Method, apparatus and system for multiple DRX management in wireless network

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses, and systems for configuring and controlling discontinuous reception in a user equipment connected to a wireless network. One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method comprising the steps of: receiving (300) a primary DRX cycle configuration and at least one secondary DRX cycle configuration; configuring (301) the primary DRX period and the secondary DRX period; and activating (302) only the primary DRX configuration. The method further comprises the steps of receiving (303), during said primary DRX cycle, a command for activating said at least one secondary DRX cycle from a network node; and activating (304) the secondary DRX and receiving (305) downlink data during the secondary DRX period.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to discontinuous reception in wireless devices, and more particularly, to methods for optimizing power consumption when using multiple DRX configurations in a user equipment. Background Art

[0002] To limit power consumption in LTE (Long Term Evolution), 5G or NR (New Radio) telecommunication systems, 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) introduced the DRX (Discontinuous Reception) mode.

[0003] Since downlink data may arrive at any time, a user equipment (UE) needs to continuously monitor the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) to check if there is any available downlink data. This consumes a significant amount of power.

[0004] DRX enables a user equipment (UE) to reduce power consumption by discontinuously receiving the PDCCH: the UE periodically enters a sleep state during a certain period of time (OFF Duration) when not monitoring the PDCCH, and then wakes up during another period of time (ON Duration) to monitor the PDCCH for possible downlink data. Therefore, DRX enables power consumption reduction.

[0005] The UE and the network need to be synchronized to avoid the network attempting to send data when the UE is in the sleep state. For this purpose, the network configures the UE with a set of DRX parameters, which include the "onDurationTimer" (active period timer) and the "inactivityTimer" (inactivity timer) defined in 3GPP specification TS 38.321. When a DRX period starts, the UE remains active during a period of time called the "active period", which is configured by the "onDurationTimer" parameter. If no PDCCH is received during this time, the UE will enter the DRX sleep state until the next activation period. Whenever an activity occurs on the PDCCH during the activation period, the UE remains active and continues to monitor the PDCCH for the duration configured by the "inactivityTimer" parameter.

[0006] In some applications, such as XR (Extended Reality), different traffic flows can be established between the UE and the serving base station, including video streams, audio streams, and pose streams in the uplink or downlink direction. The base station can configure different superimposed DRX configurations to support such different traffic flows.

[0007] Unfortunately, multiple DRX configurations will increase the active / activation time of the UE, resulting in an increase in power consumption as well.

[0008] Therefore, a method is needed that will allow reducing the activation time of the UE when multiple DRX configurations are configured at the base station. Summary of the Invention

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method for configuring multiple discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles by a user equipment connected to a wireless network, the method comprising the steps of:

[0010] - Receiving DRX configuration parameters via radio resource control (RRC) signaling, the parameters including a primary DRX cycle configuration and at least one secondary DRX cycle configuration,

[0011] - Configuring the primary DRX cycle and the secondary DRX cycle, and activating only the primary DRX configuration,

[0012] - During the primary DRX cycle, receiving a command from a network node for activating the at least one secondary DRX cycle, and

[0013] - Activating the secondary DRX and receiving downlink data during the secondary DRX cycle.

[0014] Thus, the primary DRX cycle and the secondary DRX cycle are pre-configured in the user equipment based on parameters provided by a network node. The primary DRX cycle is activated upon receiving the configuration, while the secondary DRX cycle is activated only on demand, that is, when the network node has some downlink data to transmit on the secondary DRX. This allows the user equipment to activate the secondary DRX only when a downlink data transmission is expected, thereby saving power consumption. In contrast, the primary DRX cycle remains active to receive a command for activating the secondary DRX.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the method for configuring multiple DRXs further comprises the step of receiving a command for deactivating at least one secondary DRX cycle during the primary DRX cycle.

[0016] Thus, when it is no longer expected (required) to transmit downlink data on the secondary DRX cycle, the user equipment can receive a command from the base station to deactivate the secondary DRX configuration. The power consumption is even further reduced.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the received DRX activation command includes at least an instruction for time-shifting the at least one secondary DRX cycle.

[0018] Thus, the base station can adjust the time position of each active period of the secondary DRX cycle to better match the incoming downlink data rate. This helps reduce latency and better utilize the active periods.

[0019] According to one embodiment, a secondary DRX cycle activation command is received via physical layer and / or media access control layer signaling.

