Transmitting wake-up signals for paging operations

Abstract

The disclosure relates to transmitting wake-up signals for paging operations. A base station is configured to transmit a wake-up signal to a user equipment to wake up the UE to receive a page from the base station. The base station transmits one or more synchronization signals, where the synchronization signals correspond to a wakeup signal (WUS) to be transmitted to a user equipment (UE) operating in a paging discontinuous reception (DRX) period, where the paging DRX period includes a paging occasion (PO); and transmitting the WUS to the UE during a WUS opportunity, wherein the WUS indicates whether the UE utilizes an active mode or a sleep mode during the PO.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application for invention titled "Transmission of Wake-up Signals for Paging Operations" with the application date of July 23, 2020, application number 202080104757.9. Background Art

[0002] A user equipment (UE) can be configured with a paging cycle that includes a scheduling time window during which the UE will monitor for paging. Outside of the scheduling time window, the UE can have the opportunity to sleep and conserve power. In the conventional case, the UE monitors for paging during the scheduling time window regardless of whether the network has actually performed a paging transmission for the UE. This is an inefficient use of the UE's limited power source. Therefore, a mechanism for reducing the inefficient power consumption associated with paging reception at the UE is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Some exemplary embodiments relate to a method performed by a base station. The method includes: transmitting one or more synchronization signals, where the synchronization signal corresponds to a wake-up signal (WUS) to be transmitted to a user equipment (UE) operating in a paging discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, where the paging DRX cycle includes a paging occasion (PO); and transmitting the WUS to the UE during a WUS occasion, where the WUS indicates whether the UE is to utilize an active mode or a sleep mode during the PO.

[0004] Other exemplary embodiments relate to a base station having a transceiver and a processor. The transceiver is configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE). The processor is configured to perform operations including transmitting one or more synchronization signals, where the synchronization signal corresponds to a wake-up signal (WUS) to be transmitted to a UE operating in a paging discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, where the paging DRX cycle includes a paging occasion (PO); and transmitting the WUS to the UE during a WUS occasion, where the WUS indicates whether the UE is to utilize an active mode or a sleep mode during the PO.

[0005] Additional exemplary embodiments relate to an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes circuitry configured to transmit one or more synchronization signals, where the synchronization signal corresponds to a wake-up signal (WUS) to be transmitted to a UE operating in a paging discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, where the paging DRX cycle includes a paging occasion (PO); and circuitry configured to transmit the WUS to the UE during a WUS occasion, where the WUS indicates whether the UE is to utilize an active mode or a sleep mode during the PO. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] Figure 1 An exemplary network arrangement is shown in accordance with various exemplary embodiments.

[0007] Figure 2 Illustrates an exemplary user equipment (UE) according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0008] Figure 3 Illustrates an exemplary timing diagram of wake-up signal (WUS) occasions according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0009] Figure 4 Illustrates a method for WUS and paging reception according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0010] Figure 5 Illustrates an example of the relationship between a WUS occasion and a paging occasion (PO) when one WUS is configured to control one PO of a paging group according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0011] Figure 6 Illustrates an example of the relationship between a WUS occasion and a PO when one WUS is configured to control multiple POs of a paging group according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0012] Figure 7 Illustrates an example of the relationship between a WUS occasion and a PO when one WUS is configured to control one PO of multiple paging groups according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0013] Figure 8 Illustrates an example of the relationship between a WUS occasion and a PO when one WUS is configured to control multiple POs of multiple paging groups according to various exemplary embodiments.

[0014] Figure 9 Illustrates an example of the relationship between a WUS occasion and a PO when multiple WUS occasions are configured to control one PO according to various exemplary embodiments. Detailed Description

[0015] The exemplary embodiments can be further understood with reference to the following description and the related drawings, in which like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals. The exemplary embodiments relate to using wake-up signaling between a network and a user equipment (UE) in combination with a paging mechanism. As will be described in more detail below, the wake-up signaling can allow the UE to mitigate the inefficient power consumption associated with traditional paging techniques.

[0016] The exemplary embodiments are described with reference to a UE. However, the reference to the UE is provided for illustrative purposes only. The exemplary embodiments can be used with any electronic component that can establish a connection with a network and is configured with hardware, software, and / or firmware for exchanging information and data with the network. Thus, the UE described herein is used to represent any electronic component.

[0017] Exemplary embodiments are described with reference to a network that is a fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) network. The 5G NR network and the UE may utilize a paging mechanism that incorporates a wake-up signal (WUS). However, any reference to the 5G NR network, a particular paging mechanism, or the WUS is provided for illustrative purposes only. The exemplary embodiments may be applied to any type of network that utilizes wake-up signaling in conjunction with any suitable type of paging mechanism.

