Network energy saving with wake-up signal transmission restriction in mobile communications

Abstract

Techniques related to network energy saving through wake-up signal transmission restrictions in mobile communications are described. An apparatus (e.g., a user equipment (UE)) identifies that network exploration needs to be performed to identify a presence of a network or to identify an ability to obtain service from the network. In response to the identification, the apparatus performs an uplink (UL) transmission of a network wake-up signal and restricts the UL transmission.

Description

[0001] Cross-referencing

[0002] This disclosure claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 63 / 590,788 (filed October 17, 2023), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure generally relates to mobile communications, and more specifically, to network energy saving in mobile communications with wake-up signal transmission restrictions. Background Technology

[0004] In the current 3 rd In wireless communications (such as mobile communications) under the Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications, a concept called "Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) / System Information Block 1 (SIB1)" has been discussed for network energy efficiency in New Radio (NR). Based on this concept, Section 5... th 5G NR cellular networks can completely halt all transmissions (including common channels and synchronization signal blocks (SSBs)) to minimize unnecessary network energy consumption. Furthermore, since the network broadcasts no signals, mobile devices in idle mode will be unaware of any available networks for potential service when performing cell searches in this scenario. Therefore, if a user equipment (UE) is in idle mode (as defined in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.304) and finds itself outside 5G NR coverage, it is permitted to transmit a signal in the uplink (UL) direction to "explore" the existence and availability of 5G NR networks. If the network receives this signal, it activates downlink (DL) broadcast signal transmission (including SSBs and paging messages) on the cell receiving the UL signal. The UE can then detect and select that cell for idle mode camping and paging reception. The goal of this concept is that the network only needs to transmit DL signals when there are mobile devices requiring service, even if only paging messages are provided. Alternatively, for energy-saving purposes, the network may broadcast only a minimal amount of information, which may not be sufficient for a mobile device to determine whether it can register with the network. In this case, the mobile device needs to transmit a signal in the uplink direction to obtain more system information from the network to determine whether the network is accessible.

[0005] However, the aforementioned "on-demand SSB / system information" network energy-saving concept still faces challenges and potential improvements. For example, in many regulatory frameworks, mobile devices are not allowed to transmit on a particular frequency before receiving a signal from the network. This ensures that mobile devices do not cause uncontrolled interference to the spectrum. Allowing mobile devices to autonomously transmit signals in the UL direction without first receiving any DL signals may violate such regulatory frameworks. A scenario of concern is when a mobile device leaves a subscriber's home country and arrives in another "visited" country. In this scenario, if the device does not find any coverage, it may assume it is still in its home country and begin transmitting signals on the frequency bands of the subscriber's home country. The problem is that the spectrum allocated for mobile use in the "visited" country may be different from that in the subscriber's home country, and the mobile device's transmission may interfere with non-mobile services that are in use (whose operation may be affected by such mobile device transmissions). Another possibility is that the same device supports multiple mobile frequency bands and begins transmitting UL signals on all the frequency bands it supports, in case it thinks it is no longer in its home country. The problems arising from this are similar to those described above, but may affect other services. On another front, if a device learns of network availability from a minimal amount of information broadcast by the network, it may wake up the network to obtain more information, requiring it to expend more energy to transmit information to the mobile device, without the network knowing whether the mobile device has access to the network. Therefore, it would be beneficial for 3GPP standards to impose restrictions on the use of such UL transmissions to prevent or minimize the effects of interference or increased energy consumption (as illustrated in the example above).

[0006] Therefore, mobile communications require a network energy-saving solution with wake-up signal transmission limitations. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The following summary is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to be limiting in any way. That is, the summary aims to introduce the concepts, key points, benefits, and advantages of the novel and non-obvious techniques described herein. Some embodiments will be further elaborated in the detailed description below. Therefore, the following summary is not intended to identify the essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0008] The objective of this disclosure is to propose solutions or strategies for addressing the problems described herein. More specifically, the various solutions proposed in this disclosure are believed to provide solutions for network energy saving in mobile communications with limitations on wake-up signal transmission. It is believed that implementations of one or more solutions proposed in this disclosure can solve or alleviate the aforementioned problems.

