Apparatus, method, apparatus, and computer readable medium for alignment between user equipment and network

Abstract

Various example embodiments relate to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for alignment between a user equipment and a network. An example terminal device may be configured to receive a configuration for discontinuous transmission from a network device serving the terminal device, the configuration for discontinuous transmission defining an active period and an inactive period of a cell associated with the network device; receiving a first indication from the network device, the first indication indicating that a configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated; providing a first start offset and a secondary start offset, where the first start offset should be used when the discontinuous transmission is deactivated and the secondary start offset should be used for an activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission; and selecting a first start offset or a secondary start offset for discontinuous reception of the connection of the terminal device during the activated discontinuous transmission of the cell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various exemplary embodiments generally relate to communication technologies, and more particularly to devices, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for initial offset alignment between cell discontinuous transmission (cell DTX) and connected discontinuous reception (c-DRX) for user equipment (UE). Background Technology

[0002] Reducing power consumption is crucial for wireless communication systems. On the UE side, c-DRX can be configured to reduce UE power consumption. On the network side, techniques such as discontinuous reception (cell DRX) and cell DTX have been introduced for network energy saving (NES). Summary of the Invention

[0003] The following provides a brief overview of exemplary embodiments to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the various embodiments. It should be noted that this overview is not intended to identify key features of the basic elements or to limit the scope of the embodiments, and its sole purpose is to introduce some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description provided below.

[0004] In a first aspect, an example embodiment of an apparatus for a terminal device is provided. The apparatus may include at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: receive from a network device serving the terminal device a configuration for discontinuous transmission, the configuration for discontinuous transmission defining active and inactive periods of a cell associated with the network device; receive from the network device a first indication indicating that the configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated; provide a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset is to be used when discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset is to be used for the configuration activated for discontinuous transmission; and during the period of activated discontinuous transmission in the cell, select either a first start offset or a secondary start offset for discontinuous reception of a connection for the terminal device.

[0005] In a second aspect, an example embodiment of an apparatus for a network device is provided. The apparatus may include at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: transmit to a terminal device being served by the network device a configuration for discontinuous transmission, the configuration for discontinuous transmission defining active and inactive periods of a cell associated with the network device; transmit a first indication to the network device, the first indication indicating that the configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated; and provide to the terminal device information regarding a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset should be used by the terminal device when discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset should be used by the terminal device for the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0006] In a third aspect, an example embodiment of a method implemented at a terminal device is provided. The method may include: receiving from a network device serving the terminal device a configuration for discontinuous transmission, the configuration for discontinuous transmission defining active and inactive periods of a cell associated with the network device; receiving from the network device a first indication indicating that the configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated; providing a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset is to be used when discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset is to be used for the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission; and during the activated discontinuous transmission of the cell, selecting either the first start offset or the secondary start offset for discontinuous reception of a connection for the terminal device.

[0007] In a fourth aspect, an example embodiment of a method implemented at a network device is provided. The method may include: transmitting to a terminal device being served by the network device a configuration for discontinuous transmission, the configuration for discontinuous transmission defining active and inactive periods of a cell associated with the network device; transmitting a first indication to the network device, the first indication indicating that the configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated; and providing to the terminal device information about a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset should be used by the terminal device when discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset should be used by the terminal device for the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0008] In a fifth aspect, an example embodiment of an apparatus is provided. The apparatus, as a terminal device, may include: components for receiving a configuration for discontinuous transmission from a network device serving the terminal device, the configuration for discontinuous transmission defining active and inactive periods of a cell associated with the network device; components for receiving a first indication from the network device, the first indication indicating that the configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated; components for providing a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset is to be used when discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset is to be used for the configuration activated for discontinuous transmission; and components for selecting either a first start offset or a secondary start offset for discontinuous reception of a connection for the terminal device during the period of activated discontinuous transmission in the cell.

[0009] In a sixth aspect, an example embodiment of an apparatus is provided. The apparatus of the network device may include: components for transmitting a configuration for discontinuous transmission to a terminal device being served by the network device, the configuration for discontinuous transmission defining active and inactive periods of a cell associated with the network device; components for transmitting a first indication to the network device, the first indication indicating that the configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated; and components for providing the terminal device with information about a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset should be used by the terminal device when discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset should be used by the terminal device for the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0010] In a seventh aspect, an example embodiment of a computer-readable medium is provided. The computer-readable medium may include instructions stored thereon, and when executed by a terminal device, causes the terminal device to perform at least the following: receiving from a network device serving the terminal device a configuration for discontinuous transmission, the configuration for discontinuous transmission defining active and inactive periods of a cell associated with the network device; receiving from the network device a first indication indicating that the configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated; providing a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset is to be used when discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset is to be used for the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission; and during the activated discontinuous transmission of the cell, selecting either a first start offset or a secondary start offset for discontinuous reception of a connection for the terminal device.

[0011] In an eighth aspect, an example embodiment of a computer-readable medium is provided. The computer-readable medium may include instructions stored thereon, and when executed by a network device, the instructions may cause the network device to perform at least the following: transmit to a terminal device being served by the network device a configuration for discontinuous transmission, the configuration for discontinuous transmission defining active and inactive periods of a cell associated with the network device; transmit a first indication to the network device, the first indication indicating that the configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated; and provide to the terminal device information about a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset should be used by the terminal device when discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset should be used by the terminal device to continue the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0012] Other features and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of specific embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the principles of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure by way of example. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Some exemplary embodiments will now be described by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Figure 1A-1B The communication scheme using cell DTX and UE c-DRX is shown.