[0018] Paging may be used for any of a variety of different reasons. For example, when camping on a cell of a 5G NR network, the UE may receive a paging message that is configured to trigger the UE to transition from a radio resource control (RRC) idle state or an RRC inactive state to an RRC connected state. As another example, the network may use paging to indicate a system information change. In response to the indication, the UE may then acquire updated system information. As yet another example, paging may be used to indicate an emergency message (e.g., a commercial mobile alert system (CMAS) message, an earthquake and tsunami warning system (ETWS) message, etc.). In response to the indication, the UE may then acquire the emergency message. The above examples are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments in any way and are provided only to illustrate why the network and the UE may utilize a paging mechanism.

[0019] On the network side, paging transmission may include a paging message and / or a short message. Those skilled in the art will understand that a paging message may be used to notify one or more UEs and may be transmitted via a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) or any other suitable type of physical control channel (PCCH). Those skilled in the art will also understand that a short message may be used to provide a UE with a specific type of indication, such as a system information modification or an emergency message. A short message submitted in downlink control information (DCI) may be used to transmit the short message on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) with or without an associated paging message.

[0020] On the UE side, paging reception may include monitoring for paging during a scheduled time window. For example, during a discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, the UE may be configured with a paging occasion (PO). The PO may include one or more time slots during which the UE is configured to listen for a communication channel (e.g., PCCH, PDSCH, PDCCH, etc.) for paging transmission. The PO may be included in a paging frame (PF). The PF may refer to a radio frame that includes one or more paging occasions. Those skilled in the art will understand how to configure the timing of the PF and the PO.

[0021] The DRX cycle is a power saving mechanism that includes an active mode for data exchange processing and an inactive sleep mode. In the context of paging, the active mode of data exchange processing may refer to operations performed by the UE that enable the UE to receive information and / or data broadcast by the network. For example, during a PO, the UE may enter the active mode of data exchange processing to monitor paging transmissions. Outside of the PO, the UE may have the opportunity to utilize the inactive sleep mode and save power. Throughout this specification, the terms "DRX cycle" and "paging cycle" may be used interchangeably. However, any reference to a DRX cycle or a paging cycle is for illustrative purposes only, and different networks may refer to similar concepts by different names. Exemplary embodiments may be applied to any scenario in which the UE transitions between a power saving mode and an active mode for data exchange processing.

[0022] Under normal circumstances, the UE may wake up during one or more POs, regardless of whether the network has performed a paging transmission during the PO. However, utilizing the active mode of data exchange processing during a PO that does not include a paging transmission for the UE is an inefficient use of the UE's limited power source. As will be described below, if there is no paging transmission for the UE during a PO, the exemplary embodiment may allow the UE to omit utilizing the active mode of data exchange processing during the PO.

[0023] Exemplary embodiments relate to utilizing wake-up signaling between the UE and the network in combination with a paging mechanism. Throughout this specification, the term "wake-up signal" or "WUS" may refer to a signal transmitted by the network to the UE that includes information about a subsequent time window (e.g., a PO) during which the UE will monitor for paging. The WUS may allow the UE to mitigate inefficient power consumption associated with traditional paging techniques. For example, the WUS may indicate that no paging transmission is scheduled for a subsequent PO. During the subsequent PO, the UE may remain in the inactive sleep mode instead of waking up to use the active mode of data exchange processing because the WUS indicates that no paging transmission is scheduled for that PO.

[0024] In one aspect, exemplary embodiments relate to the timing relationship between the WUS and its corresponding PO. As will be described in detail below, there are various exemplary configurations of one or more WUSs and one or more POs that can be implemented. In another aspect, exemplary embodiments relate to the type of content that may be included in the WUS and how the UE may respond to the WUS. Exemplary wake-up signaling may be used in combination with currently implemented paging techniques, in combination with future implementations of paging techniques, or independently of other paging techniques.

[0025] Figure 1FIG. 0 illustrates an exemplary network arrangement 100 in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. The exemplary network arrangement 100 includes a UE 110. Those skilled in the art will understand that the UE 110 can be any type of electronic component configured to communicate via a network, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a smart phone, a phablet, an embedded device, a wearable device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, etc. It should also be understood that an actual network arrangement may include any number of UEs used by any number of users. Thus, for illustrative purposes, only an example with a single UE 110 is provided.

[0026] The UE 110 can be configured to communicate with one or more networks. In the example of network configuration 100, the networks with which the UE 110 can communicate wirelessly are the 5G NR radio access network (RAN) 120 and the WLAN 122. However, it should be understood that the UE 110 can also communicate with other types of networks (such as 5G cloud RAN, LTE-RAN, traditional cellular networks, etc.), and the UE 110 can also communicate with a network via a wired connection. Referring to the exemplary embodiments, the UE 110 can establish a connection with the 5G NR RAN 120 and / or the WLAN 122. Thus, the UE 110 can have a 5G NR chipset for communicating with the NG-RAN 120 and an ISM chipset for communicating with the WLAN 122.

