Cell barring for paging based on wake-up signal

Abstract

The present disclosure relates, inter alia, to a network node. The network node may include at least one processor. The network node may also include at least one memory storing instructions. The instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, may cause the network node to at least perform sending cell barring information to the at least one user equipment, the cell barring information indicating at least partial barring of the cell due to the one or more wake-up signal resources being unavailable in the cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various example embodiments relate to wireless communication networks, and more specifically to aspects of wake-up signal-based paging in such networks. This disclosure particularly relates to aspects of wake-up signal-based paging for cell selection or reselection processes. Background Technology

[0002] Enhanced energy efficiency for wireless terminals (or user equipment, UEs) operating in various wireless communication networks is generally desirable, particularly for UEs with battery life targets of weeks, months, or even years. Paging mechanisms using wake-up signals (WUS) can help enable more energy-efficient UE operation within wireless communication networks. Examples of wireless communication networks include cellular networks, such as those operating under Long Term Evolution (LTE) or 5G radio access technologies. 5G radio access technology can also be referred to as New Radio (NR) access technology. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is developing standards for both LTE and 5G / NR. One of the topics currently being researched within 3GPP involves further reducing the energy consumption of UEs operating in the aforementioned wireless communication networks. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Paging with a wake-up signal, hereinafter also referred to as wake-up signal-based (WUS) paging, has been introduced in 3GPPRel. 15 to reduce UE power consumption. In WUS-based paging, the wireless communication network (e.g., one or more network nodes) triggers UE wake-up when necessary by sending a WUS to the UE (e.g., by turning on its primary radio transceiver). Reception of the WUS at the UE can be monitored, for example, by a dedicated low-power WUS receiver included in the UE (e.g., a receiver that consumes less power than the UE's primary radio transceiver). During this monitoring, the UE's primary radio transceiver can, for example, remain in sleep mode or even be completely powered off, and can be activated solely based on or in response to receiving a WUS from at least one network node. In this way, energy can be saved when operating a WUS-enabled UE in a wireless communication network that provides WUS-based paging, thereby increasing UE battery life.

[0004] A wireless communication network may include multiple cells, each of which may cover at least a portion of the geographical area served by the wireless communication network. Thus, each cell may be served by at least one base station / network node (e.g., gNB or eNB) of the wireless communication network. In 3GPP Rel. 15, a single WUS is supported in each cell, and when a paging message is present for any UE in that cell, the (single) WUS is sent to all UEs in that cell. As a result, some UEs will be incorrectly woken up, leading to unnecessary power consumption.

[0005] To mitigate this issue, various subgrouping strategies for WUS-based paging have been discussed in 3GPP (e.g., grouping UEs in a cell into subgroups and waking up only UEs in each subgroup). One such strategy is paging with a group wake-up signal, also referred to below as group wake-up signal-based (GWUS) paging, which was introduced in 3GPP Rel. 16. In GWUS-based paging, UEs in a cell are divided into multiple pre-configured groups. The GWUS is different for each group, and the GWUS for a particular group is only sent if a paging message for any UE belonging to that group exists. This method reduces false wake-ups compared to WUS-based paging specified in 3GPP Rel. 15.

[0006] A UE that supports GWUS and attempts to establish a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection after cell (re)selection receives GWUS information (e.g., as gwus-Config) as part of the RRC information (e.g., in the RRC Information Element (IE)). Based on this GWUS information, the UE then determines the WUS group set corresponding to its paging probability and selects the WUS group to monitor.

[0007] However, there is a possibility that all resources of a specific desired WUS group set have already been allocated and / or are being used by other UEs in that cell. As a result, the UE will not be able to use the desired WUS group set for GWUS-based paging.

[0008] Another subgrouping strategy for WUS-based paging has been specified in 3GPP Rel. 17 as Early Paging Indication (PEI). In PEI, UEs monitoring the same Paging Opportunity (PO) can be grouped into one or more subgroups. Through this subgroup, the UE monitors the associated PO (only) when the corresponding bit of the subgroup to which the UE belongs is indicated as 1 (e.g., as "true") in the PEI corresponding to that PO. Subgroups can be core network (CN) controlled (e.g., network implementation specific), or based on UE identifier (ID) (e.g., randomized based on UE IMSI value), or a combination of both.

[0009] However, in this scenario, the maximum number of UEs that can obtain WUS indications is limited by the maximum number of WUS groups supported in the cell (e.g., limited by WUS Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) and Spread Spectrum (SS-CDM) codes) and the maximum number of UEs supported in each group (limited by the WUS payload size). As a result, there is a possibility that all wake-up signaling resources in the cell are unavailable, particularly given the possibility that wake-up signaling resources are already being used by other UEs in the cell.

[0010] Therefore, it is necessary to inform the UE about the availability / unavailability of WUS / GWUS resources in the cell, for example, before or during cell selection, so that the UE can utilize this information during cell (re)selection. For example, a (G)WUS-based paging UE can prefer non-prohibited cells (e.g., cells providing (G)WUS-based paging) rather than prohibited cells (e.g., cells without available (G)WUS resources) during cell (re)selection. In this way, the expected power consumption of UEs in the cell can be reduced because more (G)WUS-based paging UEs can utilize cells providing (G)WUS-based paging.

[0011] In view of the foregoing, certain embodiments of this disclosure allow the transmission / reception of cell prohibition information indicating a prohibition of a cell due to the unavailability of one or more WUS resources in the cell, and the use of this cell prohibition information during the cell selection process. In this way, certain embodiments of this disclosure can advantageously allow for a reduction in the expected power consumption of a UE operating in a wireless communication network.

[0012] According to a first exemplary aspect, a network node is disclosed. The network node may include at least one processor. The network node may also include at least one memory storing instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions may cause the network node to send a cell block information to at least one user equipment, the cell block information indicating at least a partial block of at least one cell due to the unavailability of one or more wake-up signal resources in the cell.

[0013] According to a second exemplary aspect, a user equipment is disclosed. The user equipment may include at least one processor. The user equipment may also include at least one memory storing instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the instructions may cause the user equipment to receive cell blocking information or indication from a network node, the cell blocking information or indication indicating at least a partial blocking of the cell due to the unavailability of one or more wake-up signaling resources in the cell.

[0014] For each exemplary aspect, a corresponding method is also disclosed.

