balance power generation demand, positioning services, presentation services (e.g., compiling charts based on data collected from remote devices, etc.), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and / or sending data.

[0180] In some examples, a measurement process may be provided for monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors that are the object of improvement of one or more embodiments. There may also be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection 850 between the host 802 and the UE 806 in response to changes in the measurement results. The measurement process and / or the network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in the software and hardware of the host 802 and / or the UE 806. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in other devices through which the OTT connection 850 passes, or associated with the other devices; the sensors may participate in the measurement process by providing the values ​​of the monitoring quantities exemplified above or providing the values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software can calculate or estimate the monitoring quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 850 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routes, etc.; the reconfiguration does not require direct changes to the operation of the network node 804. Such processes and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurement may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the host 802 to measure throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. Measurements may be made by software using the OTT connection 850 to send messages (particularly empty or "dummy" messages) while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0181] Although the computing devices (e.g., UE, network node, host) described herein may include a combination of the hardware components shown, other embodiments may include computing devices with different combinations of components. It should be understood that these computing devices may include any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. The determination, calculation, acquisition, or similar operations described herein may be performed by a processing circuit, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information to other information, comparing the obtained information or the converted information with the information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or the converted information, and making a determination based on the result of the processing. In addition, although the components are depicted as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in fact, the computing device may include multiple different physical components constituting a single illustrated component, and the functions may be divided between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any component described herein, and / or the functions of the components may be divided between the processing circuit and the communication interface. In another example, the non-computationally intensive functions of any such component may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0182] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein may be provided by a processing circuit that executes instructions stored in a memory, which in some embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functions may be provided by a processing circuit, for example, in a hardwired manner, without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium. In any of these specific embodiments, the processing circuit may be configured to perform the described functions, regardless of whether instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium are executed. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to separate processing circuits or to other components of a computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and / or are generally enjoyed by end users and wireless networks.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user equipment UE, the method comprising: receiving (204) a configuration of sleep occasions for a network node from a wireless communication network, wherein the configuration indicates a shut-down occasion during which a transmission or reception activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; and Communicating with the network node according to the configuration (206).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Communicating with the network node according to the configuration includes avoiding communicating with the network node when the network node is within a shutdown opportunity according to the configuration.

3. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Communicating with the network node according to the configuration includes: communicating with the network node at a reduced frequency when the network node is in a shutdown opportunity according to the configuration.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The deactivation occasion is applicable to downlink transmission from the network node to the UE.

5. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The deactivation occasion is applicable to uplink transmission from the UE to the network node.

6. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The configuration includes a periodicity configuration indicating a length of a shutdown occasion and a period of a shutdown occasion of the network node.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The configuration indicates when a first shutdown opportunity among the configured shutdown opportunities should occur.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The configuration includes a shutdown timer and / or an on-time timer, during which the sending or receiving activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; during the on-time timer, the sending or receiving activity of the network node is normal.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The configuration indicates a time when the shutdown opportunity will begin and / or a duration of the shutdown opportunity.

10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The configuration is provided in dedicated signaling.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein: The configuration is provided via RRC signaling or MAC control unit.

12. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The configuration is provided in common signaling.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: The configuration is provided in the system information.

14. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: receiving, from the network node, an updated configuration of a sleep timing of the network node; as well as Communicating with the network node according to the updated configuration.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The updated configuration is provided via dedicated signaling.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The updated configuration is provided via common signaling.

17. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The configuration includes a plurality of sleep configurations for shutdown occasions of the network node.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The configuration includes a first dormant configuration applicable to radio bearers of a first type and a second configuration applicable to radio bearers of a second type.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The configurations include a first dormant configuration applicable to a first type of service and a second configuration applicable to a second type of service.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The configurations include a first dormant configuration applicable to uplink channels of a first type and a second configuration applicable to uplink channels of a second type.

21. The method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising sending a wake-up signal WUS to the network node during the shut-down occasion.

22. A method according to any preceding claim, further comprising sending a preferred configuration of shutdown occasions to the network node.

23. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The configuration is received from the network node.

24. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The network nodes include a first network node, and wherein the configuration is received from a second network node.

25. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The UE enters a sleep mode or another reduced power mode during the off-occasion.

26. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: Provide user data; as well as The user data is forwarded to a host via transmission to the network node.

27. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The configuration indicates a time when an on-opportunity will start and / or a duration of the on-opportunity during which the transmission or reception activity of the network node is not reduced or suspended.

28. A user equipment (20, 400), comprising: Processing circuit (402); a communication interface (412), coupled to the processing circuit; as well as A memory (410) coupled to the processing circuit, wherein the memory includes computer-readable program instructions, and when the computer-readable program instructions are executed by the processing circuit, the user equipment performs operations, the operations including: receiving (204) a configuration of sleep occasions for a network node from a wireless communication network, wherein the configuration indicates a shut-down occasion during which a transmission or reception activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; and Communicating with the network node according to the configuration (206).