[0015] Figure 2A This is an exemplary sequence diagram illustrating example operations for performing cell DTX and UE c-DRX alignment according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 2B This is another exemplary sequence diagram illustrating example operations for performing cell DTX and UE c-DRX alignment according to an example embodiment of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 3 A communication scheme employing the alignment of the UEc-DRX enable duration period with the cell DTX activity period according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0018] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating an example method implemented at a terminal device according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0019] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an example method implemented at a network device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0020] Figure 6 A block diagram of an example device for performing cell DTX and UE c-DRX alignment according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0021] Figure 7 A block diagram of an example device for performing cell DTX and UE c-DRX alignment according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating a device in a communication system according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Repeated descriptions of the same elements will be omitted. Detailed Implementation

[0024] In the following description, some exemplary embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. To provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts, specific details are included in the following description. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known circuits, technologies, and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the described concepts and features.

[0025] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to any suitable entity or device that can provide cells or coverage through which terminal devices can access the network or receive services. Network devices may generally be referred to as base stations. The term "base station" as used herein may refer to a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), or a gNB. A base station can be embodied as a macro base station, a relay node, or a low-power node such as a pico or femtocell. A base station may consist of several distributed network elements, such as a central unit (CU), one or more distributed units (DU), one or more remote radio heads (RRH), or remote radio units (RRU). The number and functionality of these distributed units depend on the chosen discrete RAN architecture.

[0026] As used herein, the terms "terminal device" or "user equipment" (UE) refer to any entity or device capable of wirelessly communicating with or with network devices. Examples of terminal devices may include mobile phones, mobile terminals (MTs), mobile stations (MSs), subscriber stations (SSs), portable subscriber stations (PSSs), access terminals (ATs), computers, wearable devices, vehicular communication devices, machine-type communication (MTC) devices, D2D communication devices, V2X communication devices, sensors, etc. The term "terminal device" may be used interchangeably with UE, user terminal, mobile terminal, mobile station, or wireless device.

[0027] As described above, in a wireless communication system, network devices (e.g., base stations) can enter a cell DTX mode to conserve energy. In cell DTX mode, the base station can periodically switch between an active transmission mode and an inactive transmission mode (e.g., sleep mode), and therefore transmits little or no data. The base station can switch between active and inactive modes based on its DTX mode. Cell DTX mode can also be referred to as cell DTX configuration.

[0028] Figure 1A This illustrates a communication scheme using cell DTX. (Reference) Figure 1A The base station's cell is configured with a DTX mode, shown as mode 1. DTX mode 1 can be defined by a set of DTX parameters, which may include an active period 112, a start offset 114, and a period 116. The active period 112 refers to the duration for which the base station can transmit messages to the UE served by the cell. The start offset 114 (e.g., cell DTX start offset) refers to the time interval between the start of the scheduling timing and the start of the active period 112. In other words, the start offset 114 defines where the cell DTX active period will begin. The period 116 (e.g., cell DTX period) refers to the time interval between the start of the active period 112 and the start of the next active period 118. Based on these parameters, an inactive period 120 can be derived, for example, by the difference between period 116 and active period 112. During inactive period 120, the base station typically does not transmit downlink traffic to the UE. In some examples, the base station does not need to transmit certain periodic signals, such as synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) and channel state information reference signals (CSIs). This utilizes RS (Remote Switched Radio) or other public channels or signals, thus saving network energy.

[0029] Furthermore, one or more UEs served in a cell of a base station can be configured to enter c-DRX mode to reduce power consumption, for example, during low-load conditions. In c-DRX mode, a UE can be in a connected state (RRC_CONNECTED) relative to the cell of the base station and can switch between active and inactive modes based on c-DRX configuration.

[0030] Still referencing Figure 1AThe document also illustrates a c-DRX communication scheme for the UE, where the c-DRX configuration may include an on-duration period 122, a start offset 124, and a period 126. The on-duration period 122 can refer to the duration during which the UE is configured to be in active mode. During the on-duration period 122, the UE can monitor the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). The start offset 124 (e.g., the UE c-DRX start offset) can refer to the time interval between the start of the scheduling sequence and the start of the on-duration period 122. In other words, the start offset 124 defines the start of the c-DRX on-duration period 122. The period 126 (e.g., the UE c-DRX period) can refer to the time interval between the start of the on-duration period 122 and the start of the next on-duration period 128.

[0031] When configuring and activating cell DTX mode, it is beneficial for the UE to adopt UEc-DRX aligned with cell DTX. When the active period of cell DTX in the time domain overlaps with the on-duration period of UEc-DRX, the base station and one or more UEs can experience power savings. For example, as... Figure 1A As shown, the UE's c-DRX activation duration periods 122 and 128 fall within the cell DTX activity periods 112 and 118, respectively. Therefore, the UE can monitor the PDCCH during the c-DRX activation duration period and enter low-power mode during other time periods.

[0032] Typically, UE c-DRX is configured via Radio Resource Configuration (RRC) signaling, and different UEs can be individually configured with different c-DRXs via RRC signaling to align with a specific cell DTX mode. This presents a challenge when a cell is configured with multiple cell DTX modes or is reconfigured with a new cell DTX mode, and group common signaling (e.g., downlink control information (DCI)) can be used to trigger cell DTX mode activation. Under this dynamic mechanism, it is necessary to quickly and dynamically align the UE c-DRX with the currently active cell DTX mode. Otherwise, there is a risk that the UE may have a c-DRX enabled for a duration aligned with a previous cell DTX mode but not with the currently active cell DTX mode.