[0020] Using L1 / L2 signaling is faster than using radio resource control signaling. Thus, this method allows for better performance.

[0021] It is also contemplated that the secondary DRX cycle activation command is carried via a media access control element (MAC CE) and / or a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0022] According to one embodiment, the secondary DRX cycle activation command is transmitted in an 8-bit field of a media access control (MAC) sub-header with a logical channel identifier (LCID).

[0023] According to one embodiment, the secondary DRX activation command is transmitted in a 3-bit field of a downlink control information (DCI) format.

[0024] Since the secondary DRX cycle is pre-configured, this allows for the transmission of DRX activation commands with extremely low signaling overhead, using only one bit per secondary DRX configuration to activate / deactivate.

[0025] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wireless communication method performed by a base station for controlling multiple discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles in a user equipment connected to a wireless network, the method comprising:

[0026] - Sending a primary DRX cycle configuration and at least one secondary DRX cycle configuration to the user equipment,

[0027] - Receiving downlink data destined for the user equipment,

[0028] - Determining at least one secondary DRX cycle associated with the received data,

[0029] - On the primary DRX cycle, sending a command to activate the determined secondary DRX cycle,

[0030] - On the secondary DRX cycle, sending the downlink data to the user equipment.

[0031] Such a method allows the base station to selectively activate pre-configured secondary DRX configurations when there is downlink data available for transmission on the secondary DRX cycle.

[0032] Accordingly, the main DRX cycle and the secondary DRX cycle are sent to the user equipment for pre-configuration. The main DRX cycle is intended to be activated upon receipt of the configuration, while the secondary DRX cycle is initially deactivated and is only activated on demand, that is, when the network node has some downlink data to transmit on the secondary DRX. This allows the user equipment to activate the secondary DRX only when downlink data transmission is expected, thus saving power consumption. In contrast, the main DRX cycle remains active / activated, allowing the base station to send commands for activating the secondary DRX.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the method for controlling DRX further comprises the step of: when there is no downlink data to be transmitted on the at least one secondary DRX cycle, sending a command for deactivating the secondary DRX cycle on the main DRX cycle.

[0034] Accordingly, when it is expected that downlink data transmission on the secondary DRX cycle is no longer needed, the base station can deactivate the previously activated secondary DRX configuration in the user equipment. This enables power savings.

[0035] According to one embodiment, the sent secondary DRX cycle activation command at least includes an instruction for time shifting the at least one secondary DRX cycle.

[0036] Accordingly, the base station can adjust the time position of each active period of the secondary DRX cycle to better match the incoming downlink data rate. This helps to reduce latency and better utilize the active periods.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the secondary DRX cycle activation command is sent via physical layer and / or medium access control layer signaling.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the secondary DRX cycle activation command is carried by a medium access control element (MAC CE) and / or a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

[0039] According to one embodiment, the secondary DRX cycle activation command is transmitted in an 8-bit field with a medium access control (MAC) sub-header with a logical channel identifier (LCID).

[0040] According to one embodiment, the secondary DRX cycle activation command is transmitted in a 3-bit field in a downlink control information (DCI) format.

[0041] The present disclosure also contemplates an apparatus for configuring multiple discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles in a user equipment connected to a wireless network, the apparatus including a processor coupled to a memory, the memory including computer program instructions stored therein for controlling the processor, wherein the computer program instructions are configured to perform the following actions:

[0042] - Receive DRX configuration parameters via RRC signaling, the parameters including a primary DRX cycle configuration and at least one secondary DRX cycle configuration,

[0043] - Configure the primary DRX cycle and the secondary DRX cycle, and activate only the primary DRX configuration,

[0044] - During the primary DRX cycle, receive a command from a network node for activating the at least one secondary DRX cycle, and

[0045] - Activate the secondary DRX and receive downlink data during the secondary DRX cycle.

[0046] The present disclosure further contemplates an apparatus for controlling multiple discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles in a wireless network, the apparatus including a processor coupled to a memory, the memory including computer program instructions stored therein for controlling the processor, wherein the computer program instructions are configured to perform the following actions:

[0047] - Send a primary DRX cycle configuration and at least one secondary DRX cycle configuration to a user equipment,

[0048] - Receive downlink data destined for the user equipment,

[0049] - Determine at least one secondary DRX cycle associated with the received data,

[0050] - On the primary DRX cycle, send a command for activating the determined secondary DRX cycle,

[0051] - On the secondary DRX cycle, send the downlink data to the user equipment.

