Energy saving mode access control

Abstract

An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to access control for energy saving modes. A first device receives from a second device at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device. The first device receives from the second device a first mode indication that the second device operates in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode. The first device performs a first operation related to access to the second device based on a first prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the first energy saving mode.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to methods, devices, apparatus, and computer-readable storage media for access control for energy saving modes. [Background technology]

[0002] Reducing the energy consumption of mobile networks, especially the radio access network (RAN), which consumes the largest portion of the total energy consumption in the network, has attracted considerable attention. Therefore, measures to achieve network energy conservation in fifth-generation (5G) communication systems have been proposed. Research on network energy conservation has primarily focused on the radio access network and aims to identify transmission and / or reception adaptation techniques in the time, frequency, space, and power domains, with potential support and / or feedback from user equipment (UE), potential UE assistance information, and information exchange and / or coordination over the network interface. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided, the first device including at least one processor and at least one memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first device to perform at least the following steps: receive, from a second device, at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device; receive, from the second device, a first mode indication that the second device operates in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode; and perform a first operation related to access to the second device based on the first prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the first energy saving mode.

[0004] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a second device is provided, the second device including at least one processor and at least one memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second device to perform at least the following steps: sending, to the first device, at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device; determining whether the second device operates in an energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode; and, according to the determination that the second device operates in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode, sending, to the first device, a first mode indication that the second device operates in the first energy saving mode.

[0005] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: receiving, at a first device from a second device, at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device, receiving from the second device a first mode indication that the second device operates in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode, and performing a first operation related to accessing the second device based on the first prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the first energy saving mode.

[0006] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: transmitting, from a second device to a first device, at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device, determining whether the second device operates in an energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode, and, according to the determination that the second device operates in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode, transmitting, to the first device, a first mode indication that the second device operates in the first energy saving mode.

[0007] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a first device is provided, comprising: means for receiving at least one prohibition configuration from the second device corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device; means for receiving a first mode indication from the second device that the second device operates in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode; and means for performing a first operation related to access to the second device based on the first prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the first energy saving mode.

[0008] In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, a second device is provided, the second device comprising: means for transmitting, to the first device, at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device; means for determining whether the second device operates in an energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode; and means for transmitting, to the first device, a first mode indication that the second device operates in the first energy saving mode according to a determination that the second device operates in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode.

[0009] In a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method according to the first aspect.

[0010] In an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon for causing an apparatus to perform at least the method according to the second aspect.

[0011] It should be understood that the "Summary" section is not intended to identify key or essential features of embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will be readily apparent from the following description.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numbers represent the same or similar elements. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an exemplary communication environment in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates a signaling chart for access control according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates a flowchart of a method implemented in a first device, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 10 illustrates a flowchart of a method implemented in a second device, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 shows a simplified block diagram of a device suitable for implementing exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computer-readable medium in accordance with some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The principles of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are set forth for illustrative purposes only, to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and practicing the present disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. The embodiments described herein may be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0015] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0016] References in this disclosure to "one embodiment," "embodiment," "exemplary embodiment," etc. indicate that the described embodiment may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not all embodiments need include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, it is submitted that when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with one embodiment, it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments, whether or not explicitly described.

[0017] While the terms "first," "second," etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, it should be understood that these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element can be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element can be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.

[0018] As used herein, at least one of the following: "a list of two or more elements" and at least one of a list of two or more elements and similar phrases, where a list of two or more elements is joined 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.

[0019] As used herein, unless explicitly stated, performing a step in response to A does not indicate that the step is performed immediately after A occurs, and may include one or more intervening steps.

[0020] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Furthermore, it will be understood that the terms "comprises," "comprising," "has," "having," "includes," and / or "including," as used herein, specify the presence of stated features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0021] As used in this application, the term "circuitry" may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) Hardware-only circuit implementation (e.g., implementation in analog and / or digital circuits only) (b) a combination of hardware circuitry and software (where applicable); (i) a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuitry and software / firmware; (ii) any portion of software (including digital signal processors), hardware processors with software and memory that cooperate to cause a device, such as a mobile phone or server, to perform various functions; (c) Hardware circuitry and / or processors, such as microprocessors or portions of microprocessors, that require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but the software may not be present when not needed for operation.

[0022] This definition of circuit applies to all uses of the term in this application, including any claims. As a further example, the term circuit, as used in this application, also encompasses simply a hardware circuit or processor (or processors), or a portion of a hardware circuit or processor, as well as its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware implementations. The term circuit also encompasses, for example, a baseband or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device, if applicable to certain claim elements.

[0023] As used herein, the term "communication network" refers to a network conforming to any suitable communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), or Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT). Furthermore, communications between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network may be performed according to any suitable generation of communication protocols, including, but not limited to, first generation (1G), second generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth generation (5G), and / or any other protocols currently known or developed in future systems, such as sixth generation (6G). Embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various communication systems. Given the rapid development of communications, there will naturally be future types of communication technologies and systems in which the present disclosure may be embodied. This should not be understood as limiting the scope of the present disclosure to only the aforementioned systems.

[0024] As used herein, the term "network device" refers to a node in a communication network through which a terminal device accesses the network and receives services therefrom. A network device may refer to a base station (BS) or access point (AP), e.g., a Node B (NodeB or NB), an evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), an NR NB (also referred to as a gNB), a remote radio unit (RRU), a radio header (RH), a remote radio head (RRH), a relay, an integrated access and backhaul (IAB) node, a low-power node such as a pico or femto, a non-terrestrial network (NTN) or a non-terrestrial network device such as a satellite network device, a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite and a geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) satellite, an airborne network device, etc. In some exemplary embodiments, a radio access network (RAN) split architecture comprises a centralized unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU) at an IAB donor node. An IAB node comprises a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that behaves like a UE towards a parent node, and a DU portion of the IAB node that behaves like a base station towards a next-hop IAB node.