[0027] The 5G NR RAN 120 can be part of a cellular network that can be deployed by a network operator (such as Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc.). The 5G NR RAN 120 can include, for example, cells or base stations (Node B, eNodeB, HeNB, eNBS, gNB, gNodeB, macro cell base stations, micro cell base stations, small cell base stations, femto cell base stations, etc.) configured to send and receive communication traffic from UEs equipped with appropriate cellular chipsets. The WLAN 122 can include any type of wireless local area network (WiFi, hotspots, IEEE 802.11x networks, etc.).

[0028] A base station (e.g., gNB 120A) may include one or more communication interfaces to exchange data and / or information with the pre-empted UE, the corresponding RAN, the cellular core network 130, the Internet 140, etc. In addition, the base station may include a processor configured to perform various operations. For example, the processor of the base station may be configured to perform operations related to paging and exemplary wake-up signaling described herein. However, the reference to the processor is for illustrative purposes only. The operations of the base station may also be represented as stand-alone combined components of the base station, or may be modular components coupled to the base station, e.g., integrated circuits with or without firmware. For example, an integrated circuit may include an input circuit for receiving signals and a processing circuit for processing signals and other information. In addition, in some base stations, the functionality of the processor is shared between two or more processors such as a baseband processor and an application processor. The exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of the base station.

[0029] Those skilled in the art will understand that any relevant process may be performed for the UE 110 to connect to the 5G NR RAN 120. For example, as described above, the 5G NR RAN 120 may be associated with a specific network operator where the UE 110 and / or its user have protocol and credential information (e.g., stored on a SIM card). Upon detecting the presence of the 5G NR RAN 120, the UE 110 may transmit the corresponding credential information to be associated with the 5G NR RAN 120. More specifically, the UE 110 may be associated with a specific cell (e.g., gNB 120A). As described above, the use of the 5G NR RAN 120 is for illustrative purposes, and any type of network may be used. For example, the UE 110 may also be connected to an LTE-RAN (not shown) or a legacy RAN (not shown).

[0030] In addition to the networks 120 and 122, the network arrangement 100 further includes a cellular core network 130, the Internet 140, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 150, and a network service backbone 160. The cellular core network 130 may be regarded as an interconnected collection of components that manage the operations and traffic of the cellular network. The cellular core network 130 also manages the traffic flowing between the cellular network and the Internet 140. The IMS 150 may generally be described as an architecture for delivering multimedia services to the UE 110 using IP protocols. The IMS 150 may communicate with the cellular core network 130 and the Internet 140 to provide multimedia services to the UE 110. The network service backbone 160 communicates directly or indirectly with the Internet 140 and the cellular core network 130. The network service backbone 160 may generally be described as a set of components (e.g., servers, network storage arrangements, etc.) that implement a set of services that can be used to extend the functionality of the UE 110 to communicate with various networks.

[0031] Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary UE 110 in accordance with various exemplary embodiments. The UE 110 will be described with reference to Figure 1 network arrangement 100. The UE 110 may represent any electronic device and may include a processor 205, a memory arrangement 210, a display device 215, an input / output (I / O) device 220, a transceiver 225, and other components 230. The other components 230 may include, for example, an audio input device, an audio output device, a battery providing a limited power source, a data acquisition device, a port for electrically connecting the UE 110 to other electronic devices, etc.

[0032] The processor 205 may be configured to execute multiple engines of the UE 110. For example, the engines may include a WUS engine 235. The WUS engine 235 may be configured to perform operations associated with detecting a WUS and determining the content of the WUS. The WUS engine 235 may be further configured to control the paging reception behavior of the UE 110 in response to receiving a WUS.

[0033] The above engines, as applications (e.g., programs) executed by the processor 205, are merely exemplary. The functions associated with the engines may also be represented as independent integrated components of the UE 110 or may be modular components coupled to the UE 110, such as integrated circuits with or without firmware. For example, an integrated circuit may include an input circuit for receiving signals and a processing circuit for processing the signals and other information. The engines may also be embodied as one application or separate multiple applications. Additionally, in some UEs, the functionality described for the processor 205 is shared between two or more processors such as a baseband processor and an application processor. The exemplary embodiments may be implemented in any of these or other configurations of the UE.

[0034] The memory 210 may be a hardware component configured to store data related to operations performed by the UE 110. The display device 215 may be a hardware component configured to display data to a user, while the I / O device 220 may be a hardware component that enables a user to make inputs. The display device 215 and the I / O device 220 may be separate components or may be integrated together (such as a touch screen). The transceiver 225 may be a hardware component configured to establish connections with a 5G NR-RAN 120, a WLAN 122, etc. Thus, the transceiver 225 may operate on multiple different frequencies or channels (e.g., consecutive frequency bands).