[0052] According to another aspect, there is provided a wireless user equipment including a DRX configuration device and a wireless base station including a device for controlling DRX as described above.

[0053] The present disclosure also contemplates a wireless communication system including at least the user equipment and the base station.

[0054] According to one embodiment, the steps of the method described above are determined by computer program instructions.

[0055] Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a computer program stored on an information medium, the program being suitable for implementation in a user equipment device or more generally in a computer, the program comprising instructions configured to implement the steps of the method for configuring DRX just described and / or the steps of the method for controlling DRX.

[0056] The program may be in any programming language and may be in the form of source code, object code, or intermediate code between source code and object code, such as a partially compiled form or any other desired form.

[0057] On the other hand, a computer-readable information medium is contemplated, the computer-readable information medium comprising computer program instructions for implementing the steps of the method mentioned above.

[0058] The information medium may be any entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may include a storage device, such as a ROM (e.g., CD ROM or microelectronic circuit ROM), a flash memory, or any magnetic recording device (e.g., a hard disk drive).

[0059] Furthermore, the information medium may be a transmissible medium that can be transmitted via radio or by other means via a cable or an optical fiber, such as an electrical signal or an optical signal.

[0060] Alternatively, the information medium may be an integrated circuit containing the program, the circuit being adapted to execute or for executing the method under discussion.

[0061] The advantages of the apparatus, user equipment, wireless system, computer program, and information medium are the same as the advantages presented by the corresponding method in any of the embodiments mentioned above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] Other advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer upon reading the following description (given by way of simple illustrative and non-limiting examples) and the drawings, in which:

[0063] - Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication system according to an embodiment in which aspects of the method disclosed herein may be practiced,

[0064] - Figure 2a is a schematic diagram showing the active primary DRX cycle configuration and the inactive secondary DRX cycle configuration on a user equipment according to an embodiment,

[0065] - Figure 2b is a schematic diagram showing the active primary DRX cycle configuration and the active secondary DRX cycle configuration on a user equipment according to an embodiment,

[0066] - Figure 3 is a flowchart showing steps of a method for configuring discontinuous reception performed by a user equipment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0067] - Figure 4 shows an exemplary MAC CE format for commanding activation and / or deactivation of secondary DRX configuration,

[0068] - Figure 5 is a flowchart showing steps of a method for controlling discontinuous reception in a user equipment performed by a base station according to an embodiment of the present disclosure,

[0069] - Figure 6 is a block diagram showing an apparatus suitable for implementing a method for configuring DRX according to an embodiment, and

[0070] - Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an apparatus suitable for implementing a method for controlling DRX according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In particular, although terms from 3GPP 5G NR may be used herein to illustrate embodiments, this should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention.

[0072] Figure 1 An exemplary 5G New Radio (NR) wireless communication system 100 including a user equipment 101 and a base station 102 is shown. The wireless network 100 may be an LTE network or some other wireless network, such as a 5G or NR network. The wireless network 100 may include one or more base stations 102. Depending on the implemented wireless standard, the base station 102 may be referred to as a BS, NB, eNodeB (or eNB), gNodeB (or gNB), access point, etc. The base station 102 provides radio communication coverage for a specific geographical area called a “cell”. The user equipment 101 may communicate with the base station 102 via radio signals to access the core communication network. The base station 102 may communicate with the user equipment 101 using a downlink (DL) radio channel and an uplink (UL) radio channel.

[0073] The user equipment 101 may be referred to as a mobile station, a wireless terminal, etc. In some examples, the user equipment 101 may be a cellular phone, a wireless modem, a wireless communication device, a handheld device, a laptop computer, etc. The user equipment 101 may also be an IoT (Internet of Things) device such as a wireless camera, a smart sensor or a smart meter, a vehicle, a global positioning system device, or any other device configured to communicate via a wireless network.

[0074] The user equipment 101 and the base station 102 may communicate using discontinuous reception (DRX). DRX is a processing mode in the user equipment aimed at reducing power consumption. When using DRX, the user equipment periodically enters an active state to receive downlink data and signaling, and then enters a sleep state to stop monitoring for downlink data.