[0033] For example, see Figure 1B This demonstrates the use of the new cell DTX mode (in Figure 1B The diagram illustrates a scenario where a cell is dynamically triggered (Mode 2). Mode 2 may include... Figure 1AThe diagram shows a different set of parameters (e.g., activity period, start offset, period) than Mode 1. For example, Mode 2 may include activity periods 130 and 132 that are not aligned with the UE c-DRX enable duration periods 122 and 128. In other words, if cell DTX mode 2 is dynamically activated, it may result in the UE not having a c-DRX enable duration period during the cell DTX activity period. In this case, the network can reconfigure the UE via dedicated RRC signaling to align the UE's c-DRX enable duration period with the activity period of the currently active cell DTX mode, for example, to ensure that the c-DRX enable duration at least partially falls within the cell DTX activity period, so that the UE can monitor the PDCCH during the cell DTX activity period. However, reconfiguring a single UE via dedicated RRC signaling may result in increased signaling overhead. To minimize signaling overhead, it is important to avoid the network (e.g., base stations) reconfiguring c-DRX parameters for each UE using the RRC reconfiguration procedure.

[0034] In the following, exemplary embodiments of methods and apparatus supporting dynamic alignment of UE c-DRX and cell DTX will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. According to exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, the UE can provide an initial offset for the c-DRX activation duration to ensure that the c-DRX activation duration at least partially overlaps with the active period of the activated cell DTX mode. The exemplary embodiments avoid time- and energy-intensive RRC reconfiguration of UE c-DRX. This reduces signaling overhead and achieves energy savings on both the UE and network sides.

[0035] Figure 2A This is an example sequence diagram illustrating example operations for performing cell DTX and UE c-DRX alignment according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, Figure 2A The operations shown can be performed by terminal device 210 and network device 220. Terminal device 210 can represent any terminal device in a wireless communication system, and network device 220 can be used as the network side serving terminal device 210.

[0036] By default, network device 220 has already provided terminal device 210 with information about the first start offset. For example, network device 220 can transmit c-DRX configuration 222 to terminal device 210. c-DRX configuration 222 may include an enable duration period, a period, and a first start offset. The first start offset defines the start of the enable duration of c-DRX for terminal device 210 and is used at least when cell DTX is deactivated. Alternatively or additionally, as referenced... Figure 1A The discussion focuses on using the original cell DTX (Mode 1) but the cell DTX to be used ( Figure 1BWhen mode 2 is not activated, the first starting offset is used.

[0037] See Figure 2A Network device 220 can transmit cell DTX configuration 230 to terminal device 210. Cell DTX configuration 230 defines the active and inactive periods of the cell associated with network device 220 (i.e., the duration of cell DTX activation). In some embodiments, cell DTX configuration 230 can be transmitted via RRC signaling (e.g., RRC reconfiguration message). In another embodiment, network device 220 can transmit cell DTX configuration in system information, such as a System Information Block (SIB).

[0038] Network device 220 may also provide terminal device 210 with information about a secondary start offset, which defines the start of the duration of c-DRX activation for terminal device 210 and is used when cell DTX configuration 230 is activated. In some embodiments, the information about the secondary start offset may be, for example, a first configuration message 232. The first configuration message 232 may include a distribution factor 234 corresponding to cell DTX configuration 230, and the distribution factor 234 may be used by terminal device 210 to determine the secondary start offset. If cell DTX configuration 230 includes one or more cell DTX configurations, the distribution factor 234 may include one or more distribution factors corresponding to one or more cell DTX configurations. Alternatively or additionally, the first configuration message 232 may include flags or bits to indicate that if cell DTX configuration 230 is activated, terminal device 210 should recalculate the secondary start offset.

[0039] In some embodiments, the first configuration message 232 may be transmitted via RRC signaling (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration message). The first configuration message 232 and the cell DTX configuration 230 may be transmitted via the same RRC signaling (as different information elements of the same message) or different RRC signaling (in different messages).

[0040] For example, RRC signaling carrying cell DTX configuration 230 and distribution factor 234 can include the following forms: CellDTX-Pattern :: SEQUENCE { dtx-StartOffset dtx-OnDurationTimer ue-StartOffsetDistributionFactor ENUMERATED {dot1, dot2, dot5 ..,one} OPTIONAL } Network device 220 can activate DTX configuration 230 on a cell and can additionally transmit a first indication 236 to terminal device 210 indicating that cell DTX 230 is activated. If cell DTX configuration 230 includes one or more cell DTX configurations, the first indication 236 can indicate which of the one or more cell DTX configurations included in cell DTX configuration 230 is activated. The first indication 236 can be transmitted later than cell DTX configuration 230. For example, the first indication 236 can be transmitted via downlink control information (DCI).

[0041] In operation 250, for example, terminal device 210 may provide a first start offset and a secondary start offset to determine the start of the on-duration period according to c-DRX configuration 222. In some embodiments, when receiving c-DRX configuration 222 from network device 220, the terminal device 210 may be provided with a first start offset already included in c-DRX configuration 222. The terminal device 210 may then provide itself with a first start offset for determining the start of the on-duration period according to c-DRX configuration 222, which may be considered the default state of terminal device 210. For the secondary start offset, in some embodiments, terminal device 210 may calculate the secondary start offset based on distribution factor 234.

[0042] In some embodiments, the first indication 236 may include a second indication 238 to indicate whether the terminal device 210 calculates a secondary start offset (also referred to herein as a c-DRX start offset) to align the UE c-DRX with the active cell DTX. The second indication 238 may be a flag or bit in the first indication 236. Alternatively, the network device 220 may transmit the second indication 238 in a DCI separate from the first indication 236.

[0043] If the second instruction 238 instructs the terminal device 210 to calculate the secondary start offset, then in operation 250, the network device does not explicitly send the secondary start offset to the terminal device via signaling, and the terminal device 210 can calculate the secondary start offset based on at least one of the start offset of the active cell DTX configuration 230, the first start offset, the cell DTX activity period, or the distribution factor 234 corresponding to the active cell DTX configuration 230. For example, the terminal device 210 can calculate the secondary start offset in the following formula (1).