[0035] When connected to a network, the UE 110 can be configured to be in one of a variety of different operating states. One operating state can be characterized as the RRC idle state, and another operating state can be characterized as the RRC connected state. RRC refers to the Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol. Those skilled in the art will understand that when the UE 110 is in the RRC connected state, the UE 110 and the network can be configured to exchange information and / or data. The exchange of information and / or data can allow the UE 110 to perform functions available via the network connection. In addition, those skilled in the art will understand that when the UE 110 is connected to the network and in the RRC idle state, the UE 110 is generally not exchanging data with the network, and within the network, radio resources are not being allocated to the UE 110. However, when the UE 110 is in the RRC idle state, the UE 110 can monitor information and / or data transmitted by the network (e.g., WUS, paging, etc.).

[0036] Another operating state can be characterized as the RRC inactive state. In the RRC inactive state, the UE 110 maintains the RRC connection while minimizing signaling and power consumption. Similar to the RRC idle state, when the UE 110 is connected to the network and in the RRC inactive state, the UE 110 is generally not exchanging data with the network. When the UE 110 is in the RRC inactive state, the UE 110 can still monitor information and / or data transmitted by the network (e.g., WUS, paging, etc.). However, any reference to the RRC connected state, the RRC idle state, and the RRC inactive state is provided for illustrative purposes only, and the exemplary embodiments can be applied to any suitable operating state of the UE 110.

[0037] When the UE 110 camps on a cell in the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state, the UE 110 may not be able to exchange data with the network. To exchange data with the network, the UE 110 can transition from the RRC idle state to the RRC connected state. For example, when in the RRC idle state or the inactive state, the UE 110 can listen for information such as but not limited to: the Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) and the Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS), the Master Information Block (MIB), broadcast messages, System Information Blocks (SIB), WUS, paging messages, etc. In response, the UE 110 can send a request to the network that indicates that the UE 110 wishes to transition to the RRC connected inactive state. A successful transition from the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state to the RRC connected state can include message exchanges between the UE 110 and the cell of the network. In the RRC connected state, a network context can be established between the cell of the first network and the UE 110. Thus, the UE 110 can be allocated radio resources, and the UE 110 can be able to exchange data with the network.

[0038] When in the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state, the UE 110 may be configured with a DRX cycle. As noted above, the DRX cycle may include a PO, during which the UE 110 may monitor for paging. According to traditional operation, the UE 110 may enter the active mode of the data exchange process and monitor the PO, regardless of whether the network performs paging transmission during the PO. Exemplary embodiments reduce the power consumption associated with traditional operation by implementing wake-up signaling that can be used to control the paging reception behavior of the UE 110.

[0039] Exemplary embodiments are also described with reference to a paging mechanism that supports multi-beam operation. For multi-beam operation, the PO may include a set of PDCCH monitoring opportunities, each PDCCH monitoring opportunity including one or more time slots in which downlink control information (DCI) may be transmitted. The length of the PO may correspond to one cycle of beam scanning, and the UE 110 may assume that the paging message is included in all beams of the beam scanning pattern. Exemplary embodiments will describe how wake-up signaling can be used in combination with a paging mechanism that supports multi-beam operation.

[0040] Figure 3 An exemplary timing diagram 300 of the WUS opportunity according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. It will be described with reference to Figure 1 the network arrangement 100 of Figure 2 and the UE 110 of Figure 3 . The timing diagram 300 provides a general overview of how wake-up signaling can be used in combination with a paging mechanism. A specific example from the perspective of the UE 110 is provided below with reference to Figure 4 the method 400 of

[0041] The timing diagram 300 includes a line 310 representing time. Initially, consider a scenario in which the UE 110 camps on the gNB 120A and operates in the RRC idle state. During a first time period 312, a synchronization signal block (SSB) burst may be transmitted by the gNB 120A. In this example, the SSB burst includes a first SSB 301, a second SSB 302, a third SSB 303, and a fourth SSB 304. In some embodiments, each of the SSBs 301 - 304 may correspond to a different beam within the beam scanning pattern. Then, the UE 110 may select a beam for WUS and paging reception based on one or more of the SSBs 301 - 304.

[0042] During a second time period 314, a WUS opportunity 320 is scheduled. Similar to the concept of a PO opportunity, the UE 110 is configured to monitor for WUS during the WUS opportunity 320.

[0043] The network may transmit a WUS during the WUS occasion 320. In some embodiments, DCI (Downlink Control Information)-based wake-up signaling may be implemented. In this configuration, the WUS occasion 320 may represent a set of PDCCH monitoring occasions and may include multiple time slots (e.g., subframes or Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols) during which the WUS DCI may be transmitted. Within the WUS occasion 320, each monitoring occasion is associated with one of the SSBs 301 - 304. For multi-beam operation, the UE 110 may assume that the same WUS is repeated across all transmission beams within the same WUS occasion. The UE 110 may select one of the beams based on any suitable criterion.

[0044] During the WUS occasion 320, the UE 110 may monitor the WUS DCI. The monitoring may be performed based on a WUS-specific Radio Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI), the UE 110's paging RNTI (P-RNTI), or any other suitable indicator included in the WUS. In response to the WUS DCI, the UE 110 may decide whether to monitor for paging or use an inactive sleep mode during a subsequent PO 330.