[0025] The term "terminal device" refers to any end device that may be capable of wireless communication. By way of example and not limitation, a terminal device may also be referred to as a communication device, user equipment (UE), subscriber station (SS), portable subscriber station, mobile station (MS), or access terminal (AT). Terminal devices may include, but are not limited to, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, voice-over-IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable terminal devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture terminal devices such as digital cameras, gaming terminal devices, music storage and playback equipment, vehicle-mounted wireless terminal equipment, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (loT) devices, watches or other wearables, head-mounted displays (HMD), vehicles, drones, medical devices and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in industrial and / or automated processing chain contexts), consumer electronics devices, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, etc. In the following description, the terms “terminal device,” “communications device,” “terminal,” “user equipment,” and “UE” may be used interchangeably.

[0026] 1 illustrates an exemplary communication environment 100 in which exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. In the communication environment 100, multiple communication devices, including a first device 110 and a second device 120, may communicate with each other.

[0027] In some demonstrative embodiments, the first device 110 may comprise a terminal device, and the second device 120 may comprise a network device serving the terminal device. The serving area of ​​the second device 120 may be referred to as a cell 102.

[0028] 1 is for illustrative purposes only, without implying any limitation. Communication environment 100 may include any suitable number of devices configured to implement exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0029] For purposes of illustration, some exemplary embodiments are described below with first device 110 operating as a terminal device and second device 120 operating as a network device. However, in some exemplary embodiments, operations described with reference to a terminal device may be implemented in a network device or other device, and operations described with reference to a network device may be implemented in a terminal device or other device.

[0030] In some demonstrative embodiments, when the first device 110 is a terminal device and the second device 120 is a network device, the link from the second device 120 to the first device 110 is called a downlink (DL), and the link from the first device 110 to the second device 120 is called an uplink (UL). In the DL, the second device 120 is a transmit (TX) device (or transmitter), and the first device 110 is a receive (RX) device (or receiver). In the UL, the first device 110 is a TX device (or transmitter), and the second device 120 is a RX device (or receiver).

[0031] Communications in communication environment 100 may be implemented according to any suitable communications protocol, including, but not limited to, cellular communications protocols such as first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), sixth generation (6G), wireless local network communications protocols such as IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.11, and / or any other protocol now known or developed in the future. Furthermore, communications may utilize any suitable wireless communications technology, such as, but not limited to, code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplex (FDD), time division duplex (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDM) discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or any other technology now known or developed in the future.

[0032] The second device 120 may operate in an energy saving (ES) mode from time to time. For example, if the second device 120 is a network device, the second device 120 may operate in a network energy saving (NES) mode from time to time. In the ES mode, some of its hardware components may be switched off or kept in a sleep state to obtain energy reduction. As a result, the ability of the second device 120 to provide services to other devices (e.g., including the first device 110) may be temporarily reduced until the ES mode ends. Energy consumption is required when the second device 120 exits the ES mode and returns to its normal performance level.

[0033] The ES mode may be achieved using any suitable means. For example, infrequent synchronization signal block (SSB) transmission, e.g., an SSB periodicity of 160 ms, may be used in empty or low-load situations in 5G non-standalone (NSA) deployments. As another example, micro-discontinuous transmission (DTX), which consists of shutting down a power amplifier every OFDM symbol in symbols that carry neither data nor signaling, may be used. In a further example, additional components of the second device 120 may be shut down based on the network architecture and capabilities. For example, transmit antennas, such as in massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) muting, and baseband circuits may be shut down. In yet a further example, the ES mode may be achieved by cell shutdown, which allows turning off one or more cells (e.g., in a given frequency layer) and thus turning off most of the hardware components of the corresponding radio units and / or RAN sites.

[0034] The second device 120 operates in either a non-ES mode and at least one ES mode. In some exemplary embodiments, the second device 120 can operate in an ES mode or a non-ES mode. In some exemplary embodiments, the second device 120 may operate in a non-ES mode and one of multiple ES modes. Examples of ES modes may include, but are not limited to, an idle cell, an idle base station (e.g., an idle gNB), a cell with few or no SSB transmissions (also referred to as an SSB-less cell), a cell with few or no system information block (SIB) 1 transmissions (also referred to as an SIB1-less cell), a cell with relaxed SSB periodicity, or multiple levels with different SSB periodicities, a cell with one or more idle beams, etc.

[0035] In some exemplary embodiments, different ES modes may have different levels of energy savings and may therefore be referred to as different-level ES modes. As a result, switching from a high-level ES mode to a non-ES mode requires more energy consumption than switching from a low-level ES mode to a non-ES mode. For example, in an ES mode of a dormant cell or a dormant gNB, the cell or gNB is deactivated. On the other hand, in an ES mode with relaxed SSB periodicity or one or more dormant beams, some hardware components are already switched on, although perhaps in a reduced manner. The energy consumption for switching from an ES mode of a dormant cell or a dormant gNB to a non-ES mode is higher than the energy consumption for switching from an ES mode with relaxed SSB periodicity or one or more dormant beams to a non-ES mode.

[0036] It should be understood that the above examples of ES modes are provided for illustrative purposes without any limitation on the scope of protection. In exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, any suitable type and number of ES modes may be present. The ES modes of the second device 120 may also be referred to as inactive states or sleep states.

[0037] First device 110 is also referred to as an ES-supporting device because it can support the ES mode of second device 120. In some embodiments, communication environment 100 may further include a third device 130 of a different type than first device 110. Third device 130 cannot support the ES mode of second device 120 and may be referred to as a legacy device.

[0038] Consider a gNB as an example. Whenever the gNB or one of the network entities under its control (e.g., cell, DU, CU) operates in an NES mode, such as dormant, this involves some of the gNB's hardware components being switched off or kept in sleep mode to obtain network energy reduction. As a result, the gNB's ability to serve UEs may be temporarily reduced until the NES mode is exited. Therefore, there may be a trade-off between the energy to be saved and the performance to be provided, which may depend on the load level and subscriber type. For example, the performance provided during the NES mode (e.g., in terms of bit rate, latency, number of served UEs, amount of served data, etc.) may be limited or degraded. In another example, data transfer or initial access may be completely prohibited for some UEs. To enable increased performance or to return to normal performance levels, the gNB may wish to exit the NES mode, but this comes at the cost of increased energy consumption.