29. The user equipment according to claim 28, wherein: The program instructions also cause the user equipment to perform operations according to any one of claims 2 to 27.

30. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium containing computer-readable program instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit of a user device, cause the user device to perform the operations of any one of claims 1 to 27.

31. A method performed by a network node, the method comprising: sending (204) a configuration of a sleep occasion of the network node to a user equipment UE, wherein the configuration indicates a shut-down occasion during which a transmission or reception activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; and Communicate with the UE according to the configuration (208).

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein: The configuration is based on transmission or reception activity of a UE served by the network node.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein: The configuration is based on a preferred configuration indicated by a UE served by the network node.

34. A method according to any one of claims 31 to 33, wherein: The network node comprises a first network node, and the method further comprises sending a configuration of a sleep occasion of a second network node to the UE, wherein the configuration indicates a shut-down occasion during which a transmission or reception activity of the second network node is reduced or suspended.

35. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 34, wherein: The network node comprises a central unit CU and a distributed unit DU, and the method further comprises: determining the configuration at the CU; and The configuration is communicated from the CU to the DU.

36. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 34, wherein: The network node comprises a central unit CU and a distributed unit DU, and the method further comprises: determining the configuration at the DU; and The configuration is transmitted from the DU to the CU.

37. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 34, wherein: The network node comprises a central unit CU and a distributed unit DU, and the method further comprises: determining, at the DU, a recommended configuration for discontinuous transmission or reception (DTRX); and transmitting the proposed configuration for DTRX from the DU to the CU; The CU generates the configuration based on the suggested DTRX configuration.

38. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 37, further comprising: Obtain user data; as well as The user data is forwarded to a host or a user device.

39. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 38, further comprising: A configuration of sleep opportunities for the network node is determined.

40. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 39, wherein: The deactivation occasion is applicable to downlink transmission from the network node to the UE.

41. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 40, wherein: The deactivation occasion is applicable to uplink transmission from the UE to the network node.

42. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 41, wherein: The configuration includes a periodicity configuration indicating a length of a shutdown occasion and a period of a shutdown occasion of the network node.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein: The configuration indicates when a first shutdown opportunity among the configured shutdown opportunities should occur.

44. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 41, wherein: The configuration includes a shutdown timer and / or an on-time timer, during which the sending or receiving activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; during which the sending or receiving activity of the network node is normal.

45. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 41, wherein: The configuration indicates a time when the shutdown opportunity will begin and / or a duration of the shutdown opportunity.

46. ​​A method according to any one of claims 31 to 45, wherein: The configuration is sent to the UE in dedicated signaling.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein: The configuration is sent to the UE via RRC signaling or a MAC control unit.

48. A method according to any one of claims 31 to 47, wherein: The configuration is sent to the UE in common signaling.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein: The configuration is sent to the UE in system information.

50. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 49, further comprising: Sending an update configuration of the sleep timing of the network node to the UE; as well as Communicate with the UE according to the updated configuration.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein: The updated configuration is sent to the UE via dedicated signaling.

52. The method of claim 50, wherein: The updated configuration is sent to the UE via common signaling.

53. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 52, wherein: The configuration includes a plurality of sleep configurations of sleep occasions of the network node.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein: The configuration includes a first dormant configuration applicable to radio bearers of a first type and a second configuration applicable to radio bearers of a second type.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein: The configurations include a first dormant configuration applicable to a first type of service and a second configuration applicable to a second type of service.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein: The configurations include a first dormant configuration applicable to uplink channels of a first type and a second configuration applicable to uplink channels of a second type.

57. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 56, further comprising receiving a wake-up signal WUS from the UE during the off occasion.

58. The method according to any one of claims 31 to 57, further comprising receiving a preferred configuration of switch-off occasions from the UE.

59. A network node (10, 500), comprising: Processing circuit (502); a communication interface (506), coupled to the processing circuit; as well as A memory (504) coupled to the processing circuit, wherein the memory includes computer-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the network node to perform operations including: sending (204) a configuration of sleep occasions for the network node to a user equipment UE, wherein the configuration indicates a shutdown occasion during which a transmission or reception activity of the network node is reduced or suspended; and Communicate with the UE according to the configuration (208).

60. The network node of claim 59, wherein: The program instructions further cause the network node to perform operations according to any one of claims 32 to 58.

61. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium containing computer readable program instructions which, when executed by processing circuitry of a network node, cause the network node to perform operations according to any one of claims 31 to 58.

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