[0075] DRX is configured by the base station 102 using RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling (such as RRCConnectionReconfiguration (RRC connection reconfiguration) or RRC Connection Setup (RRC connection setup)). Among other things, DRX parameters may include:

[0076] - drx-onDurationTimer (drx-active period timer): The time for which the user equipment should remain active after it wakes up (marked as "activation time" in Figure 2a and Figure 2b ). During this period, the user equipment should monitor the physical downlink channel (e.g., PDCCH).

[0077] - drx-inactivityTimer (drx-inactivity timer): This parameter corresponds to the delay for which the user equipment should remain inactive after being scheduled.

[0078] - drx-SlotOffset (drx-slot offset) defines the start point of the ON duration relative to the start of the subframe boundary.

[0079] Once configured by the network, the DRX cycle can be repeated until a new DRX configuration is received.

[0080] In the following disclosure, reference will be made to the user equipment 101 and the base station 102 described above with reference to Figure 1 .

[0081] Figure 2a and Figure 2bAn exemplary main DRX cycle configured in a user equipment is shown, the cycle including an active period (ON duration) and an inactive period (OFF duration). The DRX cycle repeats periodically, resulting in multiple active periods labeled A1, A2, and A3 for the main DRX cycle and labeled B1, B2, and B3 for the secondary DRX cycle.

[0082] Figure 2a is a schematic diagram of the main DRX cycle and secondary DRX cycle (SDRX) configuration, where the main DRX cycle is active and the second DRX cycle is not active, i.e., the user equipment does not wake up during the SDRX active period. Figure 2a The resulting DRX state of the user equipment is further shown.

[0083] Figure 2b is a schematic diagram of the main DRX cycle and secondary DRX cycle (SDRX) configuration, where the main DRX cycle is active. Figure 2b Also shown is the activation command 200 received during the active period A1 on the main DRX cycle. According to one embodiment, receiving the command 200 triggers the activation of the second DRX configuration. Thus, the user equipment can monitor the downlink channel during the active period configured on the secondary DRX until the deactivation command 201 is received on the main DRX cycle period A3. Accordingly, the active periods B1 and B2 are activated to receive downlink data and are deactivated when no more downlink data is available.

[0084] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the main steps of a method for configuring multiple DRXs performed by a user equipment 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] During a first step 300, the user equipment 101 receives DRX configuration parameters sent by a base station 102.

[0086] These DRX configuration parameters can be sent by the base station 102 using RRC signaling (e.g., in an RRCconnectionReconfiguration or RRC setup message). The DRX configuration includes a set of DRX parameters suitable for the user equipment 101 to configure a main DRX cycle and one or more secondary DRX cycles.

[0087] During step 301, the user equipment establishes a main DRX cycle and a second DRX cycle according to the received configuration. Once configured, the user equipment 101 can only activate (step 302) the main DRX configuration and keep the secondary DRX cycle inactive. Thus, the secondary DRX cycle is ready for fast on-demand activation.

[0088] At step 303, the user equipment 101 may receive a command for activating a pre-configured secondary DRX cycle. Since the cycle characteristics are pre-configured, the command may include only an activation flag associated with a specific DRX configuration, thus achieving low signaling overhead. According to one embodiment, the received command is received on the L1 / L2 downlink channel (e.g., on the MAC CE and / or PDCCH) during the active period of the primary DRX cycle.

[0089] In a possible embodiment, the secondary DRX activation MAC CE format may include one octet identified by a MAC sub-header with an LCID (Logical Channel Identifier). A new LCID value may be selected from the list of reserved LCIDs specified in Table 6.2.1-1 in 3GPP TS 38.321.

[0090] Figure 4 An exemplary MAC CE format for secondary DRX activation / deactivation is shown, where the field SDRXi indicates the activation / deactivation status of the secondary DRX with index i. The SDRXi field may be set to 1 to indicate that the SDRX with SDRX index i should be activated. The SDRXi field is set to 0 to indicate that the SDRX with SCell index i should be deactivated.

[0091] According to one embodiment, the activation command may include 3 bits for encoding the SDRX index associated with the activation flag. The activation command may be transmitted, for example, in the PDCCH DCI format for indicating the activation / deactivation status of one or more secondary DRX cycles through L1 signaling.

[0092] It should be noted that the activation of a specific secondary DRX and the deactivation of another specific secondary DRX may be transmitted in the same signaling message. Then, the user equipment may activate (step 304) one or more secondary DRX configurations according to the received command.