[0039] Therefore, it is desirable to address how the gNB can control such a trade-off between energy and performance, and in particular how to control new service requests from UEs at initial access whenever the gNB is operating in an energy saving mode. In other words, the gNB needs to control whether and which UEs are allowed to initiate access to the gNB.

[0040] In a solution, the gNB can configure restrictions on initial access using the Unified Access Control (UAC) framework. However, the UAC framework is defined to reduce network congestion and does not consider the NES mode. Also, UAC information is transmitted in the System Information (SI) and therefore requires SI modification for any changes to be made to the access barring. This means that in the UAC framework, the gNB cannot adjust the barring information very dynamically; any adjustment requires SI reacquisition. Furthermore, because the NES mode of the gNB can change frequently without higher layer signaling (e.g., radio resource control, RRC, signaling), slow updates of the barring information can be difficult to manage.

[0041] According to some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a solution for access control for an energy saving mode is provided. In this solution, a first device is configured with at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one ES mode of a second device. The prohibition configuration is valid or active for the ES mode of the second device. When the first device indicates that the second device operates in a particular ES mode, the first device performs an operation related to access to the second device based on the particular prohibition configuration corresponding to the particular ES mode.

[0042] In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, when the ES mode of the second device changes, the first device is implicitly triggered to apply a prohibition configuration corresponding to the given ES mode to access the second device, which means that the first device's access to the second device depends on the actual ES mode of the second device.

[0043] In this way, the second device (e.g., gNB) can flexibly control the access of other devices (e.g., UEs) based on the current ES mode of the second device. Furthermore, the change of the prohibition configuration can be achieved without updating the SIB required by the UAC framework, and therefore without the first device having to reacquire the SI when the ES mode is changed.

[0044] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0045] 2 illustrates a signaling chart 200 for access control according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2, the signaling chart 200 includes a first device 110 and a second device 120. For purposes of explanation, reference is made to FIG. 1 to describe the signaling chart 200. While one first device 110 is shown in FIG. 2, it will be understood that there may be multiple first devices that perform operations similar to those described below with respect to the first device 110.

[0046] The second device 120 transmits to the first device 110 at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one ES mode of the second device 120 (205). Each ES mode may have one or more corresponding prohibition configurations. Alternatively, multiple prohibition configurations may correspond to the same ES mode. In other words, the first device 120 is configured with a different prohibition configuration for each ES mode. In this way, flexibility in indicating a specific prohibition for an ES mode can be achieved compared to a prohibition for congestion. In the following, a prohibition configuration corresponding to an ES mode of the second device 120 or configured for energy saving purposes is also referred to as an "ES prohibition configuration" or "ES prohibition information."

[0047] In some demonstrative embodiments, the at least one ES barring configuration may comprise a set of access barring parameters corresponding to an ES mode of the second device 120. For example, each ES mode may have a corresponding set of access barring parameters. The sets of access barring parameters for different ES modes may be different or the same. Hereinafter, the access barring parameters may also be referred to as access barring information.

[0048] A set of access barring parameters corresponding to a particular ES mode is used to control access requests from the first device 110 when the second device 120 operates in the particular ES mode. The access barring parameters corresponding to the ES mode may include a barring indicator for the ES mode that indicates whether an access attempt to the second device 120 will be permitted when the second device 120 operates in the ES mode. Alternatively, or in addition, the access barring parameters corresponding to the ES mode may include an ES mode barring factor that indicates the probability that an access request from the first device 110 will be permitted when the second device 120 operates in the ES mode.

[0049] Alternatively or additionally, the access barring parameters may include an ES mode barring time, which defines a minimum time interval before another access attempt can be made after an access attempt is barred when the second device 120 operates in ES mode. Alternatively or additionally, the access barring parameters may include an indication of a barring timer for ES mode. An instance of the barring time may be initiated when an access attempt by the first device 110 is barred. The barring timers may include, but are not limited to, T390 and T302. Furthermore, in some exemplary embodiments, the barring timers may be configured depending on the access category (AC) of the first device 110. For example, the barring timer may depend on whether the first device 110 is configured for delay-tolerant service.

[0050] Alternatively, or in addition, in some exemplary embodiments, the at least one ES barring configuration may comprise a cell barring indication corresponding to an ES mode of the second device 120. The cell barring indication indicates whether a cell served by the second device 120 is barred for the first device when the second device 120 operates in the ES mode. In other words, the cell barring indication is used to control whether the first device 110 can camp on a cell served by the second device 120 when the second device 120 operates in the ES mode.

[0051] In some demonstrative embodiments, the second device 120 may further transmit to the first device 110 a prohibition configuration corresponding to the non-ES mode of the second device 120, also referred to as a non-ES prohibition configuration. The non-ES prohibition configuration may be transmitted as part of at least one ES prohibition configuration or separately from the at least one ES prohibition configuration. The non-ES prohibition configuration may include a set of access prohibition parameters for the non-ES mode. Similar to the ES prohibition information, the set of access prohibition parameters for the non-ES mode may include a prohibition indicator for the non-ES mode, a prohibition factor for the non-ES mode, a prohibition time for the non-ES mode, or a prohibition timer for the non-ES mode. Alternatively or additionally, the non-ES prohibition configuration may include a cell prohibition indication of whether the cell is barred when the second device 120 operates in the non-ES mode.

[0052] In some demonstrative embodiments, in addition to the at least one ES barring information, second device 120 may transmit a congestion barring configuration, also referred to as a legacy barring configuration, to first device 110. Similar to an ES barring configuration, the legacy barring configuration may include an access barring parameter and / or a cell barring indication.