[0009] In one aspect, a method may involve a user equipment (UE) identifying the need to perform a network exploration to identify the presence of a network or the ability to obtain services from that network. The method may also involve the UE, in response to this identification, performing an uplink (UL) transmission of a network wake-up signal and restricting that UL transmission.

[0010] In another aspect, an apparatus may include a transceiver configured for wireless communication and a processor coupled to the transceiver. The processor may identify the need to perform a network exploration to determine the presence of a network or the ability to obtain services from that network. The processor may also, in response to such identification, perform a UL transmission of a network wake-up signal and restrict such UL transmission.

[0011] It is worth noting that although the content described in this article may be within the context of certain wireless access technologies, networks, and network topologies, such as 5G... th The concepts, schemes, and any variations / derivatives of proposed 5G / New Radio (NR) / Beyond Fifth-Generation (B5G) mobile communications can be implemented, used, and implemented by other types of radio access technologies, networks, and network topologies, such as, but not limited to, 4G. th This includes 4G / Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, Internet of Things (IoT), Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), and non-terrestrial network (NTN) communications. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the examples described herein. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The accompanying drawings are included in this specification to further understand this disclosure and form part of this disclosure. The drawings illustrate embodiments of this disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It will be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, as some components may be shown out of proportion to their actual dimensions for clarity in illustrating the concepts of this disclosure.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an example network environment in which various solutions and schemes related to this disclosure can be implemented.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of an example communication system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a second example flowchart of one embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Detailed embodiments and implementations of the claimed subject matter are disclosed herein. However, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments and implementations are merely illustrative of the claimed subject matter, which can be implemented in various forms. This disclosure can take many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments and implementations set forth herein. Rather, these exemplary embodiments and implementations are provided to make the description of this disclosure exhaustive and complete, and to fully communicate the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art. In the following description, details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments and implementations.

[0017] Overview

[0018] According to embodiments of this disclosure, various techniques, methods, schemes, and / or solutions related to network power saving and wake-up signal transmission limitations in mobile communications are involved. According to this disclosure, multiple possible solutions can be implemented individually or in combination. That is, although these possible solutions are described separately below, two or more possible solutions can be implemented in some combination.

[0019] Figure 1 Example network environment 100 is provided, in which various solutions and schemes can be implemented according to this disclosure. Figures 2 to 3 Examples of implementing various proposed schemes in a network environment 100 according to this disclosure are provided. The following description of the various proposed schemes is in conjunction with… Figures 1 to 3 It was carried out.

[0020] See Figure 1 Network environment 100 may involve a UE 110, such as a mobile device or smartphone, wirelessly communicating with wireless network 120 as part of a communication network. Wireless network 120 may be a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) encompassing 5G / NR and 4G / LTE domains. UE 110 may initially communicate wirelessly with wireless network 120 via a base station or network node 125 (e.g., eNB, gNB, or transmit-receive point (TRP)). In network environment 100, UE 110 and wireless network 120 may implement various schemes related to network power saving and wake-up signal transmission limitations in mobile communications, as described herein, according to this disclosure.

[0021] It is worth noting that although the various proposed schemes may be described separately or individually below, in actual implementation, some or all of the proposed schemes may be used in combination or implemented in other ways. Of course, each proposed scheme may also be used or implemented individually or separately. In addition, as used in this article, "lower layer" may refer to the layer below the radio resource control (RRC) layer in the 5GMM protocol stack, such as the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, radio control link (RLC) layer, medium access control (MAC) layer, physical (PHY) layer, etc.

[0022] In addition to the challenges mentioned above, one aspect is the situation where control is exercised through different radio access technologies (RATs) or different carrier frequencies. If the 5G New Radio (NR) base station transmitters are completely shut down, it is highly likely that legacy radio access technologies can provide services in the same coverage area, but from different base stations. In this case, if the mobile device is already camped on a legacy radio access technology or a cell with the same carrier frequency, the base station providing that legacy technology cell can control whether and how the mobile device transmits uplink (UL) transmissions to "explore" the availability of the 5G NR network.