[0045] In other embodiments, reference signal-based wake-up signaling may be implemented. In this configuration, the WUS occasion 320 may include multiple time slots during which one or more WUS reference signals may be transmitted. Within the WUS occasion 320, each monitoring occasion is associated with one of the SSBs 301 - 304. For multi-beam operation, the UE 110 may assume that the same WUS is repeated across all transmission beams within the same WUS occasion. The UE 110 may select one of the beams based on any suitable criterion.

[0046] During the WUS occasion 320, the UE 110 may monitor the WUS reference signal. In response to the WUS reference signal, the UE 110 may decide whether to monitor for paging or use an inactive sleep mode during a subsequent monitoring occasion 330.

[0047] Figure 4 A method 400 for WUS and paging reception according to various exemplary embodiments is shown. It will be described with reference to Figure 1 the network arrangement 100 and Figure 2 the UE 110 of Figure 4 .

[0048] Initially, consider a scenario where the UE 110 camps on the gNB 120A of the 5G NR RAN 120 and operates in the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state. The UE 110 may be further configured with a DRX cycle that includes one or more POs.

[0049] At 405, the UE 110 determines the temporal location of the WUS occasion and the temporal location of the PO. For example, the UE 110 may use traditional and / or standard-based techniques to determine when the PO scheduling occurs. In some embodiments, the WUS may be located at a predetermined offset from the PO, and thus, the WUS occasion can be derived once the PO is known. As another example, the WUS occasion and / or the PO location may be explicitly or implicitly indicated by the network using any suitable type of signaling. Specific examples of the relationship between the WUS occasion and the PO will be described below with reference to Figures 5 to 9 to describe specific examples of the relationship between the WUS occasion and the PO.

[0050] At 410, the UE 110 selects a beam for WUS reception. For example, in the context of the timing diagram 300, the UE 110 may receive the SSBs 301 - 304. As described above, each of the SSBs 301 - 304 may correspond to a different beam. Then, the UE 110 may select a beam based on one or more of the SSBs 301 - 304. The above examples are provided for illustrative purposes only, and the UE 110 may select a beam for WUS reception based on any suitable basis.

[0051] At 415, the UE 110 receives the WUS during the WUS occasion. As described above, DCI-based wake-up signaling or reference signal-based wake-up signaling may be implemented. Although not shown in the method 400, there may be scenarios where the UE 110 does not receive the WUS during the WUS occasion. If such a scenario occurs, then in some embodiments, the UE 110 may monitor paging in a conventional manner. In other embodiments, the network may configure the default state (e.g., wake or sleep) that the UE 110 will utilize during the PO via RRC signaling or any other suitable type of signaling.

[0052] At 420, the UE 110 determines the content of the WUS. For example, the WUS may indicate that a paging transmission for the UE 110 will be performed during the corresponding PO. As another example, the WUS may indicate that no paging transmission is scheduled for the UE 110. As will be explained in more detail below, the WUS may also include more specific information about the corresponding PO and / or the paging transmission.

[0053] At 425, the UE 110 may operate according to the content of the WUS during the corresponding PO. For example, if the WUS received at 420 indicates that a paging transmission for the UE 110 will be performed during the PO, then the UE 110 may wake up and enter the active mode of the data exchange process to monitor the paging transmission during the PO. In some embodiments, the WUS may indicate to the UE 110 to monitor only the paging DCI for short message reception. In other embodiments, the WUS may indicate to the UE 110 that both the paging DCI and the PDSCH will be monitored.

[0054] To provide another example, if the WUS indication received in 420 does not schedule a paging transmission for the PO, the UE 110 may use an inactive sleep mode during the PO and save power. Thus, the WUS may control the paging reception behavior of the UE 110.

[0055] The WUS may also be used to include more specific information regarding upcoming POs and / or paging transmissions. In some embodiments, the WUS may be configured to include an indication of the purpose of the upcoming paging transmission, such as system information update / modification, ETWS / CMAS indication, paging message, etc. This indication may provide a basis for how the UE 110 operates during the PO. To provide an example, if the WUS indicates that the upcoming PO will be used for paging message transmission, the UE 110 may use the P-RNTI to monitor the PDCCH during the PO to detect the scheduled paging message. To provide another example, if the WUS indicates that the corresponding PO will be used for paging transmission indicating system information update or an emergency message, the UE 110 may use an inactive sleep mode during the PO. Since the UE 110 already knows what the paging transmission will indicate, receiving the indication during the PO would be redundant. Alternatively, the UE 110 may save power during the PO and perform normal operations for system information update or emergency message reception.