[0053] In some demonstrative embodiments, at least one ES prohibition configuration may be determined such that more restrictive access is configured for a higher-level ES mode (e.g., having a dormant cell or a dormant gNB) compared to another lower-level ES mode (e.g., a cell operating with relaxed SSB periodicity or a dormant beam). For example, a lower prohibition factor and / or a larger prohibition time may be configured for a lower-level ES mode compared to other lower-level ES modes. As another example, a cell may be prohibited for a higher-level ES mode but not for other lower-level ES modes. In this way, frequent switching on of the second device 120, which requires high energy consumption, may be avoided.

[0054] Exemplary content of the at least one ES barring configuration is described above. The at least one ES barring configuration can be transmitted by any appropriate signaling. In some exemplary embodiments, the second device 120 may broadcast at least a portion of the at least one ES barring configuration in an information block. In an example, one or more sets of access barring parameters for the ES mode may be transmitted in a SIB. For example, the SIB may include an information element "uac-Barringinfo NES" to carry the access barring parameters corresponding to the ES mode. In another example, a cell barring indication corresponding to the ES mode may be transmitted in a Master Information Block (MIB).

[0055] In some exemplary embodiments, the second device 120 may transmit at least one ES prohibition configuration in a message dedicated to the first device 110. In such exemplary embodiments, the ES prohibition configuration may be device-specific, such as UE-specific. For example, the at least one ES prohibition configuration may be transmitted to the first device 110 in an RRCReject message. In this manner, the ES prohibition configuration in the RRCReject message may be applied by the first device 110 when the first device 110 returns to the cell of the second device 120.

[0056] First device 110 receives (215) at least one ES prohibition configuration from second device 120. In some exemplary embodiments, first device 110 may further receive a non-ES prohibition configuration from second device 120. In some exemplary embodiments, first device 110 may further receive a legacy prohibition configuration from second device 120.

[0057] When the second device 120 does not indicate any ES mode or the second device 120 indicates that it operates in a non-ES mode, the first device 110 may perform operations related to accessing the second device 120 based on a barring configuration for the non-ES mode (222). For purposes of explanation, operations related to accessing the second device 120 are also referred to as access control-related operations. The access control-related operations may comprise an access barring check for an access attempt to the second device 120. Alternatively or additionally, the access control-related operations may comprise determining whether the cell of the second device 120 may be camped on.

[0058] The barring configuration used by the first device 110 when the second device 120 is not operating in ES mode may be a non-ES barring configuration or a legacy barring configuration. For example, the first device 110 may apply a cell barring instruction of the legacy barring configuration to determine whether to camp on the cell of the second device 120. In another example, the first device 110 may apply an access barring parameter of the legacy barring configuration to perform an access barring check for an access attempt to the second device 120.

[0059] Continuing with chart 200, second device 120 determines whether it will operate in or enter an ES mode (220). If second device 120 operates in or enters the first ES mode, second device 120 sends a first mode indication to first device 110 that second device 120 will operate in the first ES mode (225).

[0060] The first mode indication and any other mode indications (collectively or individually referred to as "mode indications") may be transmitted via any suitable layer. In some exemplary embodiments, the mode indication may be transmitted via the physical (PHY) layer or the medium access control (MAC) layer. The mode indication may implicitly or explicitly indicate the particular ES mode in which the second device 120 operates, and any changes to such ES mode.

[0061] The first device 110 receives (230) a first mode indication from the second device 120. In response to the first mode indication, the first device 110 may determine (235) a first prohibition configuration corresponding to the first ES mode from the at least one ES prohibition configuration.

[0062] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device 110 may skip applying a further prohibition configuration configured for a device that does not support the ES mode of the second device 120. For example, the further prohibition information may be legacy prohibition information for a legacy device. For example, the first device 110 does not apply legacy access prohibition parameters. The third device 130, as a legacy device, still applies the legacy prohibition configuration. In some exemplary embodiments, skipping the application of the further prohibition configuration is defined in a technical specification. In such exemplary embodiments, no instruction from the second device 120 is required. Alternatively, in some exemplary embodiments, skipping the application of the further prohibition configuration may be based on receiving at least one ES prohibition configuration.

[0063] In some demonstrative embodiments, first device 110 may receive an instruction to skip applying further prohibition configurations from second device 120. This instruction may be transmitted by second device 120 along with at least one ES prohibition configuration, such as in a SIB or MIB. In response to the instruction, first device 110 may skip applying further prohibition configurations.

[0064] The first access control-related operation performed at 235 may include a determination of whether to camp on a cell and / or an access barring check. In some demonstrative embodiments, the first barring configuration may include a cell barring indication for the first ES mode indicating whether a cell served by the second device 120 is barred when the second device 120 operates in the first ES mode. Thus, the first device 110 determines whether the cell is barred based on the cell barring indication. If the cell is not barred, the first device 110 may camp on the cell for subsequent access to the second device 120. If the cell is barred, the first device 110 does not camp on the cell.

[0065] In such an exemplary embodiment, a cell barring indication may be provided for each ES mode. In this way, a device (e.g., a UE) may be prevented from camping on a cell if any particular NES mode applies in that cell. For example, a gNB may set the legacy indication "cellBarred" as barring, thus preventing legacy UEs from camping on NES cells, while UEs that support NES may be allowed to skip (ignore) applying such "cellBarred" indication and be allowed to camp on cells if any particular NES mode applies.

[0066] Alternatively, or in addition, in some exemplary embodiments, the first prohibition configuration may include a set of access prohibition parameters corresponding to the first ES mode. As described above, the set of access prohibition parameters corresponding to the first ES mode may include an prohibition indicator for the first ES mode, an prohibition factor for the first ES mode, an prohibition time for the first ES mode, and / or an indication of an prohibition timer for the first ES mode.

[0067] Based on the set of access barring parameters corresponding to the first ES mode, the first device 110 may perform an access barring check on an access attempt to the second device 120. For example, the first device 110 may first determine whether the access attempt is allowed based on the barring indicator. If the access attempt is allowed, the first device 110 may generate a random number between 0 and 1. If the random number is less than the value of the barring factor, the access attempt is allowed. Otherwise, the access attempt is barred. If the access attempt is barred, the first device 110 may wait for a barring time to perform an access barring check for another access attempt to the second device 120.