[0023] Another aspect involves allowing only specific mobile devices to transmit Wake-on signals, or only in certain scenarios. This relates to whether all mobile devices should be allowed to transmit Wake-on signals. It might be desirable only for devices that require certain services to be allowed to transmit Wake-on signals (e.g., special users with a specific subscriber identity module (SIM) access category).

[0024] According to the various proposed schemes of this disclosure, uplink (UL) transmission of “Wake-up” signals by a mobile device (e.g., UE 110) can be restricted by one or more mechanisms under the various proposed schemes described below.

[0025] According to the first proposed scheme of this disclosure, certain means may be defined to control the behavior of UE 110 regarding network wake-up signal uplink transmission in the following situations: UE 110 leaves mobile coverage and no network is available because network 120 does not transmit broadcast channels or only transmits synchronization signal blocks (SSBs). Under the first proposed scheme, the information used to control UE 110 may include one or more of the following: (a) an indication of whether UE 110 is allowed to transmit a network wake-up signal; (b) the frequency at which UE 110 is allowed to transmit a network wake-up signal; (c) the allowed periodicity of uplink transmission of the network wake-up signal; (d) the absolute time at which UE 110 is allowed to transmit a network wake-up signal; (e) a timer with a specified or configured expiration time that is started when UE 110 identifies that no network is available (i.e., the network is not transmitting a broadcast channel), allowing UE 110 to transmit uplink signals to explore the availability of the 5G network after the timer is started and before it expires, and after the timer expires, UE 110 is no longer allowed to transmit such signals; and (f) geographical location restrictions on UE 110 being allowed to transmit a network wake-up signal (e.g., UE 110 may obtain its geographical location via a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), or other means).

[0026] According to the second proposed scheme of this disclosure, certain means may be defined to control the behavior of UE 110 regarding uplink transmission of network wake-up signal in the following situations: UE 110 leaves mobile coverage and no network is available because network 120 does not transmit broadcast channels or only transmits synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) on network 120, such that UE 110 is only allowed to transmit uplink network wake-up signals on certain frequencies. Under the second proposed scheme, such frequencies can be indicated as belonging to one of the following: (a) the same carrier frequency that provided service to UE 110 before the lack of coverage was detected; (b) the same frequency band that provided service to UE 110 before the lack of coverage was detected; (c) the frequency band of the same network (e.g., a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN)) that provided service to UE 110 before the lack of coverage was detected; (d) the frequency band of the same network (e.g., a PLMN) or an equivalent network (e.g., an equivalent PLMN) that provided service to UE 110 before the lack of coverage was detected; (e) the frequency band available for mobile use in the same country where the network providing service to UE 110 before the lack of coverage was detected (e.g., the country is identified by a Mobile Country Code (MCC), which is part of the PLMN identifier of the mobile network); and (f) the frequency band known to be available for mobile use in the country where UE 110 is located, and which, depending on the network (e.g., access PLMN (VPLMN)), allows UE 110 to attempt access to obtain normal or emergency service (such as in UE 110's case). Configured on the 110 Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC).

[0027] According to the third proposed scheme of this disclosure, certain means may be defined to control the behavior of UE 110 regarding Wake-up Signal uplink transmission to explore networks on other carrier frequencies when UE 110 camps on the network in connected or idle mode using existing carrier frequencies. Under the third proposed scheme, the information used to control UE 110 may include one or more of the following: (a) an indication of whether UE 110 is permitted to transmit Wake-up Signals; (b) the frequency at which UE 110 is permitted to transmit Wake-up Signals; (c) the permitted periodicity of Wake-up Signal uplink transmissions; (d) the absolute time at which UE 110 is permitted to transmit Wake-up Signals; (e) a timer with a specified or configured expiration time started when UE 110 receives information from the network, such that after the timer expires, UE 110 is no longer permitted to transmit Wake-up Signals; and (f) geographical location restrictions on UE 110's permitted Wake-up Signal transmissions (e.g., UE 110 may obtain its geographical location via GNSS such as GPS, or be restricted by a registration area or radio access network notification / registration area, or by other means).