[0044] Secondary start offset = Cell DTX start offset + (UE c-DRX StartOffset configured by RRC) % (cellDTXOnDuration) ue-StartOffsetDistributionFactor) (1) Where % represents modulo operation, the UE c-DRX StartOffset configured by RRC is the first starting offset, cellDTXOnDuration represents the cell DTX activity period, and ue-StartOffsetDistributionFactor represents the distribution factor 234.

[0045] In the example, the value of distribution factor 234 can be configured by network device 220 based on the UE c-DRX activation duration and the cell DTX activity period, such that the c-DRX activation duration at least partially overlaps with the active period of the activated cell DTX. For example, the factor can be in the range of 0.1 to 1, and the default value can be, for example, 0.5.

[0046] The cell DTX start offset is used as the starting point for calculation, thus ensuring that the calculated secondary start offset generates a system frame number (SFN) during the cell DTX activity period. In other words, the corresponding c-DRX enable duration will overlap with at least the cell DTX activity period. Furthermore, the modulo operation distributes the c-DRX enable durations of multiple UEs served in the cell across the cell's DTX activity period, which is advantageous from the perspective of improving the reliability of message transmission / reception.

[0047] It should be understood that the above calculation formula (1) is merely exemplary and not restrictive. For example, the terminal device 210 may calculate the secondary start offset based solely on one or more parameters of cell DTX start offset, UE c-DRX StartOffset, or cellDTXOnDuration, i.e., without a distribution factor.

[0048] In some embodiments, the first indication 236 may not have such a second indication 238. In other words, there is no such second indication 238 included in the first indication 236. In this case, the first indication 236 itself may be an indication for calculating the secondary start offset, and when the first indication 236 is received, the terminal device 210 may calculate the secondary start offset, for example, according to formula (1) in operation 250.

[0049] In some embodiments, during operation 250, terminal device 210 may calculate the secondary start offset based on the active cell DTX configuration 230 and the identifier (ID) of terminal device 210. For example, terminal device 210 may calculate the secondary start offset based on at least one of the start offset of the active cell DTX configuration 230, the ID of terminal device 210, or the active period of the active cell DTX configuration 230. For example, terminal device 210 may calculate the secondary start offset in the following formula (2).

[0050] Secondary starting offset = Cell DTX starting offset + (UE ID)% cellDTXOnDuration (2) Where % represents modulo operation, and cellDTXOnDuration represents the cell DTX activity period. The UE ID can be the cell radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) of the terminal device 210 or the fifth generation system architecture evolution (SAE) temporary mobile station identifier (5G-S-TMSI).

[0051] Using a first starting offset and / or a secondary starting offset, during operation 260, terminal device 210 can select a first starting offset or a secondary starting offset for c-DRX of terminal device 210 during active cell DTX.

[0052] For example, if terminal device 210 has already calculated the secondary start offset in operation 250, then in operation 260, terminal device 210 can select the second start offset. If the second instruction 238 instructs terminal device 210 not to calculate a new c-DRX start offset, then in operation 260, terminal device 210 can still select the first start offset.

[0053] In some embodiments, if the duration of c-DRX activation based on the first starting offset at least partially overlaps with the active period of the active cell DTX configuration 230, the first starting offset can be selected in operation 260. In this case, the first starting offset is reused. Optionally, the network can be configured to allow the selection and reuse of the first starting offset in this case.

[0054] Figure 2B This is another exemplary sequence diagram illustrating example operations for performing cell DTX and UE c-DRX alignment according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 2B The exemplary sequence can be executed by terminal device 210 and network device 220. And by default, network device 220 has already provided terminal device 210 with information about the first starting offset, for example, terminal device 210 may have been configured with c-DRX configuration 222 including the first starting offset.

[0055] See Figure 2BNetwork device 220 can transmit cell DTX configuration 230 to terminal device 210. Network device 220 can also provide terminal device 210 with information about secondary start offsets. In some embodiments, the information about secondary start offsets may be, for example, a second configuration message 242. In some embodiments, the second configuration message 242 may include at least one secondary start offset, and the at least one secondary start offset in the second configuration message 242 may have an index corresponding to a cell DTX configuration, and may be considered as at least one candidate secondary start offset 244.

[0056] In some embodiments, the second configuration message 242 may be transmitted via RRC signaling (e.g., an RRC reconfiguration message). The second configuration message 242 and the cell DTX configuration 230 may be transmitted via the same RRC signaling or different RRC signaling.

[0057] For example, RRC signaling carrying the second configuration message 242 may include the following forms: DRX-ConfigExt-v18::SEQUENCE { secondStartOffsetList SEQUENCE( SIZE(1..maxDTXPattern)) OF drx-LongCycleStartOffsetOPTIONAL } Network device 220 can activate DTX configuration 230 on the cell and can additionally transmit a first indication 236 indicating that cell DTX 230 is activated to terminal device 210.

[0058] In some embodiments, the first indication 236 may include an index 246 corresponding to one of at least one candidate secondary start offset 244. In this case, the first indication 236 indicates one of at least one secondary start offset, and in operation 250, the terminal device 210 may determine the secondary start offset based on the first indication 236. The secondary start offset corresponding to index 246 is determined to be applied to the active cell DTX configuration 230. And in operation 260, a secondary start offset is selected.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first indication 236 may not have such an index 246. In other words, such an index 246 is not included in the first indication 236. When the cell DTX configuration 230 includes at least one cell DTX configuration, at least one candidate secondary start offset 244 may correspond to at least one cell DTX configuration. The first indication 236 may indicate which of the at least one cell DTX configurations included in the cell DTX configuration 230 is active. Therefore, upon receiving the first indication 236, in operation 250, the terminal device 210 may determine the secondary start offset corresponding to the active cell DTX configuration 230.