[0068] In some demonstrative embodiments, first device 110 may be configured with an association between a first ES mode and one or more access categories (ACs). For example, first device 110 may receive first information indicating the association from second device 120. First device 110 may then perform an access barring check for access attempts associated with one or more ACs based on a set of access barring parameters corresponding to the first ES mode.

[0069] Alternatively, or in addition, in some exemplary embodiments, first device 110 may be configured with an association between a first ES mode and one or more access identities (AIs). For example, first device 110 may receive second information indicating the association from second device 120. First device 110 may then perform an access barring check for access attempts associated with the one or more AIs based on a set of access barring parameters corresponding to the first ES mode.

[0070] In some exemplary embodiments, the access barring information for each ES mode of the second device 120 may be beam-specific. Thus, to determine the set of access barring parameters to be applied, the first device 110 may further consider the beams on which the first device 110 and the second device 120 communicate. In this manner, different access barring parameters may be applied to different beams. For example, if the ES mode differs across SSB beams, this may allow different access barring parameters to be applied to different SSB beams accordingly. In such exemplary embodiments, flexibility in controlling UEs accessing the network may be further improved.

[0071] Alternatively or additionally, in some exemplary embodiments, the per-ES mode barring information of second device 120 may be public land mobile network (PLMN) specific. Thus, to determine the set of barring parameters to apply, first device 110 may further consider the PLMN serving first device 110. In such exemplary embodiments, flexibility in controlling UEs accessing the network may be further improved.

[0072] Continuing with chart 200, in some exemplary embodiments, when second device 120 enters the second ES mode, second device 120 may send (240) a second mode indication to first device 110 that second device 120 is operating in the second ES mode. For example, when a switch from the first ES mode to the second ES mode occurs, second device 120 may instruct first device 110 to switch.

[0073] The first device 110 may receive a second mode indication from the second device 120 (245). In response to the second mode indication, the first device 110 may determine a second prohibition configuration corresponding to the second ES mode from the at least one ES prohibition configuration. The first device 110 may then perform a second access control-related operation based on the second prohibition configuration (250). For example, the first device 110 may apply a cell prohibition indication corresponding to the second ES mode to determine whether to camp on the cell of the second device 120. Alternatively, or in addition, the first device 110 may apply access prohibition parameters corresponding to the second ES mode to perform an access prohibition check for the access attempt. The second access control-related operation is similar to the first access control-related operation described with respect to 235 and will not be repeated herein.

[0074] In some demonstrative embodiments, if second device 120 enters a non-ES mode or is not operating in any ES mode, second device 120 may send a third mode indication to first device 110 that second device 110 is operating in a non-ES mode (255). For example, when switching from an ES mode to a non-ES mode, second device 120 may instruct first device 110 to switch.

[0075] Accordingly, the first device 110 may receive 260 a third mode indication from the second device 120. In response to the third mode indication, the first device 110 may determine a third prohibition configuration corresponding to the non-ES mode. The third prohibition configuration may be a non-ES prohibition configuration transmitted together with at least one ES prohibition configuration. Alternatively, the third prohibition configuration may be legacy prohibition information regarding congestion.

[0076] The first device 110 may then perform a third access control-related operation based on the third barring configuration (265). For example, the first device 110 may apply the cell barring instructions of the third barring configuration to determine whether to camp on the cell of the second device 120. Alternatively, or in addition, the first device 110 may apply the access barring parameters of the third barring configuration to perform an access barring check for an access attempt to the second device 120.

[0077] Through the above discussion, the access of an ES-supporting device (such as an NES-supporting UE) to a second device (such as a gNB) can be dynamically controlled. Furthermore, such dynamic control does not involve updating the SIB, allowing for flexible control.

[0078] Additionally, first device 110 may support the ES mode of second device 120, and second device 120 may process the configuration of third device 130 that does not support ES mode. In some demonstrative embodiments, if second device 120 operates in an ES mode where access prohibition is required, second device 120 may adjust the legacy prohibition configuration to enable access prohibition for third device 130, which is a legacy device.

[0079] Alternatively, in some demonstrative embodiments, when the second device 120 operates in an ES mode where access barring is required, the second device 120 may configure the legacy cell barring indication "cellBarred" as barred to prevent the third device 130 from camping on the cell. In contrast, a first device 110 capable of interpreting the access barring configuration for the ES mode ignores the legacy cell barring indication "cellBarred." Instead, the first device 110 may apply the access barring configuration corresponding to the ES mode (if configured).

[0080] 3 shows a flowchart of an example method 300 implemented at a first device, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For purposes of discussion, the method 300 will be described from the perspective of the first device 110 of FIG.

[0081] In block 310, the first device 110 receives, from the second device 120, at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device 120. In block 320, the first device 110 receives, from the second device 120, a first mode indication that the second device 120 operates in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode. In block 330, the first device 110 performs a first operation related to accessing the second device 120 based on a first prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the first energy saving mode.

[0082] In some demonstrative embodiments, method 300 further comprises receiving a second mode indication from second device 120 that second device 120 operates in a second energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode different from the first energy saving mode, and performing a second operation related to access to second device 120 based on a second prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the second energy saving mode.

[0083] In some demonstrative embodiments, method 300 further comprises receiving a third mode indication from second device 120 that second device 120 operates in a non-energy saving mode, and performing a third action related to accessing second device 120 based on a third prohibition configuration corresponding to the non-energy saving mode.

[0084] In some exemplary embodiments, the first prohibition configuration comprises a set of access prohibition parameters corresponding to the first energy saving mode, and performing the first operation comprises performing an access prohibition check on an access attempt to the second device 120 based on the set of access prohibition parameters.

[0085] In some exemplary embodiments, performing the access barring check comprises receiving first information from the second device 120 indicating an association between the first energy saving mode and the access identity, and performing the access barring check on the access attempt associated with the access identity based on a set of access barring parameters.