[0028] According to the fourth aspect of this disclosure, certain means can be defined to control the behavior of user equipment (UE) 110 regarding uplink (UL) transmission of network wake-up signals on other carrier frequencies when it is camped on the network in connected or idle mode using existing carrier frequencies, such that UE 110 is only allowed to transmit network wake-up signals on certain frequencies. According to the fourth scheme, these frequencies can be indicated as belonging to one of the following: (a) different frequency bands of the same network (e.g., a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN)) that serves UE 110; (b) different frequency bands of the same network (e.g., a PLMN) or an equivalent network (e.g., an equivalent PLMN) that serves UE 110; (c) frequency bands available for mobile use in the same country where the network serving UE 110 is located (e.g., the country is identified by the Mobile Country Code (MCC) in the PLMN identifier in the mobile network); and (d) frequency bands known to be available for mobile use in the country where UE 110 is located, depending on the network that UE 110 is allowed to attempt to access to obtain normal or emergency services (e.g., a Visitor PLMN (VPLMN), as configured on a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC)).

[0029] According to a fifth aspect of this disclosure, certain means can be defined to control the behavior of UE 110 regarding the UL transmission of a Wake-Up Signal when leaving mobile coverage and when no network is available because network 120 is not transmitting a broadcast channel or is only transmitting a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) by network 120. According to the fifth aspect, if UE 110 is served by another radio access technology (e.g., 5G New Radio (NR)), then UE 110 is not allowed to transmit a Wake-Up Signal for a radio access technology (e.g., 6G). Alternatively, or additionally, UE 110 is not allowed to transmit a Wake-Up Signal for a radio access technology (e.g., 6G) on the same carrier frequency served by another radio access technology (e.g., 5G NR).

[0030] According to the sixth aspect of this disclosure, any or all of the information described in the first, second, third, fourth and fifth aspects above may be limited to the operation of certain mobile devices (e.g., depending on the subscriber type or specific subscriber identity).

[0031] According to the seventh embodiment of this disclosure, any or all of the information described in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth embodiments above can be designated as standard mobile device behavior in relevant technical standards (e.g., standards defined by 3GPP). Alternatively, or additionally, any or all of the information described in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth embodiments above can be configured to UE 110 via mobile network signaling using the same radio access technology as UE 110 for transmitting network wake-up signals, or via different radio access technologies (e.g., an LTE network can configure UE 110 via signaling to control the UL transmission behavior of its 5G NR or 6G network wake-up signals). This signaling can be provided via the core network non-access stratum (NAS) or via the radio access network (e.g., via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling). Alternatively, or additionally, any or all of the information described in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth embodiments above can be stored in the subscriber identity module (SIM) of UE 110 and read by UE 110 from the SIM.

[0032] According to the eighth scheme of this disclosure, any or all of the information described in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth schemes above can be configured to a mobile device (e.g., UE 110) via signaling from a mobile network, and then the information can be encrypted by the network using a public or private key security mechanism, so that only the network and the receiving mobile device know the information.

[0033] Example Implementation

[0034] Figure 2 An example communication system 200 is shown, having at least one example device 210 and one example device 220, according to embodiments of this disclosure. Each of devices 210 and 220 can perform various functions to implement the schemes, techniques, processes, and methods described herein, relating to network energy saving in mobile communications with wake-up signal transmission limitations, including the foregoing description of various scheme designs, concepts, systems, and methods, including network environment 100, and the processes described below.

[0035] Each of devices 210 and 220 may be part of an electronic device, which may be a network device or user equipment (UE) (e.g., UE 110), such as a portable or mobile device, a wearable device, an in-vehicle device or vehicle, a wireless communication device, or a computing device. For example, devices 210 and 220 may be implemented in a smartphone, smartwatch, personal digital assistant, electronic control unit (ECU) in a vehicle, digital camera, or computing device (such as a tablet, laptop, or mobile phone). Devices 210 and 220 may also be part of a machine-type device, which may be an Internet of Things (IoT) device, such as a non-mobile or fixed device, a home device, a roadside unit (RSU), a wired communication device, or a computing device. For example, each of devices 210 and 220 may be implemented in a smart thermostat, a smart refrigerator, a smart door lock, a wireless speaker, or a home control center. When implemented as a network device, device 210 and / or device 220 may be implemented in an eNodeB in an LTE, LTE-Advanced, or LTE-Advanced Pro network, or in a gNB or TRP in a 5G NR network, 6G network, or IoT network.