[0060] For example, cell DTX configuration 230 includes three cell DTX configurations numbered #2, #3, and #4, and at least one candidate secondary start offset 244 is shown in sequence [a, b, c], corresponding to cell DTX configurations #2, #3, and #4, respectively. When a first indication 236 indicating that cell DTX configuration #3 is activated is received, it is determined that secondary start offset b is applied to the activated cell DTX configuration 230. Then, in operation 260, a secondary start offset is selected.

[0061] In some embodiments, the secondary start offset may be referenced to the start of the cell DTX activity period. This secondary start offset indicates where the terminal device 210 will begin monitoring data within the cell DTX activity period and distributes the c-DRX activation duration start over the cell DTX activity period. The cell DTX configuration itself will employ the terminal device 210, which has information about where the cell DTX will begin. The terminal device 210 identifies where the first cell DTX activity period occurring after the current c-DRX activation duration is applied.

[0062] In some embodiments, if a secondary start offset is selected, when the cell DTX configuration 230 is deactivated at a later time, for example if the network load is high, the terminal device 210 can resume applying the first start offset to allow a wider distribution of the c-DRX enable duration for UEs with high network load.

[0063] By way of examples Figure 3 A communication scheme employing the alignment of UE c-DRX enable duration with cell DTX activity periods according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0064] refer to Figure 3Assuming the cell DTX configuration is activated, or the cell is dynamically triggered with a new cell DTX configuration, the (new) cell DTX configuration includes an activity period 302 and an activity period 310. Terminal device UE1 is configured with a c-DRX first start offset, which causes the on-duration period 304 to not overlap with the activity period 302. UE1 can then calculate or determine a c-DRX secondary start offset so that the corresponding on-duration period 306 falls within the activity period 302. In some embodiments, UE1 can apply the first start offset when the cell DTX configuration is deactivated.

[0065] On the other hand, for terminal device UE2, a c-DRX first start offset is configured, which causes the start period 308 to fall within the activity period 302. In this case, UE2 can reuse the first start offset and does not need to calculate the c-DRX secondary start offset. Therefore, the example shown allows for saving network energy under low load conditions when cell DTX is activated without reconfiguring RRC, while allowing for a wider distribution of UE c-DRX start duration under high load conditions when cell DTX is not activated or the cell DTX configuration is not released.

[0066] For example, if the duration of c-DRX activation based on the secondary start offset falls outside the active period of the active cell DTX, refer to Figure 3 If the c-DRX on-duration period of UE1 based on the calculated or determined secondary start offset still does not overlap with the active period of the active cell DTX, UE1 may monitor PDCCH at the beginning of the first active period of the active cell DTX after the c-DRX on-duration period 304 of UE, for example, at the beginning of the upcoming active period 310.

[0067] Although the above example embodiments are implemented to align the UE c-DRX with the cell DTX, those skilled in the art will understand that the above disclosure can also be implemented to align the UE c-DRX with the cell DTX in a similar manner.

[0068] Figure 4 A flowchart of an example method 400 for performing cell DTX and UE C-DRX alignment according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Method 400 can be implemented in a terminal device (e.g., terminal device 210 described above). In some example embodiments, method 400 may further include the methods described in Figures 2 to 300. Figure 3 The steps described above are performed at terminal device 210. It should also be understood that the above has already addressed Figures 2 to... Figure 3 The details of some steps in process 400 have been discussed, and process 400 will be described in a simplified manner here.

[0069] In box 410, the terminal device can receive configuration for discontinuous transmission from the network device serving the terminal device. The configuration for discontinuous transmission defines the active and inactive periods of the cell associated with the network device.

[0070] At box 420, the terminal device can receive a first indication from the network device, the first indication indicating that the configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated.

[0071] In box 430, the terminal device may provide a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset shall be used when discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset shall be used for the activated configuration of discontinuous transmission.

[0072] At box 440, the terminal device can select either a first start offset or a secondary start offset for discontinuous reception of the terminal device's connection during the active discontinuous transmission of the cell.

[0073] In some example embodiments, example method 400 may include receiving a first configuration message from a network device, the first configuration message including a distribution factor corresponding to a configuration for discontinuous transmission for determining a secondary start offset such that the duration of the on-state of discontinuous reception of the connection at least partially overlaps with the active period of the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0074] In some example embodiments, the first indication includes a second indication instructing the terminal device to calculate the secondary start offset, and the device may be configured to calculate the secondary start offset based on at least one of the following: the start offset for an activated configuration for discontinuous transmission, a first start offset, the active period of an activated configuration for discontinuous transmission, or a distribution factor for an activated configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0075] In some example embodiments, the device may be configured to calculate a secondary start offset based on at least one of the following when a first indication is received: a start offset for an activated configuration for discontinuous transmission, a first start offset, an active period for an activated configuration for discontinuous transmission, or a distribution factor for an activated configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0076] In some example embodiments, the first starting offset is selected if the duration of the on-start of discontinuous reception of the connection according to the first starting offset at least partially overlaps with the active period of the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0077] In some exemplary embodiments, exemplary method 400 may include the following operations: receiving a second configuration message from a network device including at least one secondary start offset; and determining a secondary start offset based on the at least one secondary start offset.

[0078] In some example embodiments, the apparatus is configured to: when a first indication is received, determine a secondary start offset corresponding to an activated configuration for discontinuous transmission, provided that at least one secondary start offset corresponds to a configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0079] In some example embodiments, the device is configured to determine a secondary start offset based on a first indication, provided that the first indication indicates one of the at least one secondary start offsets.

[0080] In some example embodiments, the apparatus is configured to calculate a secondary start offset based on at least one of the following: the start offset of the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission, the identifier of the terminal device, or the active period of the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0081] In some example embodiments, the device is configured to receive a first instruction via downlink control information.