[0015] Therefore, according to a first exemplary aspect, a method performed by a network node is disclosed. The method may include sending a cell prohibition message to at least one user equipment, the cell prohibition message indicating at least a partial prohibition of the cell due to the unavailability of one or more wake-up signaling resources in the cell.

[0016] According to a second exemplary aspect, a method performed by a user equipment is disclosed. The method may include receiving cell prohibition information or indication from a network node, the cell prohibition information or indication indicating at least partial prohibition of the cell due to the unavailability of one or more wake-up signaling resources in the cell.

[0017] Any disclosed device (user equipment, network node) can be a fixed or mobile device. User equipment can be, in particular, terminal devices such as mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, wearables, smartwatches, low-power devices, ultra-low-power devices, IoT devices, IIoT devices, vehicles, trucks, drones, aircraft, etc. User equipment can, in particular, be capable of communicating (sending and / or receiving signals and / or data) with one or more other user equipments and / or with one or more network nodes (such as base stations of wireless communication networks). Typically, user equipment can be any device capable of communicating with a wireless communication network and / or with another user equipment.

[0018] A network node can be understood as a wireless communication station installed at a fixed or mobile location, and in particular, can be or include an entity of a wireless access network for a wireless communication system. For example, a network node can be, includes, or is part of a base station of a wireless communication network of any generation of 3GPP standards (e.g., gNB, gNB-CU, gNB-DU, eNodeB, NodeB, BTS, etc.). Typically, a network node can be or includes hardware or software components that implement a specific function. For example, in one example, a network node can be a Location Management Function (LMF). In one example, a network node can be an entity defined by the 3GPP 5G or NR standards (also known as a gNB). Therefore, while a network node can be understood as being implemented in a single device or module, or as a single device or module, a network node can also be implemented across multiple devices or modules or include multiple devices or modules. Thus, a network node can be implemented in a fixed device or a fixed device in particular. Multiple network nodes in the exemplary aspect can, in particular, establish a wireless communication system or network, which can be, in particular, an NR or 5G system (5GS) or any other wireless communication system defined by past or future standards, especially successors to current 3GPP standards. The network nodes of the exemplary aspect may be able to communicate directly and / or indirectly with the user equipment of the exemplary aspect.

[0019] The disclosed device or apparatus may include components for performing the described functions or actions. Any component or function of the disclosed device or apparatus (i.e., any of the user equipment and network nodes) may be implemented in hardware and / or software. They may include one or more modules or units that provide the corresponding functionality. For example, they may include at least one processor for executing computer program code to perform the desired function, at least one memory for storing the program code, or both. For example, they may include a circuit system designed to perform the desired function, such as implemented in a chipset or chip (such as an integrated circuit). Typically, the component may include, for example, one or more processing components or processors.

[0020] Specific components may be used to implement specific functions / features, such as a transmitting component for sending cell prohibition information to at least one user equipment, the cell prohibition information indicating at least partial prohibition of a cell due to the unavailability of one or more wake-up signaling resources in the cell (this component may be included, for example, by a network node). Other examples of specific components may include, for example, a receiving component for receiving cell prohibition information from a network node, the cell prohibition information indicating at least partial prohibition of a cell due to the unavailability of one or more wake-up signaling resources in the cell (this component may be included, for example, by a user equipment).

[0021] Therefore, in each case, a corresponding apparatus (i.e., user equipment and network node) is also disclosed according to various exemplary aspects of this disclosure, including components for performing the methods according to the respective aspects of this disclosure.

[0022] However, any of the exemplary aspects disclosed above can generally be performed by an apparatus, which may be a module or component for a device, such as a chip. The disclosed apparatus may include the disclosed components, such as parts, processors, and memory, or may also include one or more additional components.

[0023] According to exemplary aspects of this disclosure, in each case a computer program is also disclosed, including instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the method of the corresponding aspect.

[0024] In each case, a computer program can be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, particularly a tangible and / or non-transitory medium. A computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, a disk or memory. The computer program can be stored in the computer-readable storage medium in the form of instructions encoded in the computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be used to participate in the operation of a device, such as internal or external memory, such as a computer's read-only memory (ROM) or hard disk, or for the distribution of programs, such as on an optical disc.

[0025] Therefore, according to exemplary aspects of this disclosure, in each case a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program of the corresponding aspect stored thereon is also disclosed.

[0026] User equipment (UE) can connect to or be able to connect to one or more network nodes, particularly via a wireless communication link (also known as an air interface), such as, for example, a 5G / NR Uu interface. Connecting to or being able to connect to a network node can, for example, mean that the UE is able to send / receive information and / or signals to / from the network node. Similarly, a network node can be able to send / receive information and / or signals to / from the UE.

[0027] As used herein, a cell may, for example, cover at least a portion of a geographical area served by a wireless communication network, particularly enabling radio service to be provided for at least a portion of that geographical area. A cell may, for example, be associated with (e.g., served by) at least one network node. A serving cell may, for example, be understood as providing radio service within that cell. Therefore, a network node serving a cell may, for example, provide radio service within that cell. In one example, a network node may be associated with a cell (e.g., serving cell).

[0028] Cell prohibition can be understood as meaning that the user equipment (UE) is not allowed to (re)select a cell during cell (re)selection, is not allowed to connect to a cell, and / or is not allowed to camp on a cell. Therefore, a prohibited cell can be specifically defined as a cell where the UE is not allowed to camp. Camping on a cell can be understood as meaning that the UE has completed the cell selection / reselection process and has selected a cell. In the latter case, the UE monitors system information and (in most cases) paging information. Therefore, the described method can be understood as an access prohibition mechanism for WUS or WUS-based paging. Cell prohibition information can be understood as providing the UE with information about cells that are at least partially prohibited. Cell prohibition information can also be referred to as cell prohibition configuration. Cell prohibition information about a specific cell can be sent by the cell itself. Therefore, cell prohibition information can indicate prohibition of the cell sending the cell prohibition information. As will be further detailed below, cell prohibition information can be broadcast, for example, in the SIB1 of the cell. The UE can also receive an indication that the cell is prohibited due to one or more wake-up signaling resources being unavailable in the cell. Such an indication can be implicit. For example, if a signal that is expected to include cell prohibition information (such as SIB1) does not include any cell prohibition information about WUS, the user equipment may take this as an indication that the cell is considered prohibited.