[0086] In some exemplary embodiments, performing the access barring check comprises receiving second information from the second device 120 indicating an association between the first energy saving mode and the access category, and performing an access barring check on the access attempt associated with the access category based on the set of access barring parameters.

[0087] In some demonstrative embodiments, the set of access prohibition parameters includes at least one of an prohibition indicator for the first energy saving mode, an prohibition factor for the first energy saving mode, an prohibition time for the first energy saving mode, or an indication of an prohibition timer for the first energy saving mode.

[0088] In some demonstrative embodiments, method 300 further comprises determining a set of access barring parameters from at least one barring configuration based on the first energy saving mode and at least one of a beam over which first device 110 and second device 120 communicate or a public land mobile network serving first device 110.

[0089] In some demonstrative embodiments, the first prohibition configuration comprises a cell prohibition indication of whether a cell served by the second device 120 is prohibited due to the first energy saving mode, and performing the first operation comprises determining, based on the cell prohibition indication, whether the cell is prohibited due to the first energy saving mode, and camping on the cell for subsequent access to the second device 120 in accordance with a determination that the cell is not prohibited due to the first energy saving mode.

[0090] In some demonstrative embodiments, receiving the at least one prohibition configuration includes at least one of receiving at least a portion of the at least one prohibition configuration in an information block broadcast by the second device 120, or receiving at least a portion of the at least one prohibition configuration in a message dedicated to the first device 110 from the second device 120.

[0091] In some demonstrative embodiments, method 300 further comprises skipping applying further prohibition configurations configured for devices that do not support the at least one energy saving mode of second device 120. For example, a legacy prohibition configuration for legacy UEs may be skipped by first device 110.

[0092] In some exemplary embodiments, skipping applying further prohibitive configurations is based on receiving at least one prohibitive configuration.

[0093] In some demonstrative embodiments, method 300 further comprises receiving an instruction from second device 120 to skip applying further prohibition configurations configured for devices that do not support at least one energy saving mode of second device 120, and skipping applying the further prohibition configurations based on receiving the instruction.

[0094] In some demonstrative embodiments, first device 110 comprises a terminal device and second device 120 comprises a network device.

[0095] 4 shows a flowchart of an example method 400 implemented in the second device 120, according to some example embodiments of the present disclosure. For purposes of discussion, the method 400 will be described from the perspective of the second device 120 of FIG.

[0096] At block 410, the second device 120 sends to the first device 110 at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device 120. At block 420, the second device 120 determines whether the second device 120 operates in an energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode. If the second device 120 determines that the second device 120 operates in a first energy saving mode, the method 400 proceeds to block 430. At block 430, the second device 120 sends to the first device 110 a first mode indication that the second device 120 operates in the first energy saving mode.

[0097] In some demonstrative embodiments, method 400 further comprises, in accordance with a determination that second device 120 operates in a second energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode different from the first energy saving mode, transmitting a second mode indication to first device 110 that second device 120 operates in the second energy saving mode.

[0098] In some demonstrative embodiments, method 400 further comprises, in accordance with a determination that second device 120 operates in a non-energy saving mode, transmitting a third mode indication to first device 110 that second device 120 operates in a non-energy saving mode.

[0099] In some exemplary embodiments, a first prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the first energy saving mode includes a set of access prohibition parameters corresponding to the first energy saving mode.

[0100] In some exemplary embodiments, the method 400 further comprises a step of transmitting to the first device 110 first information indicating an association between the first energy saving mode and an access identity, the access identity being related to an attempt by the first device 110 to access the second device 120.

[0101] In some exemplary embodiments, the method 400 further comprises a step of transmitting, to the first device 110, second information indicating an association between the first energy saving mode and an access category, the access category being related to an attempt by the first device 110 to access the second device 120.

[0102] In some demonstrative embodiments, the set of access prohibition parameters comprises at least one of an prohibition indicator for the first energy saving mode, an prohibition factor for the first energy saving mode, an prohibition time for the first energy saving mode, or an indication of an prohibition timer for the first energy saving mode.

[0103] In some demonstrative embodiments, a first prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the first energy saving mode includes a cell prohibition indication of whether a cell served by second device 120 is prohibited due to the first energy saving mode.

[0104] In some demonstrative embodiments, the step of transmitting the at least one prohibition configuration includes at least one of broadcasting at least a portion of the at least one prohibition configuration in an information block or transmitting at least a portion of the at least one prohibition configuration to the first device 110 in a message dedicated to the first device 110.

[0105] In some demonstrative embodiments, method 400 further comprises sending to first device 110 an instruction to skip applying further prohibition configurations configured for devices that do not support at least one energy saving mode of second device 120.

[0106] In some demonstrative embodiments, first device 110 comprises a terminal device and second device 120 comprises a network device.

[0107] In some demonstrative embodiments, a first apparatus capable of performing any of the methods 300 (e.g., the first device 110 of FIG. 1 ) may comprise means for performing each operation of the method 800. The means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module. The first apparatus may be implemented as or included in the first device 110 of FIG. 1 .

[0108] In some demonstrative embodiments, the first device comprises means for receiving at least one prohibition configuration from the second device corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device; means for receiving a first mode indication from the second device that the second device operates in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode; and means for performing a first action related to access to the second device based on a first prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration that corresponds to the first energy saving mode.

[0109] In some demonstrative embodiments, the first device further comprises means for receiving, from the second device, a second mode indication that the second device operates in a second energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode different from the first energy saving mode, and means for performing a second action related to access to the second device based on a second prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the second energy saving mode.

[0110] In some demonstrative embodiments, the first device further comprises means for receiving from the second device a third mode indication that the second device operates in a non-energy saving mode, and means for performing a third action related to accessing the second device based on a third prohibition configuration corresponding to the non-energy saving mode.

[0111] In some demonstrative embodiments, the first prohibition configuration comprises a set of access prohibition parameters corresponding to the first energy saving mode, and the means for performing the first operation comprises means for performing an access prohibition check for an access attempt to the second device based on the set of access prohibition parameters.

