Terminal devices, network devices, and communication methods

Abstract

This invention provides a communication method, apparatus, and computer storage medium for discontinuous DRX reception. [Solution] In a communication network, the terminal device determines a time window for monitoring a wake-up signal (WUS) from a network device 410, and upon receiving the WUS from the network device within the time window 420, starts the DRX on-time interval operation 430 based on a first time offset from the end of WUS reception. This makes it possible to dynamically determine the start time of the DRX cycle, enabling a good trade-off between delay and power consumption. Therefore, delay can be reduced and power consumption can be reduced.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure relate, as a whole, to the field of telecommunications, and more particularly to methods, apparatus and computer storage media for communication for discontinuous reception (DRX). [Background technology]

[0002] Power saving is a critical issue for services with periodic packets, particularly extended reality (XR) services such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and cloud gaming. To further enhance power saving, a wake-up signal (WUS) has been introduced. A WUS window for WUS detection is set before the on-duration of the DRX cycle, and one or more monitoring occasions are set within this WUS window. If a WUS indicating the start of the on-duration is detected, the on-duration timer is started at the beginning of the DRX cycle.

[0003] Typically, packets for services such as XR services arrive in the radio access network (RAN) at a rate of 1 frame per second (FPS). Due to various factors, arrivals tend to occur within the jitter range. The impact of jitter is identified as a critical aspect of such services. However, the start of the DRX cycle is set semi-statically without considering the jitter issue. This can lead to longer latency between the packet arrival time and the start of the on-time interval, or longer, unproductive physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] Overall, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide communication methods, apparatus, and computer storage media for DRX. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In a first embodiment, a method of communication is provided. The method includes, in a terminal device, determining a time window for monitoring a wake-up signal from a network device, and, in response to receiving the wake-up signal from the network device within the time window, initiating an on-time interval operation of discontinuous reception based on a first time offset from the end of reception of the wake-up signal.

[0006] In a second embodiment, a method of communication is provided. The method includes, in a terminal device, determining a target search space set group from a set of configured search space set groups, which include a search space set for monitoring a trigger signal used to activate a search space set group or to trigger a search space set group switch; and, based on the target search space set group, initiating an on-time interval operation of discontinuous reception.

[0007] In a third embodiment, a method of communication is provided. The method includes, in a terminal device, determining a search space set group from a plurality of search space set groups based on a timer associated with discontinuous reception, in accordance with the determination that a search space set group switch from a first search space set group to a second search space set group was performed within a first short discontinuous reception cycle, and initiating an on-time interval operation of discontinuous reception within a second short discontinuous reception cycle that is later than the first short cycle, based on the determined search space set group.

[0008] In a fourth embodiment, a method of communication is provided. The method includes, in a network device, determining a time window for transmitting a wake-up signal to a terminal device, and, in response to transmitting the wake-up signal to the terminal device within the time window, initiating an on-time interval operation of discontinuous reception based on a first time offset from the end of transmission of the wake-up signal.

[0009] A fifth embodiment provides a method for communication. The method includes, in a network device, determining a target search space set group from a set of configured search space set groups, which include a search space set for monitoring a trigger signal used to activate a search space set group or to trigger a search space set group switch; and, based on the target search space set group, initiating an on-time interval operation for discontinuous reception.

[0010] In a sixth embodiment, a method of communication is provided. The method includes, in a network device, determining a search space set group from a plurality of search space set groups based on a timer associated with discontinuous reception, in accordance with the determination that a search space set group switch from a first search space set group to a second search space set group was performed within a first short discontinuous reception cycle, and initiating an on-time interval operation of discontinuous reception within a second short discontinuous reception cycle that is later than the first short cycle, based on the determined search space set group.

[0011] In a seventh embodiment, a communication device is provided. The device comprises a processor configured to perform a method according to any one of the first to third embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0012] In an eighth embodiment, a communication device is provided. The device comprises a processor configured to perform a method according to any one of the fourth to sixth embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0013] In a ninth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] In a tenth aspect, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] Other features of the present disclosure should be readily understood from the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] By describing some embodiments of the present disclosure in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent.

[0017] [Figure 1A] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary communication network in which some embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented.

[0018] [Figure 1B] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating exemplary operations within a DRX cycle.

[0019] [Figure 1C] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating exemplary operations of an on-duration interval within a DRX cycle with WUS detection.