[0029] User equipment (UE) may receive cell prohibition information or indications before or during the cell selection process. This enables UE to utilize the cell prohibition information or indications for the cell (re)selection process and, for example, to implement appropriate cell (re)selection strategies, as will be described in more detail below. As used herein, the cell selection process will be understood to refer to both cell selection and cell reselection.

[0030] A cell can be partially disabled to mean that the cell can be disabled only with respect to specific wake-up signaling resources (e.g., resources used for a specific GWUS). For example, a cell can be disabled only with respect to specific user equipment, such as user equipment that requires specific wake-up signaling resources (e.g., resources used for a specific GWUS).

[0031] Typically, a cell can have one or more resources configured and available for use as a wake-up signal. Therefore, a cell can typically support WUS and / or GWUS-based paging. However, because wake-up signal resources are limited and, in particular, used or occupied by other UEs, wake-up signal resources may be currently or temporarily unavailable for other UEs in the corresponding cell. Therefore, cell prohibition information can specifically indicate the temporary or current unavailability of wake-up signal resources.

[0032] In one example, a cell prohibition message could indicate a prohibition of a cell due to the unavailability of all wake-up signaling resources. In one example, the cell typically supports wake-up signals or wake-up signal-based paging, but currently all wake-up signaling resources are occupied, making them unavailable. In another example, the cell typically does not support wake-up signals or wake-up signal-based paging, making no wake-up signaling resources available in this case. In any case, the user equipment can then consider the cell prohibited and can take this information into account during cell selection. In one example, a cell prohibition message could indicate a prohibition of a cell due to the unavailability of a specific wake-up signaling resource. Similarly, a cell prohibition message could also indicate that a cell is not prohibited because one or more wake-up signaling resources are available in the cell.

[0033] Wake-up signal resources are particularly useful for paging based on wake-up signals or group wake-up signals. In the absence of available or properly configured wake-up signal resources, a cell may be unable to perform WUS or GWUS-based paging.

[0034] In one example, a user equipment (UE) may perform a cell selection process based on received cell prohibition information or indications. The UE may receive cell prohibition information during or before the cell selection process. For example, if the received cell prohibition information indicates that a cell is prohibited (e.g., because no wake-up signaling resource is available for the cell or because the cell does not have a specific wake-up signaling resource required by the UE), the UE may not select or reselect the prohibited cell during the cell (re)selection process. If the received cell prohibition information indicates that a cell is not prohibited (e.g., because the cell does have a wake-up signaling resource available or because the cell does have a specific wake-up signaling resource required by the UE), the UE may select or reselect the prohibited cell (or at least consider the cell as a candidate cell) during the cell (re)selection process.

[0035] In one example, the sent cell ban message indicates one or more banned paging probabilities, which indicate a ban on a cell for a user equipment (e.g., any) associated with at least one of the one or more banned paging probabilities.

[0036] Therefore, in one example, a user equipment (UE) can determine, based on received cell prohibition information, that a cell is prohibited for a UE associated with at least one of the prohibited paging probabilities included in the received cell prohibition information (and a cell selection process can be performed). The UE can determine that it is associated with at least one of the prohibited paging probabilities. The UE can then treat the cell as prohibited during the cell selection process. For example, the UE can therefore not select or reselect a prohibited cell during the cell (re)selection process.

[0037] However, in one example, the user equipment may also determine that it is not associated with at least one of the prohibited paging probabilities (but is associated with an unprohibited paging probability). The user equipment can then use the cell during the cell selection process. For example, the user equipment may select or reselect the cell or consider it as a candidate cell during the cell (re)selection process.

[0038] Paging probability can be understood as the probability that a corresponding UE needs to be paged. In one example, at least one of the one or more prohibited paging probabilities (e.g., each) is associated with and / or identifies a wake-up signal group or set for which no wake-up signal resources are available. For example, paging probability can be or can indicate a probability threshold. A paging probability threshold can correspond to a paging probability group (e.g., as defined in TS 36.304 v17.4.0). A WUS group can be a set of WUS groups (e.g., also as defined in TS 36.304 v17.4.0). For example, paging probability can be indicated by one or more of the values ​​p20, p30, p40, p50, p60, p70, p80, p90, which correspond to paging probabilities of 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90%.

[0039] For example, a group or set of groups where no wake-up signal resources are available can be, in particular, a group or set of groups where all wake-up signal resources are already in use or occupied (e.g. by other user devices).

[0040] In one example, at least one of the one or more prohibited paging probabilities (e.g., each) is associated with and / or identifies a wake-up signal group or set for which the cell does not support wake-up signal-based paging, and / or for which no wake-up signal resources are configured in the cell. Therefore, while a cell may typically support WUS or GWUS-based paging, it may not be configured or supported for all groups or sets.

[0041] In one example, the sent cell prohibition message indicates that the cell is prohibited for user equipment (which can currently perform cell selection and) requires paging based on wake-up signals because all wake-up signaling resources of the cell are unavailable. The wake-up signaling resources of the cell can be used or occupied (e.g., by other user equipment).

[0042] Therefore, in one example, a user equipment (UE) may determine, based on received cell prohibition information or indication, that the cell is prohibited for UEs requiring wake-signal-based paging (and capable of performing a cell selection process) because all wake-signal resources for that cell are unavailable. As described above, in one example, the cell typically supports wake-signals or wake-signal-based paging, but currently all wake-signal resources are occupied, making all wake-signal resources unavailable. In another example, the cell typically does not support wake-signals or wake-signal-based paging, resulting in no wake-signal resources being available. The UE may treat the cell as prohibited during the selection process.

[0043] However, in one example, a user equipment (UE) may determine, based on received cell prohibition information, that the cell has not been prohibited for a UE performing a cell selection process and requiring paging based on a wake-up signal because the cell's wake-up signal resources are available. The UE may then select or reselect the cell or consider it a candidate cell during the cell (re)selection process.

[0044] In one example, a network node may use packets for receiving wake-up signal enable paging for a user equipment (UE). For example, the packet may be based on the paging probability for the corresponding UE, as described above. For example, the packet may be based on the identifier of the corresponding UE (a packet based on the UE ID). For example, group selection may be randomized based on the UE identifier (e.g., UE IMSI). Additionally or alternatively, the packet may be based on a decision made by the core network (CN) for the corresponding UE.