[0112] In some demonstrative embodiments, the means for performing the access barring check comprises means for receiving, from the second device, first information indicating an association between the first energy saving mode and the access identity, and means for performing the access barring check on the access attempt associated with the access identity based on the set of access barring parameters.

[0113] In some demonstrative embodiments, the means for performing the access barring check comprises means for receiving, from the second device, second information indicating an association between the first energy saving mode and the access category, and means for performing, based on the set of access barring parameters, an access barring check on the access attempt associated with the access category.

[0114] In some demonstrative embodiments, the set of access prohibition parameters includes at least one of an prohibition indicator for the first energy saving mode, an prohibition factor for the first energy saving mode, an prohibition time for the first energy saving mode, or an indication of an prohibition timer for the first energy saving mode.

[0115] In some demonstrative embodiments, the first device further comprises means for determining a set of access barring parameters from the at least one barring configuration based on the first energy saving mode and at least one of a beam over which the first and second devices communicate or a public land mobile network serving the first device.

[0116] In some demonstrative embodiments, the first prohibition configuration comprises a cell prohibition indication of whether a cell served by the second device is prohibited due to the first energy saving mode, and the means for performing the first operation comprises means for determining whether the cell is prohibited due to the first energy saving mode based on the cell prohibition indication, and means for camping on the cell for subsequent access to the second device according to a determination that the cell is not prohibited due to the first energy saving mode.

[0117] In some demonstrative embodiments, the means for receiving the at least one prohibition configuration includes at least one of means for receiving at least a portion of the at least one prohibition configuration in an information block broadcast by the second device or means for receiving at least a portion of the at least one prohibition configuration in a message dedicated to the first device from the second device.

[0118] In some demonstrative embodiments, the first apparatus further comprises means for skipping applying further prohibition configurations configured for devices that do not support the at least one energy saving mode of the second device.

[0119] In some exemplary embodiments, skipping applying further prohibitive configurations is based on receiving at least one prohibitive configuration.

[0120] In some demonstrative embodiments, the first device further comprises means for receiving, from the second device, an instruction to skip applying a further prohibition configuration configured for devices that do not support the at least one energy saving mode of the second device, and means for skipping applying the further prohibition configuration based on receiving the instruction.

[0121] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

[0122] In some exemplary embodiments, the first apparatus further comprises means for performing method 800 or other operations in some exemplary embodiments of first device 110. In some exemplary embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory that stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause performance of the first apparatus.

[0123] In some demonstrative embodiments, a second apparatus (e.g., second device 120 of FIG. 1 ) capable of performing any of methods 400 may comprise means for performing each operation of method 400. The means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, the means may be implemented in a circuit or a software module. The second apparatus may be implemented as or included in second device 120 of FIG. 1 .

[0124] In some demonstrative embodiments, the second device comprises means for transmitting to the first device at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device; means for determining whether the second device operates in an energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode; and means for transmitting to the first device a first mode indication that the second device operates in the first energy saving mode according to a determination that the second device operates in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode.

[0125] In some demonstrative embodiments, the second device further comprises means for transmitting a second mode indication to the first device that the second device operates in the second energy saving mode in accordance with a determination that the second device operates in a second energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode different from the first energy saving mode.

[0126] In some demonstrative embodiments, the second device further comprises means for, in accordance with a determination that the second device operates in the non-energy saving mode, transmitting to the first device a third mode indication that the second device operates in the non-energy saving mode.

[0127] In some exemplary embodiments, a first prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the first energy saving mode includes a set of access prohibition parameters corresponding to the first energy saving mode.

[0128] In some exemplary embodiments, the second device further comprises means for transmitting first information to the first device indicating an association between the first energy saving mode and an access identity, the access identity being associated with an attempt by the first device to access the second device.

[0129] In some exemplary embodiments, the second device further comprises means for transmitting second information to the first device indicating an association between the first energy saving mode and an access category, the access category being associated with an attempt by the first device to access the second device.

[0130] In some demonstrative embodiments, the set of access prohibition parameters includes at least one of an prohibition indicator for the first energy saving mode, an prohibition factor for the first energy saving mode, an prohibition time for the first energy saving mode, or an indication of an prohibition timer for the first energy saving mode.

[0131] In some demonstrative embodiments, a first prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the first energy saving mode includes a cell prohibition indication of whether a cell served by the second device is prohibited due to the first energy saving mode.

[0132] In some demonstrative embodiments, the means for transmitting the at least one prohibition configuration comprises at least one of means for broadcasting at least a portion of the at least one prohibition configuration in an information block or means for transmitting at least a portion of the at least one prohibition configuration in a message dedicated to the first device to the first device.

[0133] In some demonstrative embodiments, the second device further comprises means for sending to the first device an instruction to skip application of further prohibition configurations configured for devices that do not support the at least one energy saving mode of the second device.

[0134] In some exemplary embodiments, the first device comprises a terminal device and the second device comprises a network device.

[0135] In some exemplary embodiments, the second apparatus further comprises means for performing other operations in method 400 or some exemplary embodiments of second device 120. In some exemplary embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory that stores instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause performance of the second apparatus.

[0136] 5 is a simplified block diagram of a device 500 suitable for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Device 500 may be provided to implement a communications device, such as first device 110 or second device 120 as shown in FIG. 1. As shown, device 500 includes one or more processors 510, one or more memories 520 coupled to processor 510, and one or more communications modules 540 coupled to processor 510.

[0137] The communication module 540 is for bidirectional communication. The communication module 540 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements. In some demonstrative embodiments, the communication module 540 may include at least one antenna.

[0138] The processor 510 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include, by way of non-limiting example, one or more of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), and a processor based on a multi-core processor architecture. The device 500 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit chips that are time-slaved to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0139] The memory 520 can include one or more nonvolatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of nonvolatile memory include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 524, electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), flash memory, hard disks, compact disks (CDs), digital video disks (DVDs), optical disks, laser disks, and other magnetic and / or optical storage. Examples of volatile memory include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM) 522 and other volatile memory that does not persist during power-down durations.