[0036] In some embodiments, each of devices 210 and 220 may be implemented as one or more integrated circuit (IC) chips, such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, one or more Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) processors, or one or more Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processors. In the various embodiments described above, devices 210 and 220 may be implemented as network devices or UEs. Devices 210 and 220 may include... Figure 2 At least some components are shown, such as processor 212 and processor 222. Devices 210 and 220 may also include one or more other components unrelated to this disclosure (e.g., internal power supply, display device, and / or user interface device); therefore, for the sake of brevity, Figure 2 These components of devices 210 and 220 are not shown and are not described below.

[0037] In one aspect, each of processors 212 and 222 may be implemented as one or more single-core processors, one or more multi-core processors, or one or more CISC or RISC processors. That is, although the singular term “processor” is used herein to refer to processors 212 and 222, each of processors 212 and 222 may include multiple processors in some embodiments and a single processor in other embodiments, according to this disclosure. In another aspect, each of processors 212 and 222 may be implemented in hardware (and optionally firmware) and includes, for example, but not limited to, one or more transistors, one or more diodes, one or more capacitors, one or more resistors, one or more inductors, one or more memristors, and / or one or more varactor diodes, these electronic components being configured and arranged to achieve the specific purposes of this disclosure. In other words, in at least some embodiments, processors 212 and 222 are special-purpose machines specifically designed, arranged, and configured to perform specific tasks, including network power-saving related tasks with wake-up signal transmission limitations in mobile communications according to various embodiments of this disclosure.

[0038] In some embodiments, device 210 may further include a transceiver 216 coupled to processor 212. Transceiver 216 may be capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some embodiments, transceiver 216 may be capable of wireless communication with different types of wireless networks using different Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In some embodiments, transceiver 216 may be equipped with multiple antenna ports (not shown), for example, four antenna ports. That is, transceiver 216 may be equipped with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas to achieve multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication. In some embodiments, device 220 may further include a transceiver 226 coupled to processor 222. Transceiver 226 may include a transceiver capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data. In some embodiments, transceiver 226 may be capable of wireless communication with different types of UE / wireless networks using different RATs. In some embodiments, transceiver 226 may be equipped with multiple antenna ports (not shown), for example, four antenna ports. That is, transceiver 226 may be equipped with multiple transmit antennas and multiple receive antennas to achieve MIMO wireless communication.

[0039] In some embodiments, device 210 may further include a memory 214 coupled to processor 212 and capable of being accessed by processor 212 and storing data. In some embodiments, device 220 may further include a memory 224 coupled to processor 222 and capable of being accessed by processor 222 and storing data. Each of memory 214 and memory 224 may include a random access memory (RAM), such as dynamic RAM (DRAM), static RAM (SRAM), thyristor RAM (T-RAM), and / or zero-capacitance RAM (Z-RAM). Alternatively, or additionally, each of memory 214 and memory 224 may include a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), such as flash memory, solid-state memory, ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), and / or phase-change memory.

[0040] Each of devices 210 and 220 can be a communication entity capable of communicating according to various proposed schemes of this disclosure. For the purpose of illustration and without limitation, the following describes the capabilities of device 210 as a UE (e.g., UE 110) and device 220 as a network node (e.g., network node 125) in a network (e.g., wireless network 120 as a 5G / NR mobile network) within the context of example flow 300.

[0041] Example Process

[0042] Figure 3 An example flow 300 according to an embodiment of this disclosure is shown. Flow 300 may represent one aspect of implementing the various proposed designs, concepts, schemes, systems, and methods described above. More specifically, flow 300 may represent one aspect of the proposed concepts and schemes related to network energy saving with wake-up signal transmission limitations in mobile communications in this disclosure. Flow 300 may include one or more operations, actions, or functions, as shown by one or more modules 310 and 320. Although shown as discrete modules, the various modules of flow 300 may be divided into more modules, merged into fewer modules, or omitted according to the desired implementation. Furthermore, the modules / submodules of flow 300 may be arranged according to... Figure 3 The process can be executed in the order shown, or in a different order. Furthermore, one or more modules / submodules of process 300 can be executed repeatedly or iteratively. Process 300 can be implemented by devices 210 and 220, and any variations thereof. For illustrative purposes only and without limitation, process 300 is described below in the context of device 210 as a UE (e.g., UE 110) and device 220 as a communication entity (e.g., network node 125 as a network node or base station) in a network (e.g., wireless network 120). Process 300 may begin at module 310.