[0093] Then, the user equipment may receive downlink data during one or more active periods of the newly activated secondary DRX until the user equipment receives (step 306) a command for deactivating the activated secondary DRX configuration and deactivates (step 307) the secondary DRX accordingly.

[0094] According to one embodiment, the secondary DRX activation command may include a time shift instruction (e.g., time offset) for shifting the secondary DRX cycle. It is contemplated that the time shift instruction includes a positive or negative shift offset parameter associated with a specific SDRX index. The user equipment shifts the start position of the next secondary DRX cycle of a specific secondary DRX configuration based on the provided offset. The present disclosure also contemplates that the provided offset may be a negative offset. This allows the base station to better synchronize the secondary DRX active period with the data rate and / or data arrival time / frequency.

[0095] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the main steps of a method for controlling multiple DRXs in a user equipment performed by a base station 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0096] The base station 102 first determines (step 500) a primary DRX configuration (DRX1) and at least one specific secondary DRX configuration (SDRX) for the user equipment. The base station 102 may determine the specific DRX parameters and SDRX parameters according to the expected traffic flow characteristics. For example, the base station may determine a specific DRX configuration to handle video, audio, data, or gesture traffic flows.

[0097] At step 501, the base station 102 sends the determined DRX configuration and SDRX configuration to the user equipment 102. These DRX configuration parameters may be sent to the user equipment 101 by the base station 102 using RRC signaling (e.g., in an RRC connectionReconfiguration or RRC setup message). The DRX configuration includes a set of DRX parameters suitable for configuring the primary DRX cycle and one or more secondary DRX cycles for the user equipment 101.

[0098] The base station 102 periodically checks (step 502) the arrival of downlink data destined for the user equipment 101. When a specific type of data destined for the user equipment 102 arrives, the base station 102 may store the incoming data in a specific buffer queue according to the data type and / or traffic class associated with a specific secondary DRX configuration (e.g., SDRX index) to be used for sending the data to the user equipment 101. The base station checks whether the corresponding SDRX configuration has been activated in the user equipment 101 (step 502).

[0099] If the base station 102 determines that the determined SDRX configuration is not currently activated on the user equipment 101, the base station 102 prepares and sends (step 504) a command for activating the secondary DRX configuration.

[0100] The activation command can include only an activation flag associated with a specific SDRX configuration (SDRX index), thereby achieving low signaling overhead. According to one embodiment, the command is sent on the L1 / L2 downlink channel (e.g., in the MAC CE and / or PDCCH) during the active period of the activated primary DRX cycle.

[0101] In a possible embodiment, the secondary DRX activation MAC CE format can include a plurality of bits identified by a MAC sub-header with an LCID (logical channel identifier), e.g., 8 bits. A new LCID value can be selected from the list of reserved LCIDs specified in Table 6.2.1-1 in 3GPP TS 38.321.

[0102] Once the determined SDRX configuration is activated on the user agent 101 by sending an activation command at step 504, the base station 102 can send the pending data to the user equipment 101 during the corresponding SDRX active period (step 505).

[0103] The base station 102 can iterate back to step 502 to check if there is more downlink data to be transmitted on a specific SDRX cycle. When there is no more pending data for a specific data stream, the base station can check (step 506) if the corresponding SDRX configuration has been activated in the user equipment 101.

[0104] If it is determined at step 506 that there is no more data pending or the SDRX configuration for which no more data is expected remains active, the base station 102 can prepare and send an SDRX deactivation command within the primary DRX cycle (step 507). The deactivation command can use the same format and transmission mode as the activation command described above.

[0105] According to one embodiment, the base station 102 can determine a time offset to be applied to a specific secondary DRX cycle in order to better align the data arrival rate with the SDRX active period.

[0106] Figure 6 The schematic architecture of an apparatus 600 suitable for implementing a method for configuring discontinuous reception according to one embodiment is shown.

[0107] The apparatus 600 includes a processor 601 and a memory 602, such as a random access memory (RAM). The processor 601 can be controlled by a computer program 603 stored in the memory 602, which includes instructions configured to implement a method for controlling wireless communication for discontinuous reception according to one embodiment.