[0056] In some embodiments, the WUS may be configured to include information such as service type, access type, paging type, and / or network slice information. This information may provide a basis for how the UE 110 operates during the PO. To provide an example, the WUS content may indicate that the corresponding paging transmission is related to non-3rd Generation Partnership Project (non-3GPP) access. If the UE 110 does not support non-3GPP access, the UE 110 does not need to monitor the PO because the paging transmission corresponding to non-3GPP access is irrelevant to the UE 110. As another example, the WUS content may indicate that the corresponding paging transmission is related to voice service. If the UE 110 is not configured for voice service or does not intend to access voice service at this time, the UE 110 does not need to monitor the PO because the paging transmission corresponding to voice service is irrelevant to the UE 110. Those skilled in the art will understand that this technique may be applicable to any other network service type.

[0057] As another example, the WUS content may indicate that the paging type is initiated by the RAN. Since the paging type initiated by the RAN is related to the RRC inactive state, if the UE 110 operates in the RRC inactive state, the UE 110 may monitor the PO, while if the UE 110 operates in the RRC idle state, it does not monitor the PO. Alternatively, the WUS content may indicate that the paging type is initiated by the core network. Since the paging type initiated by the core network is related to the RRC idle state, if the UE 110 operates in the RRC idle state, the UE 110 may monitor the PO, while if the UE 110 operates in the RRC inactive state, it does not monitor the PO.

[0058] As yet another example, the WUS content may indicate that the paging transmission is associated with a specific network slice. If the UE 110 is configured to support the relevant slice ID or network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI), the UE 110 may monitor paging during the PO. Otherwise, the UE 110 may go to sleep during the PO. The above examples are not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments in any way and are provided for illustrative purposes only. The UE 110 may use information such as service type, access type, paging type, and / or network slice information in any suitable way to determine whether to use an active mode for data exchange processing during the PO or an inactive sleep mode during the PO.

[0059] In some embodiments, the WUS may be configured to include UE information. This information may provide a basis for how the UE 110 operates during the PO. For example, the WUS may include the complete UE ID of the UE that is the intended recipient of the paging transmission. If the UE ID is relevant to the UE 110, the UE 110 may monitor the PO. Otherwise, the UE 110 may use an inactive sleep mode during the PO. As another example, the WUS may include a partial UE ID of the UE that is the intended recipient of the paging transmission (e.g., the (n) least significant bits (LSB) of the UE ID). If the partial UE ID is relevant to the UE 110, the UE 110 may monitor the PO. Otherwise, the UE 110 may use an inactive sleep mode during the PO. As yet another example, the WUS may include a WUS group ID. In some embodiments, the WUS group ID may be provided to the UE 110 via non-access stratum (NAS) signaling or RRC signaling. In other embodiments, the UE 110 may use predefined rules to generate the WUS group ID. Regardless of how the UE 110 derives the WUS group ID, if the WUS group ID is relevant to the UE 110, the UE 110 may monitor the PO. Otherwise, the UE 110 may use an inactive sleep mode during the PO.

[0060] Method 400 shows how the content of the WUS can be used to control the paging reception behavior of the UE 110. The following Figures 5 to 9To show different ways in which one or more WUS occasions can be associated with one or more POs.

[0061] Figure 5 An example of the relationship between a WUS occasion and a PO is shown when one WUS is configured to control a PO of a paging group according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 5 Includes three timing diagrams 510, 520, 530 each corresponding to a different configuration.

[0062] In some embodiments, the WUS occasion can be located at a preconfigured offset from the PO. Timing diagram 510 includes a line 511 representing time. The timing diagram also shows a WUS occasion 512 having a preconfigured offset 513 before its corresponding PO 514 and a WUS occasion 516 having a preconfigured offset 517 before its corresponding PO 518.

[0063] In some embodiments, for each PF or paging DRX cycle, all WUSs are transmitted before all POs. Timing diagram 520 includes a line 521 representing the time period of a single PF. The timing diagram also shows WUS occasions 522, 524 before their corresponding POs 526, 528 respectively.

[0064] In some embodiments, the WUS channel is before the corresponding monitoring occasion of its same beam. Timing diagram 530 includes a line 531 representing time. Timing diagram 530 includes a PO 540 and shows four WUS occasions 541 - 544 within the PO 540, each WUS occasion before their respective monitoring occasions 545 - 548.

[0065] To utilize the configurations shown in timing diagrams 510 - 530, UE 110 can initially use conventional techniques to determine the PO location. In some embodiments, the WUS occasion can be associated with the corresponding PO according to the RRC configuration. In other embodiments, the WUS occasion is the nearest WUS occasion before the corresponding PO. For example, in the timing diagram, WUS occasion 512 is associated with PO 514 and WUS occasion 516 is associated with PO 516. As described above with reference to method 400, the WUS received during the WUS occasion can be used to control the paging reception behavior of UE 110, such as the active mode of data exchange processing during the PO or the inactive sleep mode during the PO.

[0066] Figure 6 An example of the relationship between a WUS occasion and POs is shown when one WUS is configured to control multiple POs of a paging group according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 6 Includes timing diagram 610.