[0045] In one example, cell prohibition information is sent (and received) as a broadcast signal. For example, cell prohibition information can be sent (and received) as a portion of a System Information Block (SIB) (or within a System Information Block). For example, cell prohibition information can be sent (and received) as a port of a Type 1 System Information Block (SIB1) (or within a Type 1 System Information Block).

[0046] In one example, a network node can maintain wake-up signaling resources that have been allocated to one or more user equipments. Therefore, sending cell disable information may not affect user equipments that have already been allocated wake-up signaling resources.

[0047] In one example, the user equipment may include a master radio and a wake-up receiver. The wake-up receiver can be configured to receive a wake-up signal from a network node on the cell's wake-up signal resources when the master radio is off or in sleep mode. The master radio may consume more power than the wake-up receiver when it is on. The wake-up receiver may, in particular, be a low-power or ultra-low-power wake-up receiver. When the wake-up receiver receives a wake-up signal from the cell, it can trigger (e.g., wake up or turn on) the master radio. The wake-up receiver can operate in an always-on or duty-cycle manner.

[0048] It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are presented by way of example only and are not restrictive.

[0049] In this document, the disclosure of method steps should also be regarded as the disclosure of components used to perform the corresponding method steps. Similarly, the disclosure of components used to perform method steps should also be regarded as the disclosure of the method steps themselves.

[0050] Other features of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that the drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to define limitations of this disclosure, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale and are intended only to conceptually illustrate the structures and processes described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0051] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which...

[0052] Figure 1 Network nodes and various user devices are illustrated exemplarily;

[0053] Figure 2 Example embodiments of the method according to this disclosure are shown;

[0054] Figure 3 Another example embodiment of the method according to this disclosure is shown;

[0055] Figure 4 An example of a signaling flowchart related to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure is shown;

[0056] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the resource usage of various exemplary WUS groups is shown;

[0057] Figure 6 A block diagram showing an example of a network node is provided.

[0058] Figure 7 A block diagram of an example user device is shown; and

[0059] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of a tangible and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0060] The following description is intended to enhance understanding of this disclosure and should be understood as supplementing and reading in conjunction with the description of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provided in the foregoing summary section of this specification.

[0061] The following describes example wireless communication systems to which this disclosure may be applied. While the specific radio systems in the examples below are 5G / NR systems, they are considered to be non-limiting examples only.

[0062] Figure 1 Examples of multiple UEs 210, 220, 230 (examples of user equipment according to the exemplary aspect) and gNB 100 (example of a network node according to the exemplary aspect) are illustrated. In general, the gNB establishes a wireless communication system or network to serve the geographical area where the UE is located.

[0063] The gNB 100 can operate one or more cells, providing radio coverage for UEs 210, 220, and 230. More specifically, UEs 210, 220, and 230 can connect to the gNB 100 via radio links 10, 20, and 30, respectively (e.g., corresponding to the 5G / NR Uu interface). Any of radio links 10, 20, and 30 can be used to send and receive information and signals (such as cell prohibition information) between the respective devices.

[0064] At some point in time, UEs 210, 220, and 230 may move from a first location to a second location. This may require the UE to perform cell selection or reselection. Therefore, during the UE's movement, for example, a handover from one gNB (or corresponding cell) to another gNB (or corresponding cell) may need to be performed.

[0065] The methods described in this paper will now focus specifically on energy saving for UEs 210, 220, and 230, and particularly on UEs or devices with battery life targets of several weeks or even years. This includes devices without continuous power sources, such as UEs using small, rechargeable and non-rechargeable single coin cells, such as those used in vertical use cases (including widely deployed sensors and actuators for monitoring, measurement, charging, etc.). Typically, their batteries are non-rechargeable and expected to last at least several years. Furthermore, this includes wearable devices such as smartwatches, rings, electronic health-related devices, and medical monitoring devices, for which maintaining a typical battery capacity for 1-2 weeks (if required) is challenging.

[0066] Some of the UE types mentioned above (such as sensors, actuators, and wearables) not only require long battery life but also require latency-critical services (such as sensors used for fire detection and extinguishing, for example). Therefore, solutions such as eDRX (which allows extended UE wake-up to monitor paging periodicity, which in turn reduces average power consumption) are unsuitable because eDRX would result in unacceptable communication latency.

[0067] One option to further reduce the power consumption of UEs 210, 220, and 230 is to use a separate low-power wake-up receiver at the UE. The intention is that the UE's main radio can be in sleep mode (or even powered off) to save power and is only activated when a wake-up signal is received from the network.

[0068] Essentially, the network triggers UE wake-up precisely when needed in an event-driven manner by sending a special WUS to the UE, which is monitored by a dedicated low-power WUS receiver at the UE. When the UE receives the WUS, the WUS receiver can trigger the wake-up of the regular NR transceiver and communication can begin. Thus, the ultra-low power receiver wakes up the main radio, which is otherwise off or in deep sleep mode.

[0069] The assumption is that a low-power wake-up receiver can operate with very low power consumption in a always-on or duty-cycle manner. In fact, it is expected to consume significantly less power than an NR transceiver by designing a simple (WUS) signal and using dedicated hardware for its monitoring, which can only receive WUS signals.

[0070] The following sections will describe different grouping strategies that can be used in conjunction with the methods described in this disclosure.

[0071] A single WUS can be supported within a cell. A WUS is sent when a paging message for any UE in the cell is available. However, this leads to false wake-ups for most UEs, resulting in unnecessary power consumption.

[0072] Therefore, in Group WUS (GWUS) operation, UEs are assigned to multiple pre-configured groups. GWUS is sent when a paging message is available for any UE belonging to the corresponding group. GWUS is different for each group. Compared to WUS operation, it reduces false wake-ups. GWUS configuration is provided in the system information.

[0073] Multiple resources can be configured for GWUS. Up to two orthogonal WUS resources (eMTC and NB-IoT) can be configured in the time domain, while up to two orthogonal WUS resources (eMTC only) can be configured in the frequency domain. Both options can be configured simultaneously for a maximum of four orthogonal WUS resources. Three orthogonal WUS resources can be configured when configuring Rel-15 WUS. WUS resources can be contiguous in the time / frequency domain. One of the WUS resources can be shared between Rel-15 WUS and Rel-16 GWUS (spread spectrum code division multiplexing). Notably, a UE can monitor GWUS in only one WUS resource location.