[0020] [Figure 2A] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary scenario of DRX with packet jitter.

[0021] [Figure 2B]This is a schematic diagram illustrating another exemplary scenario of DRX with packet jitter.

[0022] [Figure 3A] This is a schematic diagram showing an example where the WUS window is set before the on-time interval.

[0023] [Figure 3B] This is a schematic diagram showing an example where WUS is not configured.

[0024] [Figure 4A] This is a schematic diagram of the communication process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] [Figure 4B] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary on-time interval operation in the process shown in Figure 4A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] [Figure 4C] This is a schematic diagram showing another exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 4A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] [Figure 4D] This is a schematic diagram showing yet another exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 4A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] [Figure 4E] This is a schematic diagram showing yet another exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 4A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] [Figure 4F] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of multiple time windows associated with a single on-time interval timer according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0030] [Figure 4G]This is a schematic diagram showing an example of multiple time windows associated with multiple on-time interval timers according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] [Figure 5A] This is a schematic diagram of another process for communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] [Figure 5B] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary on-time interval operation in the process shown in Figure 5A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] [Figure 5C] This is a schematic diagram showing another exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 5A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] [Figure 5D] This is a schematic diagram showing yet another exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 5A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] [Figure 5E] This is a schematic diagram showing yet another exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 5A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0036] [Figure 6A] This is a schematic diagram of yet another process for communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] [Figure 6B] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary DRX operation in the process shown in Figure 6A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] [Figure 7] This figure shows an exemplary communication method implemented in a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0039] [Figure 8A] This figure shows another exemplary communication method implemented in a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0040] [Figure 8B] This figure shows an exemplary method for initiating an on-time interval operation of a DRX implemented in a terminal device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0041] [Figure 9] This figure shows yet another exemplary communication method implemented in a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0042] [Figure 10] This figure shows an exemplary communication method implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0043] [Figure 11] This figure shows another exemplary communication method implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0044] [Figure 12] This figure shows yet another exemplary communication method implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0045] [Figure 13] This is a schematic block diagram of an apparatus suitable for realizing the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0046] In the diagram, identical or similar reference numbers represent identical or similar elements. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0047] The principles of this disclosure will now be explained with reference to several embodiments. These embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes only and are intended to help those skilled in the art understand and implement this disclosure, and should be understood as not to imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosures described herein can be implemented in a variety of ways other than those described below.

[0048] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those generally understood by those skilled in the art.

[0049] As used herein, the term "terminal device" refers to any device having wireless or wired communication capabilities. Examples of terminal devices include user equipment (UE), personal computers, desktops, mobile phones, cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, tablets, wearable devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Ultra-reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) devices, Internet of Everything (IoE) devices, machine-type communication (MTC) devices, in-vehicle devices for V2X communication where X represents pedestrians, vehicles, or infrastructure / networks, devices for Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), and satellite-borne vehicles or aircraft-borne vehicles within non-terrestrial networks (NTN) including high-altitude (stratospheric) platforms (HAP) encompassing satellites and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). This includes, but is not limited to, vehicles, extended reality (XR) devices that include different types of reality such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that do not have a human operator and are commonly referred to as drones, devices on high-speed trains (HST), or image acquisition devices such as digital cameras, sensor game devices, music storage and playback devices, or internet-connected home appliances that enable wireless or wired internet access and browsing.The “Terminal device” may further have “multicast / broadcast” capabilities to support V2X applications, transparent IPv4 / IPv6 multicast distribution, IPTV, smart TV, wireless services, wireless software distribution, group communications, and IoT applications where public safety and mission are of paramount importance. It may also incorporate one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), known as multi-SIMs. The term “Terminal device” may be used interchangeably with UE, mobile station, subscriber station, mobile terminal, user terminal, or wireless device.

[0050] The term "network device" refers to a device that can provide or host a cell or coverage on which terminal devices can communicate. Examples of network devices include, but are not limited to, low-power nodes such as Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), next-generation Node B (gNB), transmission reception point (TRP), remote radio unit (RRU), radio head (RH), remote radio head (RRH), IAB node, femtonode, piconode, and reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS).

[0051] Terminal devices or network devices may possess artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning capabilities. Generally, this includes a trained model derived from a large amount of data collected for a specific function, which can be used to predict certain information.