[0043] At 310, process 300 may involve the processor 212 of device 210 acting as a UE, identifying the need to perform network exploration to identify the existence of a network (e.g., network 120) or the ability of device 210 to obtain services from that network (e.g., via device 220 acting as network node 125). Process 300 may continue from 310 to 320.

[0044] At 320, process 300 may involve processor 212, in response to the identification, performing an uplink (UL) transmission of a Wake-up signal via transceiver 216 and restricting the UL transmission.

[0045] In some implementations, the limitation may include restrictions on at least one of the following: frequency, time, periodicity, geographic location, or RAT of the UL transmission.

[0046] In some implementations, the restriction may include restricting the UE from performing the UL transmission to explore one or more networks on one or more other carrier frequencies in response to the UE camping on the network in connected or idle mode using existing carrier frequencies.

[0047] In some implementations, in response to the UE leaving mobile coverage and no network available, the restriction may include any one or both of the following: (i) the UE is not allowed to use the first RAT to transmit a network wake-up signal when served by the second RAT; and (ii) the UE is not allowed to use the first RAT to transmit the network wake-up signal on the same carrier frequency served by the second RAT. In some implementations, the first RAT may include 6G, and the second RAT may include 5G NR.

[0048] In some implementations, the restriction may include a restriction that depends on the subscriber type or a specific subscriber identity associated with the UE.

[0049] In some implementations, when identifying the requirement, process 300 may involve processor 212 identifying the requirement based on the following: (i) the UE leaves mobile coverage and no network is available because the network is not transmitting a broadcast channel; or (ii) the network is only transmitting a synchronization signal block (SSB).

[0050] In some implementations, when performing the UL transmission, process 300 may involve processor 212 performing the UL transmission on one or more of the following frequencies: (a) the same carrier frequency that served the UE before the lack of coverage was detected; (b) the same frequency band that served the UE before the lack of coverage was detected; (c) one or more frequency bands of the same network that served the UE before the lack of coverage was detected; (d) one or more frequency bands of the same network or equivalent network that served the UE before the lack of coverage was detected; (e) one or more frequency bands that are available for mobile use in the same country where the network that served the UE before the lack of coverage is located; and (f) one or more frequency bands that are known to be available for mobile use in the country where the UE is located, and the UE is permitted to attempt to access them to obtain normal or emergency services.

[0051] In some implementations, when the UE is camped on the network in connected or idle mode using an existing carrier frequency, process 300 may involve processor 212 performing the UL transmission on one or more of the following frequencies: (a) one or more different frequency bands of the network serving the UE; (b) one or more different frequency bands of an equivalent network serving the UE; (c) one or more frequency bands available for mobile use in the same country where the network serving the UE is located; and (d) one or more frequency bands known to be available for mobile use in the country where the UE is located, and the UE is permitted to attempt access to obtain normal or emergency services.

[0052] In some implementations, prior to performing the UL transmission, process 300 may also involve processor 212 acquiring information related to the restriction. This information may include one or more of the following: (a) an indication of whether the UE is permitted to transmit the Wake-on-LAN signal; (b) one or more frequencies at which the UE is permitted to transmit the Wake-on-LAN signal; (c) the permitted periodicity of the UL transmission of the Wake-on-LAN signal; (d) the absolute time at which the UE is permitted to transmit the Wake-on-LAN signal; (e) a timer with a specified or configured expiration time, started when the UE determines that no network is available, such that the UE is permitted to transmit the Wake-on-LAN signal to explore 5G network availability after the timer is started and before the timer expires, and is not permitted to transmit the Wake-on-LAN signal after the timer expires; and (f) the geographical location at which the UE is permitted to transmit the Wake-on-LAN signal.