[0074] GWUS transmissions for different groups can be multiplexed. Signals can be sent to UEs in multiple groups across different resources before the paging time (PO). A common WUS can be configured for a WUS resource to wake up UEs in all groups monitoring GWUS within that resource. Therefore, UEs can monitor both group-specific GWUS and the common WUS.

[0075] If paging probabilities are configured, the UE can also determine WUS groups based on the paging probabilities (e.g., as defined in Table 7.5.2.1, TS36.304). The total number of WUS groups can be equal to the number of different types of paging probabilities. WUS groups can be assigned to WUS group 1 first, then WUS group 2, and so on. If configured, the UE can determine the WUS group corresponding to its paging probability PNAS (e.g., as defined in Table 7.5.2-1, TS 36.304). If PNAS is not configured, the UE can select a WUS group with an index equal to the number of entries in the probability threshold list + 1.

[0076] UEs that support GWUS (e.g., as specified in TS 36.331) and attempt to establish an RRC connection after cell (re)selection can receive gwus-Config in the RRC IE. Using this, the UE can determine the WUS group set corresponding to its paging probability. After selecting the WUS group set, the UE can select the WUS groups to monitor (e.g., as specified in TS 36.304). However, there is a possibility that all resources of the WUS groups within the WUS group set have already been allocated to other UEs in that cell. In this case, the UE will not be able to use WUS operating mode. Therefore, it is necessary to inform the UE in advance about the availability / unavailability of GWUS resources in the cell so that they can utilize this information during cell (re)selection.

[0077] Alternatively, the UE packets used to receive paging instructions enabling WUS can be CN-based (i.e., network implementation-specific), UE ID-based (i.e., randomized based on UE IMSI values), or a combination of both. Even in this case, the maximum number of UEs receiving WUS instructions will be limited by the maximum number of WUS groups supported in the cell (limited by WUS PRB and SS-CDM codes) and the maximum number of UEs supported in a group (limited by WUS payload size). Therefore, UEs need to be notified in advance of the availability / unavailability of WUS resources in the cell so that they can utilize this information during cell (re)selection.

[0078] Therefore, the problem addressed in this disclosure may be how to notify the UE performing cell (re)selection of the unavailability of the WUS set identified by their respective paging probabilities, or the unavailability of any WUS resources, in the system information.

[0079] The probability that its group resources are unavailable for paging of a new UE can be referred to as the prohibited paging probability.

[0080] The following example scenarios can further illustrate the problems addressed in this disclosure:

[0081] During cell (re)selection, a UE with LP-WUS capability can find two cells that meet the cell (re)selection criteria, i.e. 1) Cell 1 meets the Q criterion, but does not support LP-WUS operating mode; 2) Cell 2 satisfies the Q criterion, but WUS / GWUS resources are exhausted.

[0082] However, since the UE is unaware that cell 2 has exhausted its WUS / GWUS resources, it will only evaluate the two available cells using conventional criteria. Nevertheless, in the scenario described above, cell 2 would be a better candidate for cell selection than cell 1, as cell 2 typically offers LP-WUS features and can accommodate and enable the UE in LP-WUS operating mode when resources become available (or become available again).

[0083] Therefore, it is desirable to indicate the unavailability of WUS / GWUS resources to the UE so that the UE can take this information into account when evaluating cell (re)selection. As will be described in more detail below, the method described herein allows the UE to be notified of the above scenario and enables them to take this information into account when making cell (re)selection.

[0084] Example embodiments of this disclosure are described in Figure 2 , 3 As shown in Figure 4.

[0085] Figure 2 An example embodiment 300 of the method according to the first exemplary aspect is shown. Method 300 can be performed, for example, by a network node according to the first exemplary aspect. More specifically, the network node sends a cell blocking message, action 310, to at least one user equipment. This blocking message can indicate at least a partial blocking of the cell due to the unavailability of one or more wake-up signal resources in the cell.

[0086] therefore, Figure 3 An example embodiment 400 of the method according to the second exemplary aspect is now shown. Method 400 can be performed, for example, by a user equipment according to the second exemplary aspect. More specifically, the user equipment may receive cell prohibition information or indication from a network node, which indicates a potential prohibition of a cell. The cell prohibition information or indication may indicate at least a partial prohibition of the cell due to the unavailability of one or more wake-up signaling resources in the cell. For example, the user equipment may then use the received cell prohibition information or indication during a cell selection process.

[0087] like Figure 4As shown, the UE (such as UE210, 220, 230) may have previously initiated a cell (re)selection process, action 501. The UE may then receive corresponding cell prohibition information from one or more neighboring cells in SIB1, action 502, as just described. This information can then be used in the cell (re)selection process, action 503.

[0088] Network nodes can, for example, broadcast cell prohibition information specifically for new UEs performing cell (re)selection. For instance, cell prohibition configurations can be applied to GWUS associated with a specific paging probability / UE group or to each WUS resource within a cell.

[0089] For example, in one scenario, a cell prohibition configuration could indicate that the cell may not support paging, or that it may not have sufficient resources to accommodate additional users within a specific WUS group set corresponding to the prohibited paging probability.

[0090] For example, in another scenario, cell disallow configuration can indicate that the cell has no further WUS resources available to accommodate additional UEs that require WUS-enabled paging.

[0091] In either case, the UE can utilize this information, particularly during cell (re)selection, to implement an appropriate cell (re)selection strategy. However, the aforementioned information preferably does not affect existing UEs that already have allocated WUS resources.

[0092] Cell prohibition information can be broadcast, in particular, in SIB1. To this end, one or more new fields within SIB1 (such as SIB1-v1800-IEs) can contain cell prohibition configurations for GWUS resources related to a specific paging probability or for all WUS resources of the cell.

[0093] To more closely examine the cell search or selection on the UE side to form a list of candidate cells, the UE first decodes the Master Information Block (MIB) and checks if the cell is normally banned. If it is normally banned, the UE stops here. Otherwise, the UE moves to the next step of decoding SIB1 using the parameters in the MIB. If the decoding of SIB1 is successful, the UE stores the information and then moves to the next step. Therefore, in this way, the decoding of the MIB and SIB can be used in the process of evaluating whether a cell can be a candidate for cell (re)election purposes. Thus, if a cell cannot support specific characteristics of the UE, the cell can broadcast this information via the SIB1 IE. In this disclosure, the SIB1 IE can be used to broadcast information related to the unavailability of WUS resources.