[0082] In some example embodiments, example method 400 may include: monitoring the physical downlink control channel at the beginning of the active period of the active configuration for discontinuous transmission, if the duration of the on-start of discontinuous reception of the connection according to the secondary start offset falls outside the active period of the active configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0083] Figure 5 A flowchart of an example method 500 for performing cell DTX and UE C-DRX alignment according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Method 500 may be implemented on a network device (e.g., network device 220 described above). In some exemplary embodiments, method 500 may further include the following steps as shown in FIG2 to... Figure 3 The steps described above are performed at network device 220. It should also be understood that the above has already addressed Figures 2 to... Figure 3 The details of some steps in process 500 have been discussed, and process 500 will be described in a simplified manner here.

[0084] In box 510, the network device can transmit configuration for discontinuous transmission to the terminal device being served by the network device. The configuration for discontinuous transmission defines the active and inactive periods of the cell associated with the network device.

[0085] At box 520, the network device can transmit a first indication to the network device, the first indication indicating that the configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated.

[0086] In box 530, the network device may provide the terminal device with information about a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset should be used by the terminal device when discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset should be used by the terminal device for the configuration of discontinuous transmission activation.

[0087] In some exemplary embodiments, exemplary method 500 may include transmitting a first configuration message to a terminal device, the first configuration message including a distribution factor corresponding to the configuration for discontinuous transmission for the terminal device to calculate a secondary start offset such that the duration of the on-state of discontinuous reception of the terminal device's connection at least partially overlaps with the active period of the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0088] In some exemplary embodiments, the first indication includes a second indication indicating whether the terminal device calculates the secondary start offset.

[0089] In some exemplary embodiments, exemplary method 500 may include transmitting a second configuration message to a terminal device, the second configuration message including at least one secondary start offset for the terminal device to determine a secondary start offset.

[0090] In some example embodiments, at least one secondary start offset corresponds to a configuration for discontinuous transmissions.

[0091] In some example embodiments, the first indication indicates one of the at least one secondary start offset.

[0092] In some example embodiments, the device is configured to transmit a first instruction via downlink control information.

[0093] Figure 6 This is a block diagram illustrating an example embodiment of a device 600 according to the present disclosure. Device 600 may be implemented at a terminal device (such as terminal device 210) to perform the operations associated with terminal device 210 as described above. Since reference has been made to Figures 2 to... Figure 3 The operation related to terminal device 210 has been discussed in detail, so the block diagram of device 600 is briefly described here and its details can be found in the above description.

[0094] refer to Figure 6The apparatus 600 may include: a first component 610 for receiving a configuration for discontinuous transmission from a network device serving a terminal device, the configuration for discontinuous transmission defining active and inactive periods of a cell associated with the network device; a second component 620 for receiving a first indication from the network device, the first indication indicating that the configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated; a third component 630 for providing a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset should be used when discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset should be used for the configuration activated for discontinuous transmission; and a fourth component 640 for selecting either a first start offset or a secondary start offset for discontinuous reception of a connection for the terminal device during the period of activated discontinuous transmission of the cell.

[0095] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 600 may further include: a component for receiving a first configuration message from a network device, the first configuration message including a distribution factor corresponding to a configuration for discontinuous transmission for determining a secondary start offset such that the duration of the on-state of discontinuous reception of the connection at least partially overlaps with the active period of the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0096] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 600 may further include a component for receiving a second configuration message from a network device, including at least one secondary start offset.

[0097] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 600 may further include a component that monitors the physical downlink control channel at the beginning of the active period of the active configuration for discontinuous transmission, provided that the duration of the on-start of discontinuous reception of the connection according to the secondary start offset falls outside the active period of the active configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0098] Figure 7 This is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus 700 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 700 can be implemented at a network device (such as network device 220) to perform operations associated with the network device 220 as described above. Since reference has been made to Figures 2 to... Figure 3 The operation related to network device 220 has been discussed in detail, therefore the outline of device 700 will be briefly described here and its details can be found in the above description.

[0099] refer to Figure 7The apparatus 700 may include: a first component 710 for transmitting a configuration for discontinuous transmission to a terminal device being served by a network device, the configuration for discontinuous transmission defining active and inactive periods of a cell associated with the network device; a second component 720 for transmitting a first indication to the network device, the first indication indicating that the configuration for discontinuous transmission is activated; and a third component 730 for providing the terminal device with information about a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset should be used by the terminal device when discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset should be used by the terminal device for the configuration activated for discontinuous transmission.

[0100] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 700 may further include: a component for transmitting a first configuration message to a terminal device, the first configuration message including a distribution factor corresponding to a configuration for discontinuous transmission for the terminal device to calculate a secondary start offset such that the duration of the on-state of discontinuous reception of the terminal device's connection at least partially overlaps with the active period of the activated configuration for discontinuous transmission.

[0101] In some example embodiments, the apparatus 700 may further include components for transmitting a second configuration message to a terminal device, the second configuration message including at least one secondary start offset for the terminal device to determine a secondary start offset.

[0102] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating devices in a communication system 800 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 8 As shown, the communication system 800 may include a terminal device 810 that can be implemented as the terminal device 210 described above and a network device 820 that can be implemented as the network device 220 described above.

[0103] refer to Figure 8 Terminal device 810 may include one or more processors 811, one or more memories 812, and one or more transceivers 813 interconnected via one or more buses 814. The one or more buses 814 may be address, data, or control buses and may include any interconnection mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, optical fibers, optics, or other optical communication devices. Each of the one or more transceivers 813 may include a receiver and a transmitter connected to one or more antennas 816. Terminal device 810 may wirelessly communicate with wireless access network device 820 via one or more antennas 816. The one or more memories 812 may include instructions 815, which, when executed by the one or more processors 811, may cause terminal device 810 to perform the operations and procedures described above related to terminal device 210.