[0052] Terminal devices or network devices may operate on several frequency ranges, such as FR1 (410 MHz to 7125 MHz), FR2 (24.25 GHz to 71 GHz), frequency bands above 100 GHz, and terahertz (THz). Furthermore, they can operate on licensed / unlicensed / shared spectrum. Terminal devices may have two or more connections to network devices under a Multi-Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC) application scenario. Terminal devices or network devices can operate in full-duplex, flexible-duplex, or cross-division-duplex modes.

[0053] Embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented, for example, in test equipment such as signal generators, signal analyzers, spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, test terminal devices, test network devices, and channel emulators.

[0054] In one embodiment, a terminal device can be connected to a first network device and a second network device. One of the first and second network devices may be a master node and the other a secondary node. The first and second network devices may use different radio access technologies (RATs). In one embodiment, the first network device may be a first RAT device, and the second network device may be a second RAT device. In one embodiment, the first RAT device is an eNB, and the second RAT device is a gNB. Information regarding different RATs may be transmitted to the terminal device from at least one of the first or second network device. In one embodiment, the first information may be transmitted from the first network device to the terminal device, and the second information may be transmitted from the second network device directly or via the first network device to the terminal device. In one embodiment, information regarding the settings of the terminal device set by the second network device may be transmitted from the second network device via the first network device. Information regarding the reconfiguration of terminal devices set by the second network device may be transmitted from the second network device directly to the terminal devices or via the first network device.

[0055] As used herein, the singular forms “one” and “the foregoing” also include the plural form unless explicitly indicated in the context. The term “including” and its variations should be understood as an open term meaning “including, but not limited to.” The term “based on” should be understood as “at least partially based on.” The terms “one embodiment” and “embodiment” should be understood as “at least one embodiment.” The term “another embodiment” should be understood as “at least one other embodiment.” Terms such as “first,” “second,” etc., may refer to different or identical subjects. The following may include other explicit and implicit definitions.

[0056] In some examples, values, procedures, or devices are referred to as “best,” “worst,” “highest,” “minimum,” “maximum,” etc. Such descriptions are intended to show that a choice can be made from among many usable functional alternatives, and it should be understood that such a choice does not need to be better, smaller, higher, or otherwise more desirable than other choices.

[0057] In the context of this application, the term "symbol" refers to an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol or a discrete Fourier transform spread (DFT-s-OFDM) symbol. The term "slot" includes multiple consecutive symbols, for example, 14 symbols or 12 symbols. The term "mini-slot" includes one or more consecutive symbols and has fewer symbols than a slot, for example, 1, 2, 4, or 7 symbols.

[0058] In the context of this disclosure, the term “WUS window” may refer to a time interval during which a terminal device is required to monitor the WUS signal. In the context of this application, the term “DRX cycle” may refer to a long DRX cycle, a short DRX cycle, or both.

[0059] As mentioned above, the start of the DRX cycle is set semi-statically without considering the jitter issue of packet arrival time. This can lead to longer latency between packet arrival time and the start of the on-time interval, or longer, unnecessary PDCCH monitoring.

[0060] In view of this, embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions to the above and other potential problems. In a first embodiment, a solution is provided for initiating the ON time interval of a DRX cycle based on the end of reception of WUS. This makes it possible to dynamically determine the start time of the DRX cycle and achieve a good trade-off between delay and power consumption. Thus, delay can be reduced and power consumption can be reduced.

[0061] In a second embodiment, a trigger signal (also referred to herein as a low-power WUS (LP WUS)) is introduced to activate a search space set group (SSSG) or trigger an SSSG switching, i.e., to completely wake up the terminal device from a low-power mode in which the terminal device is not required to monitor downlink control information (DCI) for scheduling. In other words, the terminal device may remain in a low-power mode in which it is required to monitor the trigger signal early in the on-time interval, or, in response to the trigger signal, transition to a data transmission mode in which the terminal device is required to monitor a normal PDCCH (e.g., a PDCCH for scheduling) and perform the corresponding PDSCH reception or PUSCH transmission. Since the low-power WUS consumes less power than normal PDCCH monitoring, it is possible to reduce power consumption.

[0062] In a third embodiment, a solution is provided for determining which SSSG to use when initiating the on-time interval of a DRX cycle, based on a timer associated with the DRX. This makes it possible to avoid unnecessary SSSG switching and reduce power consumption.