[0094] Looking more closely at the concept of a WUS group, it can be identified by a specific paging probability and comprise a WUS group. Each WUS group (GWUS) can, in turn, be identified by a combination of a Physical Resource Block (PRB) and a Spreading Code (SS-CDM). The gNB can use GWUS resources to simultaneously send WUS indications to multiple UEs monitoring that GWUS. The WUS payload can contain UE-specific fields. Therefore, the number of UEs monitoring the GWUS can be limited by the size of the WUS payload. It's possible that all resources in a specific WUS group A (with a paging probability pA) are allocated to different UEs, such as IoT users. In this scenario, additional UEs with the same paging probability pA may not be able to utilize the WUS because the associated WUS resources are unavailable.

[0095] However, using the method described herein, the UE can be notified of resource unavailability via system broadcast. This information can then be used by the UE to make an informed decision about suitable candidate cells for cell (re)selection.

[0096] In one embodiment, the NW can signal a field in the SIB1 IE that prohibits a specific paging probability. Upon receiving such a field, a UE performing cell reselection with GWUS capability and one of the prohibited paging probabilities can treat the cell as if the GWUS-based paging indication is prohibited, and can subsequently implement an appropriate cell reselection strategy.

[0097] Go to Figure 5 The diagram illustrates WUS grouping resource 610, which can be associated with a specific paging probability. Only resource 611 is occupied or unavailable. However, WUS grouping resources 612-614 remain available. Therefore, GWUS cell prohibition information can indicate that the resource for the corresponding paging probability is available and the corresponding paging probability is not prohibited. Conversely, for WUS grouping resource 620, which can be associated with another paging probability, all WUS grouping resources 621-624 are unavailable. Therefore, GWUS cell prohibition information can indicate that the resource for the corresponding paging probability is unavailable and the corresponding paging probability is prohibited.

[0098] Regarding UE grouping, there is another UE grouping method for receiving WUS-enabled paging, which can be CN-based, UE ID-based, or a combination of both. In the former, the decision is left to the CN, while in the latter case, group selection is randomized based on the UE IMSI value. Therefore, in any of these scenarios, a new UE can only be blocked if there are no further WUS resources available for allocation in the cell. This is possible because the system has a limited number of WUS PRBs and SS-CDM codes and is also limited by the maximum WUS payload size.

[0099] Therefore, in another embodiment, the network can signal in the SIB1 IE a field that prohibits a UE performing cell (re)selection from accessing any WUS resources. Upon receiving such a field, the UE performing cell (re)selection can treat the cell as if paging indications for LP-WUS-based networks are prohibited, and an appropriate cell (re)selection strategy can then be implemented.

[0100] Therefore, the following extensions can be included in SIB1 to signal cell prohibition information as described herein, wherein only the parts related to WUS are shown below. SIB1-v1800-IEs::= SEQUENCE { ... WUS-ConfigCommon-r18 WUS-ConfigCommonSIB-r18OPTIONAL, ... } WUS-ConfigCommonSIB-r18::= SEQUENCE { cellBarredWUS-r18 ENUMERATED {barred, notBarred}, OPTIONAL cellBarredGWUSProbThresList-r18 GWUS-BarredProbThreshList-r18 OPTIONAL ... } GWUS-BarredProbThreshList-r18 ::= SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxGWUS-BarredProbThresholds-r18)) OF GWUS-PagingProbThresh-r16 GWUS-PagingProbThresh-r16 ::= ENUMERATED {p20, p30, p40, p50, p60,p70, p80, p90} ...

[0101] The new field can be defined as follows.

[0102] The field “cellBarredWUS-r18” can indicate whether the cell will disable LP-WUS for any new UE performing cell (re)selection by specifying “barred” (disabled) or “notBarred” (not disabled). If present, this field takes precedence over the following field “CellBarredGWUSProbThresList”.

[0103] The field “cellBarredGWUSProbThresList” indicates a list of paging probabilities that are disabled for any new UE performing cell (re)selection. Paging probability thresholds can correspond to paging probability groups (e.g., as defined in TS 36.304). A value p20 corresponds to 20%, a value p30 corresponds to 30%, and so on. If it does not exist, no paging probability is disabled.

[0104] In another embodiment, the WUS / GWUS access prohibition information does not affect existing UEs in cells that already have allocated WUS resources.

[0105] Now go to Figure 6 The diagram shows a block diagram of an example network node 100, such as a base station or gNB. For example, network node 100 can be configured to schedule and / or transmit signals to UEs 200, 210, 220, 230, as described above and below.

[0106] Network node 100 includes processor 101. Processor 101 may represent a single processor or two or more processors, which are at least partially coupled, for example, via a bus. Processor 101 executes program code stored in program memory 102 (e.g., causing network node 100 to execute program code according to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure or portions thereof, either alone or together with user equipment 100), and interfaces with main memory 103.

[0107] Program memory 102 may also include an operating system for processor 101. Some or all of memories 102 and 103 may also be included in processor 101.

[0108] Furthermore, the processor 101 controls the communication interface 104, which is configured, for example, to communicate according to a cellular communication system such as a 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G cellular communication system. The communication interface 104 of the network node 100 may be implemented, for example, by a wireless head, and may be provided for communication between the network node and user equipment.

[0109] Components 102 to 104 of network node 100 may be connected to processor 101, for example, via one or more serial and / or parallel buses.

[0110] Now go to Figure 7 A block diagram of an example of UE 200 is shown, as... Figure 1 Examples of any of UEs 210, 220, and 230. For example, UE 200 may be a smartphone, tablet computer, laptop computer, smartwatch, smart bracelet, IoT device, or vehicle or part thereof.

[0111] UE 200 includes processor 201. Processor 201 may represent a single processor or two or more processors, which are at least partially coupled, for example, via a bus. Processor 201 executes program code stored in program memory 202 (e.g., program code that, when executed on processor 201, connects UE 200 to network node 100, executing one or more example embodiments of the methods according to this disclosure or portions thereof), and interfaces with main memory 203. Program memory 202 may also contain an operating system for processor 201. Some or all of memories 202 and 203 may also be included in processor 201.

[0112] One or both of the processor’s main memory and program memory (e.g., program memory 202 and main memory 203) may be fixedly connected to the processor (e.g., processor 201) or at least partially removed from the processor, for example in the form of a memory card or memory stick.