[0053] In some implementations, when acquiring information related to the restriction, process 300 may involve processor 212 receiving signaling from the same Radio Access Technology (RAT) network that transmits the Network Wake-up Signal to the UE, or via a different RAT. In some implementations, the information may be specified as mobile device standard behavior in one or more technical standards (e.g., 3GPP). In some implementations, the signaling may include Core Network Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling. In some implementations, when receiving the signaling, process 300 may involve processor 212 receiving Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. In some implementations, the information may be encrypted by the network using a public-key or private-key security mechanism. Alternatively, when acquiring information related to the restriction, process 300 may involve processor 212 reading the information from the UE's Subscriber Identity Module (SIM).

[0054] Additional Notes

[0055] The topics described herein sometimes demonstrate different components contained within or connected to different other components. It should be understood that these illustrated architectures are merely examples, and many other architectures can actually be implemented to achieve the same functionality. Conceptually, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” to achieve the desired function. Therefore, any two combinations of components in this document to achieve a particular function can be considered “associated with each other” to achieve the desired function, regardless of the architecture or intermediate components. Similarly, any two such associated components can also be considered “operably connected” or “operably coupled” to achieve the desired function, and any two components that can be suchly associated can also be considered “operably coupled” to achieve the desired function. Specific examples of operable coupling include, but are not limited to, physically matable and / or physically interactive components and / or wirelessly interactive and / or logically interactive components.

[0056] Furthermore, regarding the use of almost all plural and / or singular terms in this document, those skilled in the art can appropriately convert plural to singular and / or singular to plural depending on the context and / or application. For clarity, various singular / plural permutations may be explicitly listed herein.

[0057] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that, generally, the terms used herein, especially in appended claims, such as the body portion of appended claims, are intended to be “open” terms; for example, the word “comprising” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the word “having” should be interpreted as “at least having,” and the word “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” etc. Those skilled in the art will also understand that if the specific number of elements to be introduced is expressly stated in the claim, then that intention is expressly stated in the claim; if it is not stated, then that intention does not exist. For example, for ease of understanding, the following appended claims may contain the use of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim elements. However, the use of such phrases should not be interpreted as limiting any particular claim containing that element to containing only one of that element, even if the same claim contains the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a,” for example, “a” should be interpreted as “at least one” or “one or more”; the same applies to definite articles used to introduce claim elements. Furthermore, even when the specific number of elements incorporating a claim is explicitly stated, those skilled in the art will recognize that such a statement should be interpreted as at least the stated number. For example, the phrase "two elements" alone, without any other modifiers, implies at least two elements, or two or more elements. Additionally, when using conventions such as "at least one A, B, and C, etc.", this structure is generally intended for those skilled in the art to understand the meaning of the convention. For example, "a system having at least one A, B, and C" includes, but is not limited to, systems with only A, only B, only C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A, B, and C together. Similarly, when using conventions such as "at least one A, B, or C, etc.", this structure is generally intended for those skilled in the art to understand the meaning of the convention. For example, "a system having at least one A, B, or C" includes, but is not limited to, systems with only A, only B, only C, A and B, A and C, B and C, and A, B, and C together. Those skilled in the art will also understand that almost all extractive terms and / or phrases presenting two or more alternative terms in the specification, claims, or drawings should be understood to include the possibility of having only one term, any two terms, or all of the terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” should be understood as including the possibility of “A” or “B” or “A and B”.