[0063] Embodiments of the Disclosure may be applied to any suitable scenario. For example, embodiments of the Disclosure may be implemented for XR. Alternatively, embodiments of the Disclosure may be implemented within one of the following: reduced capability NR equipment, NR multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), NR sidelink enhancement, NR systems with frequencies higher than 52.6 GHz, enhanced NR operations up to 71 GHz, narrow-band Internet of Things (NB-IOT) / enhanced Machine Type Communication (eMTC) on non-terrestrial networks (NTN), NTN, UE power saving enhancement, NR coverage enhancement, NB-IOT and LTE-MTC, Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), NR multicast and broadcast services, or enhancement on Multi-Radio Dual-Connectivity.

[0064] The principles and embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Examples of communication networks

[0065] Figure 1A is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary communication network 100A capable of implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1A, the communication network 100A may include terminal devices 110 and network devices 120. In some embodiments, terminal devices 110 may be served by network devices 120. It should be understood that the number of terminal devices and network devices in Figure 1A is given for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any limitation to the present disclosure. The communication network 100A may include any suitable number of network devices and / or terminal devices suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0066] As shown in Figure 1A, the terminal device 110 may communicate with the network device 120 via a channel such as a wireless communication channel. Communication in the communication network 100A may comply with any appropriate standard, including but not limited to, the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE-Evolution, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), New Radio (NR), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA®), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), GSM EDGE Radio Access Network (GERAN), and Machine Type Communication (MTC). Embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in accordance with any generation of communication protocols that are currently known or will be developed in the future. Examples of communication protocols include, but are not limited to, first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G) communication protocols, 5.5G, 5G-Advanced networks, or sixth-generation (6G) networks.

[0067] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may transmit a DRX cycle configuration to the terminal device 110. In this case, the terminal device 110 may perform downlink channel monitoring based on the DRX cycle configuration. Figure 1B is a schematic diagram 100B showing exemplary operations within a DRX cycle. As shown in Figure 1B, the DRX cycle 130 includes an active time 131 (i.e., an on-time interval) and an inactive time 132 (i.e., an opportunity for DRX). The terminal device 110 performs downlink channel monitoring, e.g., PDCCH monitoring, only during the active time 131. The inactive time may mean any time other than the active time.

[0068] The DRX timeline is primarily determined by the following parameters, namely: - drx-onDurationTimer: Time interval at the start of the DRX cycle, - drx-SlotOffset: Delay before starting drx-onDurationTimer, - drx-InactivityTimer: The time interval after a PDCCH occasion that indicates a new uplink (UL) or downlink (DL) transmission for a Media Access Control (MAC) entity. - drx-LongCycleStartOffset: Defines the subframes from which long DRX cycles and short DRX cycles begin, including the long DRX cycle and drx-StartOffset. - drx-ShortCycle (optional): Short DRX cycle, - drx-ShortCycleTimer (optional): Time interval during which the terminal device should follow a short DRX cycle. - ps-Wakeup (optional): A setting to start the associated drx-onDurationTimer if a DCP is monitored but not detected. DCP refers to a DCI with a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) scrambled by a power-saving-radio network temporary identifier (PS-RNTI).

[0069] In some scenarios, a network device may send a WUS detection setting to a terminal device. In some embodiments, the WUS detection setting may include an offset from the start time of the on-time interval (e.g., ps-Offset) and a time interval for WUS detection. Thus, a WUS window is set. Within the WUS window, one or more WUS occasions may be set, and each WUS occasion may occupy one or more OFDM symbols. The terminal device may then perform WUS detection within each WUS occasion based on the WUS detection setting and start the on-time interval of the DRX cycle when a WUS is detected. Figure 1C is a schematic diagram 100C illustrating an exemplary operation of an on-time interval within a DRX cycle with WUS detection.

[0070] As shown in Figure 1C, based on the DRX cycle settings, the terminal device may determine the start time of the on-time interval 141, or based on the WUS detection settings, the terminal device may start WUS detection at an offset 151 earlier than the start time of the on-time interval 141. If WUS 131 is detected and WUS 131 indicates that the on-time interval 141 should start (i.e., WUS 131 is a positive WUS), the terminal device may start the on-time interval 141 at the start time of the on-time interval 141 (for example, by starting the drx-onDurationTimer).