[0113] The program memory (e.g., program memory 202) can be, for example, non-volatile memory. It can be, for example, flash memory (or a portion thereof), ROM, PROM, EPROM, MRAM or FeRAM (or a portion thereof), or hard disk (or a portion thereof), to name just a few examples. For example, the program memory can include, for example, a first memory portion that is fixedly mounted and a second memory portion that can be removed therefrom, for example, in the form of a removable SD memory card.

[0114] Main memory (e.g., main memory 203) may be, for example, volatile memory. As a non-limiting example, it may be, for example, DRAM memory. For instance, it may be used as the working memory of processor 201 when executing an operating system, application, program, and / or the like.

[0115] Processor 201 further controls communication interface 204 (e.g., radio interface) configured to receive and / or transmit data and / or information. For example, communication interface 204 may be configured to transmit and / or receive radio signals from network nodes, particularly as described herein. It should be understood that any computer program code-based processing required for receiving and / or evaluating radio signals may be stored in the communication interface 204's own memory and executed by the communication interface 204's own processor and / or may be stored, for example, in memory 203 and executed, for example, by processor 201.

[0116] The communication interface 204 can be configured to communicate with cellular communication systems such as 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G or future generation cellular communication systems. The user equipment 200 can use the radio interface 204 to communicate with network nodes.

[0117] For example, communication interface 204 may also include BLE and / or Bluetooth radio interfaces, including a BLE transmitter, receiver, or transceiver. For example, radio interface 204 may additionally or alternatively include a WLAN radio interface, including at least a WLAN transmitter, receiver, or transceiver.

[0118] Components 202 to 204 of user equipment 200 may be connected to processor 201, for example, via one or more serial and / or parallel buses.

[0119] It should be understood that user equipment 200 may include a variety of other components. For example, user equipment 200 may optionally include a user interface (e.g., a touch-sensitive display, keyboard, touchpad, monitor, etc.).

[0120] It should be understood that devices 100 and 200 may include various other components.

[0121] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of a tangible and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to the present disclosure is shown, which can be used, for example, to implement... Figure 6 memory 102 or Figure 7 The memory 202. Therefore, Figure 8 The image shows a flash memory 1000 (which can be soldered or bonded to a printed circuit board, for example), a solid-state drive 1001 including multiple memory chips (such as flash memory chips), a magnetic hard disk drive 1002, a secure digital (SD) card 1003, a universal serial bus (USB) memory stick 1004, an optical storage medium 1005 (such as, for example, a CD-ROM or DVD), and a magnetic storage medium 1006.

[0122] The following embodiments are also disclosed:

[0123] 1. A network node, comprising: At least one processor; and At least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the network node to execute at least the following: - Send a cell prohibition message to at least one user equipment, the cell prohibition message indicating at least a partial prohibition of the cell due to the unavailability of one or more wake-up signal resources in the cell.

[0124] 2. The network node according to Embodiment 1, wherein the transmitted cell prohibition information indicates one or more prohibited paging probabilities, the one or more prohibited paging probabilities indicating a prohibition of the cell for a user equipment associated with at least one of the one or more prohibited paging probabilities.

[0125] 3. In the network node of embodiment 2, at least one of the one or more prohibited paging probabilities is associated with and / or identifies a wake-up signal group or set, for which no wake-up signal resource is available.

[0126] 4. In a network node according to Embodiment 2 or 3, at least one of one or more prohibited paging probabilities is associated with and / or identifies a wake-up signal group or set, for which the cell does not support paging based on wake-up signals, and / or for which no wake-up signal resources are configured in the cell.

[0127] 5. A network node according to any one of embodiments 1-4, wherein the cell prohibition information sent indicates that the cell is prohibited for user equipment that requires paging based on wake-up signals because all wake-up signal resources of the cell are unavailable.

[0128] 6. A network node according to any one of embodiments 1-5, wherein the network node uses packets to the user equipment for receiving wake-up signal enabled paging, wherein the packets are based on one or more of the following: - Paging probability for the corresponding user equipment; - Identifier of the corresponding user equipment; - Decisions regarding the core network for the corresponding user equipment.

[0129] 7. A network node according to any one of embodiments 1-6, wherein the cell prohibition information is sent as one or more of the following: - Broadcast signal; - A portion of the System Information Block (SIB); - Part of Type 1 System Information Block (SIB1).

[0130] 8. A network node according to any one of embodiments 1-7, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the network node to perform: Maintain wake-up signal resources that have been allocated to one or more user equipments, so that the sent cell prohibition information does not affect user equipment that has been allocated wake-up signal resources.

[0131] 9. A user equipment, comprising: -At least one processor; and - At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the user device to perform at least the following: Receive cell prohibition information or indication from network nodes, which indicates at least a partial prohibition of the cell due to the unavailability of one or more wake-up signal resources in the cell.

[0132] 10. The user equipment according to embodiment 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the user equipment to: Based on the received cell prohibition information or instructions, the cell selection process is performed.

[0133] 11. The user equipment according to embodiment 9 or 10, wherein the cell selection process includes at least one of cell selection and cell reselection.

[0134] 12. A user equipment according to any one of embodiments 9-11, wherein an indication of at least partial prohibition of the cell is received at the user equipment via implicit signaling.

[0135] 13. The user equipment according to embodiment 9 or 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the user equipment to perform: Based on the received cell prohibition information or indication, it is determined that the cell is prohibited because all wake-up signal resources in the cell are unavailable for user equipment requiring paging based on wake-up signals; and The community was deemed prohibited during the community selection process.

[0136] 14. A user equipment according to any one of embodiments 9-13, wherein the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, further cause the user equipment to perform: Based on the received cell prohibition information, it is determined that the cell is prohibited for the user equipment associated with at least one of the prohibited paging probabilities included in the received cell prohibition information; Determine that the user equipment is associated with at least one of a set of prohibited paging probabilities; and The community was deemed prohibited during the community selection process.

[0137] 15. A user equipment according to any one of embodiments 9-14, wherein the cell prohibition information is received as one or more of the following: - Broadcast signal; - A portion of the System Information Block (SIB); - Part of Type 1 System Information Block (SIB1).

[0138] 16. The user equipment according to any one of embodiments 9-15, wherein the user equipment includes a main radio and a wake-up receiver, wherein the wake-up receiver is configured to receive a wake-up signal from a network node on the wake-up signal resources of the cell when the main radio is off or in sleep mode.