[0058] As can be seen from the foregoing, various embodiments of this disclosure have been described herein for illustrative purposes, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Therefore, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to be limiting, and the true scope and spirit are indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A method, comprising: A processor of a user equipment (UE) determines that a network exploration needs to be performed to identify the existence of a network or the ability to obtain a service from that network; as well as In response to the identification, the processor performs an uplink (UL) transmission of a Wake-up signal and restricts the UL transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the limitation includes limitations on at least one of the frequency, time, periodicity, geographic location, or radio access technology (RAT) of the UL transmission.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the limitation includes: In response to the UE using an existing carrier frequency to camp on a network in a connected mode or an idle mode, the UE is restricted from performing the UL transmission to explore one or more networks on one or more other carrier frequencies.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, In response to the UE leaving a mobile coverage area and no network being available, the restriction includes any one or both of the following: When the UE is served by a second radio access technology (RAT), the UE is not allowed to use a first RAT to transmit a network wake-up signal; as well as The UE is not allowed to use the first RAT to transmit the network wake-up signal on the same carrier frequency served by the second RAT.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first RAT includes 6th generation (6G) New Radio (NR) and the second RAT includes 5th generation (5G) NR.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the limitation includes a limitation that depends on a subscriber type or a specific subscriber identity associated with the UE.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the need comprises identifying the need based on: The UE leaves a mobile coverage area and there is no network available because a network is not transmitting a broadcast channel; or The network transmits only one synchronization signal block (SSB).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the UL transmission comprises performing the UL transmission on one or more frequencies belonging to one or more of the following: The same carrier frequency that provides service to the UE before no coverage is detected; The same frequency band that provides service to the UE before the lack of coverage is detected; One or more frequency bands of the same network that provided service to the UE before the lack of coverage was detected; One or more frequency bands of the same network or an equivalent network that provided services to the UE before the lack of coverage was detected; One or more frequency bands available for mobile use in the same country as the network providing services to the UE before the lack of coverage was detected; and One or more frequency bands are known to be available for mobile use in the country where the UE is located, and the UE is permitted to attempt to access them to obtain normal or emergency services.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, In response to the UE camping on a network in a connected mode or an idle mode using an existing carrier frequency, performing the UL transmission includes performing the UL transmission on one or more frequencies belonging to one or more of the following: One or more different frequency bands of the network that provide services to the UE; One or more different frequency bands of an equivalent network that provides services to the UE; One or more frequency bands available for mobile use in the same country where the network providing services to the UE is located; as well as One or more frequency bands are known to be available for mobile use in the country where the UE is located, and the UE is permitted to attempt to access them to obtain normal service or an emergency service.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before performing the UL transmission: The processor obtains information related to the limitation, which includes one or more of the following: An indication of whether the UE is permitted to transmit the network wake-up signal; The UE is permitted to transmit one or more frequencies of the network wake-up signal; The UL transmits the network wake-up signal on a permissible periodicity; The UE is allowed to transmit the network wake-up signal for an absolute period of time; A timer having a specified or configured expiration time, the timer being started when the UE determines that no network is available, such that after the timer is started and before the timer expires, the UE is allowed to transmit a network wake-up signal to explore the availability of a 5G network, and after the timer expires, the UE is not allowed to transmit a network wake-up signal; and A geographical location that allows the UE to transmit the network wake-up signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining information related to the limitation includes: A signaling is received from a network that transmits the network wake-up signal to the UE using the same Radio Access Technology (RAT) or through a different RAT.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the signaling includes receiving a Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, or wherein receiving the signaling includes a Core Network Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the information is encrypted by the network using a public-key or private-key security mechanism.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the acquisition of information related to the limitation is specified as a standard behavior of a mobile device in one or more technical standards.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining information related to the limitation includes: This information is read from a subscriber identity module (SIM) of the UE.

16. An apparatus that can be implemented in a user equipment (UE), comprising: A transceiver configured for wireless communication; as well as A processor coupled to and configured to perform operations with the transceiver includes: Identification requires performing network exploration to identify the existence of a network or the ability to obtain a service from that network; as well as The transceiver performs an uplink (UL) transmission of a Wake-up signal in response to the identification, and imposes a restriction on the UL transmission.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the limitation includes one of the following: Limitations on at least one of the following: frequency, time, periodicity, geographic location, or radio access technology (RAT) of the UL transmission; In response to the UE camping on a network in a connected mode or an idle mode using an existing carrier frequency, restrict the UE from performing the UL transmission to explore one or more networks on one or more other carrier frequencies; or Restrictions depend on the subscriber type or a specific subscriber identity associated with the UE.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, In response to the UE leaving a mobile coverage area and no network available, the restriction includes one or both of the following: When the UE is served by a second radio access technology (RAT), the use of the first RAT to send network wake-up signals is not permitted; and The UE is not allowed to send the network wake-up signal using the first RAT on the same carrier frequency served by the second RAT. The first RAT includes 6th generation (6G) new radio (NR), and the second RAT includes 5th generation (5G) NR.

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