[0140] The computer program 530 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 510. The instructions of the program 530 may include instructions for performing the operations / acts of some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The program 530 may be stored in a memory, such as the ROM 524. The processor 510 may perform any appropriate actions and processes by loading the program 530 into the RAM 522.

[0141] An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may be implemented by a program 530 such that the device 500 may execute any process of the present disclosure, as discussed with reference to Figures 2 to 4. An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may also be implemented by hardware or a combination of software and hardware.

[0142] In some exemplary embodiments, the program 530 may be tangibly contained in a computer-readable medium that may be included in the device 500 (such as the memory 520) or other storage device accessible by the device 500. The device 500 may load the program 530 from the computer-readable medium into the RAM 522 for execution. In some exemplary embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-transitory storage medium, such as a ROM, an EPROM, a flash memory, a hard disk, a CD, a DVD, etc. The term "non-transitory" as used herein is a limitation of the medium itself (i.e., tangible as opposed to a signal) as opposed to a limitation to data storage permanence (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0143] 6 shows an example of a computer readable medium 600, which may be in the form of a CD, DVD or other optical storage disc. The computer readable medium 600 has a program 530 stored thereon.

[0144] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in hardware or special-purpose circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software that may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. Although various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, or using some other pictorial representations, it should be understood that the blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in, by way of non-limiting example, hardware, software, firmware, special-purpose circuits or logic, general-purpose hardware or controller, or other computing device, or some combination thereof.

[0145] Some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those included in program modules, that execute on a target physical or virtual processor device to perform any of the methods described above. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The functionality of the program modules may be combined or divided among program modules as desired in various embodiments. Machine-executable instructions for program modules may be executed in local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0146] Program code for carrying out the methods of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus, such that when executed by the processor or controller, the program code implements the functions / acts specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The program code may run entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, as a stand-alone software package, partially on the machine, partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0147] In the context of the present disclosure, computer program code or associated data may be carried by any suitable carrier to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform the various processes and operations as described above. Examples of carriers include signals, computer-readable media, etc.

[0148] The computer-readable medium may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium include an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0149] Furthermore, while operations are shown in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown, or in any sequential order, or that all of the shown operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In some situations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while some specific implementation details are included in the above description, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Unless expressly stated otherwise, certain features that are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, unless expressly stated otherwise, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment may also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination.

[0150] Although the present disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the present disclosure, as defined by the appended claims, is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. at least one processor; at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, at least, receiving, from a second device, at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device; receiving a first mode indication from the second device that the second device is to operate in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode; and performing a first action related to access to the second device based on a first prohibition configuration of at least one of the prohibition configurations corresponding to the first energy saving mode.

2. The first device receiving a second mode indication from the second device that the second device is to operate in a second one of the at least one energy saving modes that is different from the first energy saving mode; 2. The first device of claim 1, further comprising: a step of: performing a second action related to access to the second device based on a second prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the second energy saving mode.

3. The first device receiving a third mode indication from the second device that the second device is to operate in a non-energy saving mode; and performing a third action related to accessing the second device based on a third prohibition configuration corresponding to the non-energy saving mode.

4. the first prohibition configuration comprises a set of access prohibition parameters corresponding to the first energy saving mode; 2. The first device of claim 1, wherein performing the first action comprises performing an access barring check on an attempt to access the second device based on the set of access barring parameters.

5. The step of performing the access prohibition check includes: receiving first information from the second device indicating an association between the first energy saving mode and an access identity; The first device of claim 4 , further comprising: performing the access barring check on the access attempt associated with the access identity based on the set of access barring parameters.

6. The step of performing the access prohibition check includes: receiving second information from the second device indicating an association between the first energy saving mode and an access category; and performing the access barring check on the access attempt associated with the access category based on the set of access barring parameters.

7. The set of access prohibition parameters is a disabling indicator of the first energy saving mode; a disabling factor for the first energy saving mode; an inhibit time for the first energy saving mode; or 5. The first device of claim 4, further comprising at least one of an indication of an inhibit timer for the first energy saving mode.

8. The first device 5. The first device of claim 4, further configured to perform a step of determining the set of access barring parameters from at least one of the barring configurations based on the first energy saving mode and at least one of a beam on which the first device and the second device communicate or a public land mobile network serving the first device.

9. the first prohibition configuration comprises a cell prohibition indication of whether a cell served by the second device is prohibited due to the first energy saving mode; The step of performing the first operation includes: determining whether the cell is barred for the first energy saving mode based on the cell barring indication; and camping on the cell for subsequent access to the second device in accordance with a determination that the cell is not barred due to the first energy saving mode.

10. The step of receiving at least one prohibition configuration comprises: receiving at least a portion of at least one of the prohibition configurations in an information block broadcast by the second device; or 10. The first device of claim 1, further comprising at least one of receiving from the second device at least a portion of the at least one prohibition configuration in a message dedicated to the first device.

11. The first device 2. The first device of claim 1, further comprising: skipping applying a further prohibition configuration configured for at least one device of the second device that does not support the energy saving mode.

12. The first device of claim 11 , wherein skipping applying the further prohibition configurations is based on receiving at least one of the prohibition configurations.

13. The first device receiving, from the second device, an instruction to skip applying the further prohibition configuration configured for devices that do not support the at least one energy saving mode of the second device; 2. The first device of claim 1, further configured to: skip applying the further prohibition configuration based on receiving the instruction.

14. at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, at least, sending, to a first device, at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device; determining whether the second device operates in an energy saving mode of at least one of the energy saving modes; and, in accordance with a determination that the second device operates in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode, transmitting to the first device a first mode indication that the second device operates in the first energy saving mode.

15. receiving, at a first device, from a second device, at least one inhibit configuration corresponding to at least one energy saving mode of the second device; receiving a first mode indication from the second device that the second device is to operate in a first energy saving mode of the at least one energy saving mode; and performing a first action related to accessing the second device based on a first prohibition configuration of the at least one prohibition configuration corresponding to the first energy saving mode.

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