[0139] 17. A method executed by a user equipment, the method comprising: Receive cell prohibition information or indication from network nodes, which indicates at least a partial prohibition of the cell due to the unavailability of one or more wake-up signal resources in the cell.

[0140] 18. A method executed by a network node, the method comprising: A cell prohibition message is sent to at least one user equipment, indicating at least a partial prohibition of the cell due to the unavailability of one or more wake-up signal resources in the cell.

[0141] 19. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a device, cause the device to perform the method according to any one of embodiments 17 or 18.

[0142] 20. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program according to embodiment 19 stored thereon.

[0143] Any connections presented in the described embodiments should be understood as a manner in which the components involved are operationally coupled. Therefore, connections can be direct or indirect, with any combination of any number or intervening elements, and there may be only a functional relationship between the components.

[0144] Furthermore, as used herein, the term "circuit system" may refer to any of the following: (a) Hardware circuit implementation only (such as implementation only in analog and / or digital circuit systems) (b) A combination of circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as: (i) A combination of processors or (ii) A combination of processors / software (including digital signal processors), software, and memory that work together to enable a device (such as a mobile phone) to perform various functions, and (c) Circuits, such as microprocessors or portions of microprocessors that require software or firmware for operation, even if the software or firmware is not physically present.

[0145] The definition of "circuit system" applies to all uses of the term herein, including in any claim. As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit system" also covers implementations of a processor (or processors) or portions thereof and their accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuit system" also covers, for example, baseband integrated circuits or application processor integrated circuits for mobile phones.

[0146] Any processor mentioned in this article, in particular but not limited to Figure 6 and 7 Processors 101 and 201 can be any suitable type of processor. Any processor can include, but is not limited to, one or more microprocessors, one or more processors with an accompanying digital signal processor, one or more processors without an accompanying digital signal processor, one or more application-specific computer chips, one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more controllers, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or one or more computers. The associated architecture / hardware has been programmed to perform the described functions.

[0147] Furthermore, any action or step described or illustrated herein may be implemented using executable instructions in a general-purpose or special-purpose processor and stored on a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a disk, memory, etc.) for execution by such processor. The reference to "computer-readable storage medium" should be understood to include special-purpose circuitry such as FPGAs, ASICs, signal processing devices, and other devices.

[0148] As used herein, “at least one of the following: a list of two or more elements” and “at least one of the lists of two or more elements” and similar wording, where a list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”, means at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0149] The phrase “A, or B, or C, or a combination thereof” or “at least one of A, B and C” or “at least one of A, B or C” or “A, B and / or C” can be understood as not exhaustive and includes at least the following: (i) A, or (ii) B, or (iii) C, or (iv) A and B, or (v) A and C, or (vi) B and C, or (vii) A and B and C.

[0150] It should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are merely exemplary, and any feature presented for a particular example embodiment may be used alone or in combination with any feature presented for the same or another particular example embodiment and / or in combination with any other feature not mentioned. It will be further understood that any feature presented for example embodiments in a particular category may also be used in a corresponding manner in example embodiments of any other category.

Claims

1. A network node, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network node to perform at least: sending, to at least one user equipment, cell barring information indicating at least partial barring of a cell due to one or more wake-up signal resources being unavailable in the cell.

2. The network node of claim 1, wherein the sent cell barring information indicates one or more barred paging probabilities indicating barring of the cell for user equipment associated with at least one of the one or more barred paging probabilities.

3. The network node of claim 2, wherein at least one of the one or more barred paging probabilities is associated with and / or identifies a wake-up signal group or group set for which no wake-up signal resources are available.

4. The network node of claim 2 or 3, wherein at least one of the one or more barred paging probabilities is associated with and / or identifies a wake-up signal group or group set for which wake-up signal based paging is not supported by the cell and / or for which no wake-up signal resources are configured in the cell.

5. The network node of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sent cell barring information indicates that the cell is barred for user equipment requiring wake-up signal based paging due to all wake-up signal resources of the cell being unavailable.

6. The network node of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the network node employs grouping of user equipment for receiving wake-up signal enabled paging, wherein the grouping is based on one or more of: paging probabilities for respective user equipment; identifiers of respective user equipment; decisions of the core network for respective user equipment.

7. The network node of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cell barring information is sent as one or more of: a broadcast signal; a part of a system information block, SIB; a part of a type 1 system information block, SIB1.

8. The network node of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the network node to perform: maintaining wake-up signal resources that have been allocated to one or more user equipment such that the sent cell barring information does not affect user equipment that have been allocated wake-up signal resources.

9. A user equipment, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform at least: receiving, from a network node, cell barring information or an indication indicating at least partial barring of a cell due to one or more wake-up signal resources being unavailable in the cell.

10. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment to: perform a cell selection procedure based on the received cell barring information or the indication.

11. The user equipment of claim 9 or 10, wherein the cell selection procedure comprises at least one of cell selection and cell reselection.

12. The user equipment of any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the indication indicating at least partial barring of a cell is received at the user equipment by implicit signaling.

13. The user equipment of any one of claims 9 or 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment to perform: determine, based on the received cell barring information or the indication, that the cell is barred for user equipment requiring paging based on wake-up signals due to all wake-up signal resources of the cell being unavailable; and consider the cell as barred during a cell selection procedure.

14. The user equipment of any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment to perform: determine, based on the received cell barring information, that the cell is barred for user equipment associated with at least one barred paging probability of one or more barred paging probabilities comprised in the received cell barring information; determine that the user equipment is associated with the at least one barred paging probability of the one or more barred paging probabilities; and consider the cell as barred during a cell selection procedure.

15. The user equipment of any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the cell barring information is received as one or more of: a broadcast signal; a part of a system information block, SIB; a part of a type 1 system information block, SIB1.

16. The user equipment of any one of claims 9 to 15, wherein the user equipment comprises a main radio and a wake-up receiver, wherein the wake-up receiver is configured to receive a wake-up signal from a network node on a wake-up signal resource of a cell while the main radio is turned off or in a sleep mode.

17. A method performed by a user equipment, the method comprising: receiving, from a network node, cell barring information or an indication indicating at least partial barring of a cell due to one or more wake-up signal resources being unavailable in the cell.

18. A method performed by a network node, the method comprising: sending, to at least one user equipment, cell barring information indicating at least partial barring of a cell due to one or more wake-up signal resources being unavailable in the cell.

19. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 17 or 18.

20. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon the computer program of claim 19. ​

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