[0071] Similarly, based on the DRX cycle settings, the terminal device may determine the start time of the on-time interval 142, and based on the WUS detection settings, the terminal device may start WUS detection at an offset of 152 earlier than the start time of the on-time interval 142. If WUS 132 is detected and indicates that WUS 132 will not start the on-time interval 142 (for example, will not start the drx-onDurationTimer), the terminal device may continue to sleep.

[0072] The WUS window is set before the on-time interval, and it is expected that one or more WUS occasions will be detected within the WUS window. If a positive WUS is detected (regardless of which WUS occasion it was detected within), the on-time interval starts at the beginning of the DRX cycle. However, the start of the DRX cycle is set semi-statically without considering the jitter of packet arrival times. Refer to Figures 2A and 2B for further details.

[0073] Figure 2A is a schematic diagram 200A illustrating an exemplary scenario of DRX with packet jitter. It is assumed that the average arrival time period is 16.67 ms. It should be understood that this period may take any other appropriate value. In this example, it is assumed that the network equipment may configure the DRX cycle to begin after the last time in the jitter range.

[0074] As shown in Figure 2A, packet 201 may reach the end of the jitter range 203. If a WUS 205 indicating the start of an on-time interval is detected or received, the on-time interval 206 of the DRX cycle starts at the configured start time of the on-time interval 206. In this case, the on-time interval 206 may start within a short time after the arrival of packet 201, and packet 201 may be transmitted with a short delay.

[0075] Subsequently, packet 202 may reach the start of the jitter range 204 after a certain period. After a long time, a WUS 207 is detected or received indicating the start of an on-time interval. Then, the on-time interval 208 of the DRX cycle begins at the configured start time of the on-time interval 208. In this case, the on-time interval 208 may begin a long time after the arrival of packet 202, which may result in a long delay.

[0076] Figure 2B is a schematic diagram 200B illustrating another exemplary scenario of DRX with packet jitter. It is assumed that the average arrival time period is 16.67 ms. It should be understood that this period may take any other appropriate value. In this example, it is assumed that the network equipment may configure DRX cycles to start before or slightly after the earliest time in the jitter range.

[0077] As shown in Figure 2B, WUS 215 may be detected before the earliest time in the jitter range 213. If WUS 215 indicates the start of an on-time interval, the on-time interval 216 starts at the configured start time. That is, PDCCH monitoring may start a little after the earliest time in the jitter range 213. However, packet 211 may reach the end of the jitter range 213. And PDCCH 217 may be detected a long time after PDCCH monitoring has started.

[0078] Subsequently, WUS 218 may be detected before the earliest time in the jitter range 214. If WUS 218 indicates the start of an on-time interval, the on-time interval 219 starts at the configured start time. That is, PDCCH monitoring may start a little after the earliest time in the jitter range 214. As shown in Figure 2B, packet 212 may reach the start of the jitter range 214 after a certain period. Then, PDCCH 220 may be detected within a short time after PDCCH monitoring.

[0079] As can be seen, if the on-time interval is set appropriately, packets may be sent immediately after arrival. However, if packets do not reach the RAN, it is not possible to provide a negative WUS to keep the terminal device in sleep mode. Also, because the arrival time of packets is unpredictable, the terminal device may require a longer, unnecessary PDCCH monitoring time, for example, an on-time interval of 216. This results in higher power consumption.

[0080] In view of the foregoing, embodiments of the present disclosure provide solutions for DRX to overcome the above and other potential problems. These solutions allow for a good trade-off between power saving and latency reduction, and enable the WUS window and on-time interval to be as short as possible. Meanwhile, the scheduling DCI can be transmitted as soon as possible after packet arrival.

[0081] Specifically, some solutions according to embodiments of this disclosure may be provided on the assumption that a WUS window prior to the on-time interval may be used. Figure 3A is a schematic diagram 300A showing an example in which a WUS window prior to the on-time interval is set. As shown in Figure 3A, packet 301 may reach the end of the jitter range 302. The WUS window 303 may start a little after the earliest time of the jitter range 302 and end after the end of the jitter range 302. For example, if the jitter range 302 is 8ms, the WUS window 303 may start 2ms after the earliest time of the jitter range 302 and end at the last time of the jitter range 302. In this case, a 6ms WUS window is set. However, if a packet arrives early in the WUS window, for example, at the first 1ms of the WUS window, a relatively long wait is required to start the on-time interval, which may be unacceptable for traffic with a tight packet delay budget (PDB) of less than 10ms.