[0108] More specifically, computer program 603 includes instructions configured to perform the following steps: receiving DRX configuration parameters via RRC signaling, the parameters including a primary DRX cycle configuration and at least one secondary DRX cycle configuration; configuring the primary DRX cycle and the secondary DRX cycle, and only activating the primary DRX configuration; during the primary DRX cycle, receiving a command from a network node for activating the at least one secondary DRX cycle; and activating the secondary DRX and receiving downlink data during the secondary DRX cycle.

[0109] At initialization, computer program instructions 603 may be loaded into memory 602 before being executed by processor 601. Processor 601 implements the steps of the method according to the instructions of computer program 603.

[0110] Device 600 includes a wireless communication unit 604, such as an LTE or 5G NR transceiver, etc. Communication unit 604 may be configured by computer program instructions to receive DRX configuration parameters from a network node, the configuration including a primary DRX configuration using an RRC connection and at least one secondary DRX configuration.

[0111] Device 600 may further include a DRX configuration unit 605 for configuring the wireless communication unit according to the received DRX configuration. Configuration unit 605 may be implemented by computer program instructions to parse the RRC message received by communication unit 604 to extract and configure DRX parameters according to the parsed message.

[0112] The device further includes an activation unit 606 configured to activate and / or deactivate a specific DRX configuration. Activation unit 606 may be configured by computer program instructions to be adapted to initially activate the primary DRX configuration received by communication module 604.

[0113] According to one embodiment, communication unit 604 is further configured by computer program instructions to receive, during an active period of the configured and activated primary DRX cycle, a secondary DRX activation command including one or more DRX configuration identifiers transmitted via L1 and / or L2 messages (such as MAC CE messages).

[0114] Activation unit 606 is further configured by computer program instructions to activate or deactivate the secondary DRX configuration according to the received DRX activation command.

[0115] Communication unit 604 is also configured to receive downlink data during the secondary DRX cycle.

[0116] According to one embodiment, device 600 is included in a user equipment device.

[0117] Figure 7Shows a schematic architecture of a device 700 suitable for implementing discontinuous reception control according to an embodiment.

[0118] The device 700 includes a processor 701 and a memory 702, such as a random access memory (RAM). The processor 701 can be controlled by a computer program 703 stored in the memory 702, and the computer program includes instructions configured to implement a wireless communication method for configuring discontinuous reception according to an embodiment.

[0119] More specifically, the computer program 703 includes instructions configured to implement the following steps: sending (501) a primary DRX cycle configuration and at least one secondary DRX cycle configuration to a user equipment; receiving downlink data destined for the user equipment; determining at least one secondary DRX cycle associated with the received data; on the primary DRX cycle, sending a command for activating the determined secondary DRX cycle; and on the secondary DRX cycle, sending the downlink data to the user equipment.

[0120] At initialization, the computer program instructions 703 can be loaded into the memory 702 before being executed by the processor 701. The processor 701 implements the steps of the method according to the instructions of the computer program 703.

[0121] The device 700 includes a wireless communication unit 704, such as an LTE or 5G NR transceiver, etc. The communication unit 704 can be configured by computer program instructions to send DRX configuration parameters to the user equipment using an RRC connection, and the configuration includes a primary DRX configuration and at least one secondary DRX configuration.

[0122] The device may further include a second communication unit 705 configured to receive downlink data from a core network. The second communication unit can be an optical communication unit, Ethernet, AT, etc.

[0123] The device 700 further includes a DRX configuration selection unit 706 configured to determine a specific DRX configuration cycle on which the downlink data should be sent to the user equipment based on the characteristics of the data stream received by the second communication unit 705.

[0124] The apparatus 700 further includes a DRX activation unit 707 configured to activate a specific secondary DRX cycle in a user equipment when corresponding data is received by the second communication unit 705. The DRX activation unit can be configured by computer program instructions to prepare an L1 / L2 message (e.g., a MAC CE message) that includes at least an activation command associated with an identifier of a pre-configured secondary DRX cycle in a target user equipment. According to one embodiment, the DRX activation unit can be configured to deactivate a specific DRX cycle in a user equipment by preparing a deactivation message when there is no more downlink data to be transmitted, the deactivation message including at least a deactivation command associated with an identifier of a pre-configured secondary DRX cycle in a target user equipment.

[0125] The wireless communication unit 704 can further be configured by computer program instructions to send, to the user equipment, the activation / deactivation message prepared by the activation unit 707 using L1 / L2 signaling.