[0104] Network device 820 may include one or more processors 821, one or more memories 822, one or more transceivers 823, and one or more network interfaces 827 interconnected via one or more buses 824. The one or more buses 824 may be address, data, or control buses and may include any interconnecting mechanism, such as a series of lines on a motherboard or integrated circuit, optical fibers, optics, or other optical communication devices. Each of the one or more transceivers 823 may include a receiver and a transmitter connected to one or more antennas 826. Network device 820 may operate as a base station for terminal device 810 and wirelessly communicate with terminal device 810 via one or more antennas 826. The one or more network interfaces 827 may provide wired or wireless communication links through which network device 820 may communicate with other network devices, entities, components, or functions. For example, network device 820 may communicate with a core network device (not shown) via a backhaul connection. The one or more memories 822 may include instructions 825 that, when executed by the one or more processors 821, cause network device 820 to perform operations and programs associated with network device 820.

[0105] The one or more processors 811, 821 discussed above can be any suitable type for a local technology network, and can include one or more processors such as general-purpose processors, dedicated processors, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), processor-based multi-core processor architectures, and dedicated processors such as those developed based on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The one or more processors 811, 821 can be configured to control and cooperate with other elements of the UE / radio access network equipment / core network equipment to perform the processes described above.

[0106] One or more memories 812, 822 may include at least one storage medium of various forms, such as transient memory and / or non-transient memory. Transient memory may include, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM) or cache. Non-transient memory may include, but is not limited to, read-only memory (ROM), hard disk, flash memory, etc. As used herein, the term “non-transient” is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not tactile), rather than a limitation of data storage persistence (e.g., RAM and ROM). Furthermore, one or more memories 812, 822 may include, but are not limited to, electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatuses, or any combination thereof.

[0107] Some exemplary embodiments further provide one or more computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a device or apparatus to perform the processes described above. The program instructions for performing the processes of the exemplary embodiments can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program instructions can be provided to one or more processors or controllers of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus such that, when executed by the processor or controller, they cause the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams to be implemented. The program instructions can be executed entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as a standalone software package, partially on a machine, partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0108] Some exemplary embodiments further provide a computer program product or computer-readable medium having program instructions or more program instructions stored therein. A computer-readable medium can be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. A machine-readable medium can be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. A machine-readable medium can include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatuses, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media may include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fiber, portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage device, magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0109] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording, wherein a list of two or more elements connected by “and” or “or” means at least one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0110] It should be understood that the boxes in the figures can be implemented in various ways, including software, hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, one or more boxes may be implemented using software and / or firmware (e.g., machine-executable instructions stored in a storage medium). In addition to or instead of machine-executable instructions, some or all of the boxes in the figures may be implemented at least partially by one or more hardware logic components. Illustrative types of hardware logic components that may be used include, for example but not limited to, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application-specific standard products (ASSPs), system-on-a-chip (SoCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), etc.

[0111] Furthermore, although the operations are described in a specific order, this should not be construed as requiring these operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a sequential order, or to perform all the described operations to achieve the desired result. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing can be advantageous. Similarly, although several specific implementations are included in the above discussion, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as a description of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features described in the context of individual embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, different features described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented individually or in any suitable sub-combination in multiple embodiments.

[0112] Although the subject matter has been described using language specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as examples of implementing the claims.

[0113] Some abbreviations that can be found in this specification and / or the accompanying drawings are defined here as follows: C-DRX Connectivity Mode Discontinuous Reception DCI downlink control information DTX discontinuous transmission NES network energy saving PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) RRC Radio Resource Control SFN system frame number UE User Equipment

Claims

1. An apparatus for a terminal device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to at least: Receive configuration for discontinuous transmission from a network device serving the terminal device, wherein the configuration for discontinuous transmission defines the active and inactive periods of the cell associated with the network device; Receive a first indication from the network device, the first indication indicating that the configuration for the discontinuous transmission is activated; A first start offset and a secondary start offset are provided, wherein the first start offset should be used when the discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset should be used for the configuration in which the discontinuous transmission is activated; as well as During the active discontinuous transmission in the cell, the first starting offset or the secondary starting offset for discontinuous reception of the connection for the terminal device is selected.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to: A first configuration message is received from the network device, the first configuration message including a distribution factor corresponding to the configuration for the discontinuous transmission to determine the secondary start offset such that the on-duration period of the discontinuous reception of the connection at least partially overlaps with the active period of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first indication includes a second indication instructing the terminal device to calculate the secondary start offset, and wherein the apparatus is configured to: The secondary start offset is calculated based on at least one of the following: the start offset of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission, the first start offset, the activity period of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission, or the distribution factor of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to: When the first instruction is received, the auxiliary start offset is calculated based on at least one of the following: the start offset of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission, the first start offset, the active period of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission, or the distribution factor corresponding to the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first starting offset is selected if the duration of the on-state of discontinuous reception of the connection according to the first starting offset at least partially overlaps with the active period of the configuration activated for the discontinuous transmission.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to: Receive a second configuration message from the network device, including at least one secondary start offset; and The auxiliary starting offset is determined based on the at least one auxiliary starting offset.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus is configured to: When the at least one secondary start offset corresponds to the configuration for the discontinuous transmission, upon receiving the first indication, the secondary start offset corresponding to the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission is determined.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the apparatus is configured to: When the first indication indicates one of the at least one secondary start offsets, the secondary start offset is determined based on the first indication.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to: The secondary start offset is calculated based on at least one of the following: the start offset of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission, the identifier of the terminal device, or the active period of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission.

10. The apparatus of claims 1 to 9, wherein the apparatus is configured to receive the first instruction via downlink control information.