[0067] In some embodiments, the WUS occasion may be associated with (N) POs. Timing diagram 610 shows a line 611 representing time. In this example, the first WUS occasion 612 is associated with two POs 614 - 616, and the WUS occasion 618 is associated with three POs 620 - 624. The number (N) of POs and the identification of the POs may be configured by RRC signaling or indicated by WUS.

[0068] To utilize the configuration shown in timing diagram 610, UE 110 may initially determine its PO positions and WUS occasion positions. If WUS indicates that UE 110 is to wake up for paging monitoring, UE 110 may wake up and enter the active mode of the data exchange process to monitor the N POs. If WUS indicates that UE 110 is to sleep, UE 110 will sleep and not monitor the N POs. Within the N POs, UE 110 will not monitor the WUS occasion. After N consecutive POs, UE 110 will resume monitoring the WUS occasion.

[0069] Figure 7 An example of the relationship between the WUS occasion and the PO when one WUS is configured to control one PO of multiple paging groups is shown according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 7 Includes timing diagram 710.

[0070] In some embodiments, WUS may be used to indicate the wake - up / sleep state of multiple paging groups. Timing diagram 710 includes a line 711 representing time. In this example, the WUS occasion 712 is shown as including a WUS associated with PO 714 and PO 716. PO 714 is assigned to a first paging group, and PO 716 is assigned to a different second paging group. However, the reference to two paging groups is provided for illustrative purposes only, and this configuration can be used for any suitable one - to - (N) paging group mapping.

[0071] To utilize the configuration shown in timing diagram 710, UE 110 may initially determine its PO positions and WUS occasion positions. In some embodiments, WUS may indicate a common wake - up / sleep state for multiple paging groups. Thus, if WUS includes a wake - up indication, UEs of both paging groups will wake up and enter the active mode of the data exchange process during their respective POs. In other embodiments, WUS may indicate a separate wake - up / sleep state for each paging group. For example, WUS may include a set of bits. A first subset of one or more bits may be used to indicate whether the first paging group is to wake up or sleep during its corresponding PO, and a second subset of one or more bits may be used to indicate whether the second paging group is to wake up or sleep during its corresponding PO.

[0072] Figure 8Shows an example of the relationship between a WUS timing and a PO when one WUS is configured to control multiple POs of multiple paging groups according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 8 Includes timing diagram 810.

[0073] Timing diagram 810 includes a line 811 representing time. The WUS timing 812 can correspond to (N) paging groups and (x) consecutive POs for each paging group. Timing diagram 810 shows POs 814, 816 corresponding to the first paging group and POs 818, 820 corresponding to the second paging group.

[0074] In this example, UE 110 is in the first paging group. Thus, UE 110 can operate according to the WUS during POs 814, 816 (e.g., (x) consecutive POs). Similar to Figure 6 the example shown, within (x) consecutive paging group POs, UE 110 will not monitor the WUS timing. After (x) consecutive POs, UE 110 will resume monitoring the WUS timing.

[0075] UEs in the second paging group can operate according to the content of the WUS. Similar to Figure 7 the example shown, in some embodiments, the WUS can indicate a common wake / sleep state for multiple paging groups. Thus, if the WUS includes a wake indication, UEs in both paging groups will wake up and enter the active mode for data exchange processing during their respective POs. In other embodiments, the WUS can indicate a separate wake / sleep state for each paging group. For example, the WUS can include a set of bits. A first subset of one or more bits can be used to indicate whether the first paging group is awake or asleep during its corresponding PO, and a second subset of one or more bits can be used to indicate whether the second paging group is awake or asleep during its corresponding PO.

[0076] Figure 9 Shows an example of the relationship between a WUS timing and a PO when multiple WUS timings are configured to control one PO according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 9 Includes timing diagram 910.

[0077] Timing diagram 910 includes a line 911 representing time. In this example, PO 912 is associated with a WUS timing set 920 including multiple WUS timings 922 - 925.

[0078] During operation, the UE 110 may use conventional techniques to determine its PO location. The UE 110 may then determine the location of the WUS occasion set 920. Within the WUS occasion set 920, the UE 110 may find its WUS occasion based on its UE ID (e.g., 5G S-Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (TMSI) or any other suitable UE ID). The WUS occasion index may be set to be equal to UE ID mod N. For example, if there are four WUS occasions in the WUS occasion set, the LSB 2 bits of the UE ID are the WUS occasion index within the associated WUS occasion set.