[0126] According to one embodiment, the apparatus 700 is included in a radio network node (e.g., a base station, an eNodeB, or a gNodeB).

[0127] The present disclosure also contemplates a wireless communication system and / or a radio network for controlling discontinuous reception, the system including an apparatus and / or a user equipment implementing the above method for configuring DRX and a base station, an eNodeB, or a gNodeB implementing the above method for controlling DRX.

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication for configuring multiple discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles by a user equipment connected to a wireless network, the method comprising: - receiving (300) DRX configuration parameters via radio resource control signaling, the parameters including a primary DRX cycle configuration and at least one secondary DRX cycle configuration, - configuring (301) the primary DRX cycle and the secondary DRX cycle, and only activating (302) the primary DRX configuration, - during the primary DRX cycle, receiving (303) a command for activating the at least one secondary DRX cycle from a network node, and - activating (304) the secondary DRX and receiving (305) downlink data during the secondary DRX cycle.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein The method further comprises the step of receiving, during the primary DRX cycle, a command for deactivating the at least one secondary DRX cycle.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The received secondary DRX cycle activation command includes at least an instruction for time-shifting the at least one secondary DRX cycle.

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The secondary DRX cycle activation command is received via physical layer and / or media access control signaling.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein, The secondary DRX cycle activation command is carried by a media access control element and / or a physical downlink control channel.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The secondary DRX cycle activation command is transmitted in an 8-bit field of a media access control sub-header with a logical channel identifier.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The secondary DRX cycle activation command is transmitted in a 3-bit field in the format of downlink control information.

8. A wireless communication method performed by a base station for controlling multiple discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles in a user equipment connected to a wireless network, the method comprising: - sending (501) a primary DRX cycle configuration and at least one secondary DRX cycle configuration to the user equipment, - receiving (502) downlink data destined for the user equipment, - determining (503) at least one secondary DRX cycle associated with the received data, - on the primary DRX cycle, sending (504) a command for activating the determined secondary DRX cycle, - on the secondary DRX cycle, sending (505) the downlink data to the user equipment.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein The method further comprises the step of sending, on the primary DRX cycle, a command for deactivating the at least one secondary DRX cycle.

10. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 9, wherein, The sent secondary DRX cycle activation command includes at least an instruction for time-shifting the at least one secondary DRX cycle.

11. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, The secondary DRX cycle activation command is transmitted via physical layer and / or media access control signaling.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, The secondary DRX cycle activation command is carried by a media access control element and / or a physical downlink control channel.

13. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein, The secondary DRX cycle activation command is transmitted in an 8-bit field of a media access control sub-header with a logical channel identifier.

14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The secondary DRX cycle activation command is transmitted in a 3-bit field in the format of downlink control information.

15. An apparatus for configuring multiple discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles in a user equipment connected to a wireless network, the apparatus comprising a processor (601) coupled to a memory (602), the memory including computer program instructions (603) stored therein for controlling the processor (601), wherein, The computer program instructions are configured to implement the following actions: - receiving DRX configuration parameters via radio resource control signaling, the parameters including a primary DRX cycle configuration and at least one secondary DRX cycle configuration, - Configure the primary DRX cycle and the secondary DRX cycle, and only activate the primary DRX configuration, - During the primary DRX cycle, receive a command for activating the at least one secondary DRX cycle from a network node, and - Activate the secondary DRX and receive downlink data during the secondary DRX cycle.

16. An apparatus for controlling multiple discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising a processor coupled to a memory, the memory including computer program instructions stored therein for controlling the processor, wherein, The computer program instructions are configured to perform the following actions: - Send (501) a primary DRX cycle configuration and at least one secondary DRX cycle configuration to a user equipment, - Receive (502) downlink data destined for the user equipment, - Determine (503) at least one secondary DRX cycle associated with the received data, - On the primary DRX cycle, send (504) a command for activating the determined secondary DRX cycle, - On the secondary DRX cycle, send (505) the downlink data to the user equipment.

17. A wireless user equipment comprising the apparatus according to claim 15.

18. A wireless base station comprising the apparatus according to claim 16.

19. A wireless communication system comprising at least the user equipment according to claim 17 and the base station according to claim 18.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, including computer program instructions stored therein, wherein, The instructions, when executed by a processor, are configured to perform the method according to claim 1 and / or are configured to perform the method according to claim 8.

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