11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the apparatus is configured to: If the duration of the on-start of discontinuous reception of the connection according to the secondary start offset falls outside the active period of the configuration activated for the discontinuous transmission, the physical downlink control channel is monitored at the beginning of the active period of the configuration activated for the discontinuous transmission.

12. An apparatus for a network device, comprising: At least one processor; as well as At least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the network device to at least: The configuration for discontinuous transmission is transmitted to the terminal device being served by the network device, wherein the configuration for discontinuous transmission defines the active and inactive periods of the cell associated with the network device; A first instruction is transmitted to the network device, the first instruction indicating that the configuration for the discontinuous transmission is activated; as well as The terminal device is provided with information about a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset should be used by the terminal device when the discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset should be used by the terminal device for the configuration in which the discontinuous transmission is activated.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is configured to: A first configuration message is transmitted to the terminal device, the first configuration message including a distribution factor corresponding to the configuration for the discontinuous transmission for the terminal device to calculate the secondary start offset, such that the duration of the on-state of the discontinuous reception of the terminal device's connection at least partially overlaps with the active period of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first indication includes a second indication indicating whether the terminal device calculates the auxiliary start offset.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is configured to: A second configuration message is transmitted to the terminal device, the second configuration message including at least one secondary starting offset for the terminal device to determine the secondary starting offset.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one auxiliary start offset corresponds to the configuration for the discontinuous transmission.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first indication indicates one of the at least one secondary start offset.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein the apparatus is configured to: The first instruction is transmitted via downlink control information.

19. A method performed by means for a terminal device, comprising: Receive configuration for discontinuous transmission from a network device serving the terminal device, wherein the configuration for discontinuous transmission defines the active and inactive periods of the cell associated with the network device; Receive a first indication from the network device, the first indication indicating that the configuration for the discontinuous transmission is activated; A first start offset and a secondary start offset are provided, wherein the first start offset should be used when the discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset should be used for the configuration in which the discontinuous transmission is activated; as well as During the active discontinuous transmission in the cell, the first starting offset or the secondary starting offset for discontinuous reception of the connection for the terminal device is selected.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising: A first configuration message is received from the network device, the first configuration message including a distribution factor corresponding to the configuration for the discontinuous transmission to determine the secondary start offset such that the on-duration period of the discontinuous reception of the connection at least partially overlaps with the active period of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first indication includes a second indication instructing the terminal device to calculate the secondary start offset, and wherein the method comprises: The secondary start offset is calculated based on at least one of the following: the start offset of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission, the first start offset, the activity period of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission, or the distribution factor corresponding to the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission.

22. The method of claim 20, comprising: When the first instruction is received, the auxiliary start offset is calculated based on at least one of the following: the start offset of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission, the first start offset, the active period of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission, or the distribution factor corresponding to the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the first starting offset is selected if the duration of the on-state of discontinuous reception of the connection according to the first starting offset at least partially overlaps with the active period of the configuration activated for the discontinuous transmission.

24. The method of claim 19, comprising: Receive a second configuration message from the network device, including at least one secondary start offset; as well as The auxiliary starting offset is determined based on the at least one auxiliary starting offset.

25. The method of claim 25, comprising: When the at least one secondary start offset corresponds to the configuration for the discontinuous transmission, upon receiving the first indication, the secondary start offset corresponding to the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission is determined.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the secondary start offset is determined based on the first indication when the first indication indicates one of the at least one secondary start offsets.

27. The method of claim 19, comprising: The secondary start offset is calculated based on at least one of the following: the start offset of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission, the identifier of the terminal device, or the active period of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission.

28. The method according to claims 19 to 28, comprising: The first instruction is received via downlink control information.

29. The method according to any one of claims 19 to 28, comprising: If the duration of the on-start of discontinuous reception of the connection according to the secondary start offset falls outside the active period of the configuration activated for the discontinuous transmission, the physical downlink control channel is monitored at the beginning of the active period of the configuration activated for the discontinuous transmission.

30. A method performed by a means of a network device, comprising: The configuration for discontinuous transmission is transmitted to the terminal device being served by the network device, wherein the configuration for discontinuous transmission defines the active and inactive periods of the cell associated with the network device; A first instruction is transmitted to the network device, the first instruction indicating that the configuration for the discontinuous transmission is activated; as well as The terminal device is provided with information about a first start offset and a secondary start offset, wherein the first start offset should be used by the terminal device when the discontinuous transmission is deactivated, and the secondary start offset should be used by the terminal device for the configuration in which the discontinuous transmission is activated.

31. The method of claim 30, comprising: A first configuration message is transmitted to the terminal device, the first configuration message including a distribution factor corresponding to the configuration for the discontinuous transmission for the terminal device to calculate the secondary start offset, such that the duration of the on-state of the discontinuous reception of the terminal device's connection at least partially overlaps with the active period of the activated configuration for the discontinuous transmission.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first indication includes a second indication indicating whether the terminal device calculates the secondary start offset.

33. The method of claim 30, comprising: A second configuration message is transmitted to the terminal device, the second configuration message including at least one secondary starting offset for the terminal device to determine the secondary starting offset.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the at least one auxiliary start offset corresponds to the configuration for the discontinuous transmission.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the first indication indicates one of the at least one secondary start offset.

36. The method according to any one of claims 30 to 35, comprising: The first instruction is transmitted via downlink control information.

37. An apparatus for a terminal device, comprising components for performing the method according to any one of claims 19 to 29.

38. An apparatus for a network device, comprising components for performing the method according to any one of claims 30 to 36.

39. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by means for a terminal device, cause the terminal device to perform at least the method according to any one of claims 19 to 29.

40. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by means for a network device, cause the network device to perform at least the method according to any one of claims 30 to 36.

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