[0079] To provide an example, consider a scenario where eight UEs are in the same paging group and are configured to use the WUS occasion set 920 and PO 912. In this example, the WUS occasion 922 is assigned to UEs 1 and 5, the WUS occasion 923 is assigned to UEs 2 and 6, the WUS occasion 924 is assigned to UEs 3 and 7, and the WUS occasion 925 is assigned to UEs 4 and 8. If the WUS occasion 922 indicates wake-up, UEs 1 and 5 will monitor paging during the PO 912, if the WUS occasion 923 indicates sleep, UEs 2 and 6 will sleep during the PO 912, if the WUS occasion 924 indicates wake-up, UEs 3 and 7 will monitor paging during the PO 912, and if the WUS occasion 925 indicates sleep, UEs 4 and 8 will sleep during the PO 912.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described exemplary embodiments can be implemented in any suitable software configuration or hardware configuration or a combination thereof. An exemplary hardware platform for implementing the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, an Intel x86-based platform with a compatible operating system, Windows OS, Mac platform, and MAC OS, a mobile device with an operating system such as iOS, Android, etc. The exemplary embodiments of the above methods may be embodied as a program including lines of code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which, when compiled, can be executed on a processor or a microprocessor.

[0081] Although this patent application describes various combinations of various embodiments each having different features, those skilled in the art will understand that any feature of one embodiment can be combined with the features of other embodiments in any manner not publicly negated or with features that are not functionally or logically inconsistent with the operation of the devices of the embodiments disclosed in the present invention or the functions thereof.

[0082] It is well known that the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements for maintaining user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of inadvertent or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of the authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0083] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the present disclosure without departing from the essence or scope thereof. Accordingly, the present disclosure is intended to cover modifications and variations of the present disclosure, provided that these modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method performed by a base station, comprising: Configuring a wake-up signal WUS that will be transmitted to a plurality of user equipments UE operating in a paging discontinuous reception DRX cycle, wherein a first group of UEs is associated with a first paging occasion PO, and a second group of UEs is associated with a second PO, wherein the WUS indicates whether the first group of UEs will wake up or remain in a dormant state during the first PO and whether the second group of UEs will wake up or remain in a dormant state during the second PO, wherein the WUS includes a first common indication for indicating whether the first group of UEs and the second group of UEs will wake up or remain in a dormant state for the respective first PO or second PO, wherein each of the first PO and the second PO includes a plurality of POs and wherein the WUS further includes a second common indication of the number of consecutive first POs and second POs to which the first common indication applies; Transmitting the WUS to the plurality of UEs.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the WUS is configured to include information related to a service type.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the WUS is configured to include information related to an access type.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the WUS is configured to include information related to a paging type.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the WUS is configured to include information indicating that the paging type is initiated by a radio access network RAN.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the WUS is configured to include network slice information.

7. A method performed by a base station, comprising: Transmitting one or more synchronization signals, wherein the synchronization signals correspond to a wake-up signal WUS that will be transmitted to the UE when the user equipment UE operates in a paging discontinuous reception DRX cycle, the paging DRX cycle including a paging occasion PO; And Transmitting the WUS to the UE at least during a WUS occasion, wherein when the WUS includes a group ID, the WUS indicates that the UE uses an active mode during the PO, and when the WUS does not include the group ID, the WUS indicates that the UE uses a dormant mode during the PO, wherein transmitting the WUS to the UE includes transmitting a plurality of beams each including the same WUS during the WUS occasion.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the WUS is transmitted in a physical downlink control channel PDCCH as downlink control information DCI.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the WUS is scheduled via one of a WUS specific radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) for the UE or a paging radio network temporary identifier (P-RNTI) for the UE.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the WUS occasion is associated with the PO based on a predefined timing offset.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the paging DRX cycle comprises a plurality of WUS occasions, and each WUS occasion is temporally located before any PO included in a paging frame.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the UE is included in a first paging group, and wherein the WUS occasion is associated with the first paging group and a different second paging group.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the WUS comprises i) an indication common to both the first paging group and the different second paging group or ii) a first indication for the first paging group and a different second indication for the different second paging group.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the WUS occasion is included in a set of WUS occasions, and each WUS occasion in the set of WUS occasions is associated with the same PO.

15. A method performed by a base station, comprising: configuring a wake-up signal WUS to be transmitted to a plurality of user equipments UE operating in a paging discontinuous reception DRX cycle, wherein a first group of UEs is associated with a first paging occasion PO and a second group of UEs is associated with a second PO, wherein the WUS indicates whether the first group of UEs will wake up or remain dormant during the first PO and whether the second group of UEs will wake up or remain dormant during the second PO, wherein the WUS comprises a first indication for indicating whether the first group of UEs will wake up or remain dormant for the first PO and a second indication for indicating whether the second group of UEs will wake up or remain dormant for the second PO, wherein each of the first PO and the second PO comprises a plurality of POs and wherein the WUS further comprises a first common indication of the number of consecutive first POs to which the first indication applies and the number of consecutive second POs to which the second indication applies; transmitting the WUS to the plurality of UEs.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the WUS is configured to comprise information related to a service type.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the WUS is configured to comprise information related to an access type.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the WUS is configured to comprise information related to a paging type.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the WUS is configured to comprise information indicating that the paging type is RAN-initiated.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein the WUS is configured to comprise network slice information.

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