[0082] Some solutions according to embodiments of this disclosure may be provided on the assumption that WUS may not be configured and that a relatively long on-time interval is configured. Figure 3B is a schematic diagram 300B showing an example where WUS is not configured. As shown in Figure 3B, packet 311 may reach the end of the jitter range 312. The on-time interval 313 may start a little after the earliest time of the jitter range 312. The on-time interval 313 may be configured to have a relatively long time interval. In this case, a long active time may be required, and a long PDCCH monitoring time may also be required.

[0083] It should be understood that these assumptions are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the solutions. These solutions may be applied to any appropriate scenario. The details of these solutions are described below. Example of DRX implementation considering WUS

[0084] This solution is based on the assumption that a WUS window prior to the on-time interval may be used, as shown in Figure 3A. In this solution, the DRX on-time interval operation is initiated based on the completion of WUS reception. Several exemplary embodiments of this solution are described in detail with reference to Figures 4A-4G. Embodiment 1

[0085] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of a communication process 400A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For illustrative purposes, process 400A will be described with reference to Figure 1. Process 400A may involve terminal equipment 110 and network equipment 120 as shown in Figure 1.

[0086] As shown in Figure 4A, the terminal device 110 determines a time window for monitoring the WUS from the network device 120 (410). In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may receive a setting for the DRX (for convenience, also referred to herein as the first setting) from the network device 120. In some embodiments, the setting for the DRX may include at least one of the following: a start offset, a slot offset, or a length for the DRX cycle. Also in some embodiments, the setting for the DRX may also include at least one of the following: a time offset from the start time of the DRX cycle, or a time interval set for WUS monitoring (i.e., the length of the WUS window). Of course, the setting for the DRX may include any other appropriate information.

[0087] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the start time of an on-time interval operation based on the DRX settings. Since the determined start time may not be the actual start time of the on-time interval operation, the determined start time may be referred to herein as the reference start time. Based on the reference start time and a time offset from the reference start time (for convenience, also referred to herein as the second time offset and expressed as ps-Offset), the terminal device 110 may determine the start time of a time window for WUS detection. For example, the WUS window may start before the ps-Offset than the reference start time.

[0088] Then, the terminal device 110 sets the start time of the time window and the time interval (T) set for WUS. s The time window may be determined based on (represented as ). For example, the WUS window is from the start of the WUS window to T s It may be terminated later. In some embodiments, there may be a gap between the termination of the WUS window and the reference start time of the on-time interval operation.

[0089] In some alternative embodiments for determining a time window, the terminal device 110 may determine a reference value based on at least a configuration for a WUS search space (also referred to as a second configuration). In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may receive, from the network device 120, a configuration for a search space set for WUS. In some embodiments, the configuration for a search space set for WUS may include a period of the search space set for WUS. In some embodiments, this period may be a non-integer value, for example, 1000 / 60 ms. In some embodiments, this search space set may include a set of WUS monitoring occasions. In some embodiments, the configuration for a search space set for WUS may include a WUS time interval.

[0090] For example, the terminal device 110 may determine the reference value according to the following formula (1).

Math

[0091] Then, the terminal device 110 may determine the start time of this time window based on a rounding up or rounding down operation on the reference value. For example, k s PDCCH monitoring period in slots and o s for a search space set s with PDCCH monitoring offset in number of slots, if floor(R)=0 or ceil(R)=0, the UE determines that a PDCCH monitoring occasion is in the frame numbered n f within the slot numbered n s,f μIt is determined that it exists within a slot that has [a certain feature].

[0092] Once the start time of the time window is determined, the terminal device 110 determines the start time of the time window and the time interval (T) set for WUS. s The time window may be determined based on (represented as ). For example, the WUS window is from the start of the WUS window to T s It may be terminated later. In some embodiments, there may be a gap between the termination of the WUS window and the reference start time of the on-time interval operation.

[0093] Once the time window is determined, the terminal device 110 may perform WUS detection within this time window. Returning to Figure 4A, if the terminal device 110 receives a WUS from the network device 120 within this time window (420), the terminal device 110 initiates an on-time interval operation of the DRX based on a time offset (represented as T1, also referred to herein for convenience as the first time offset) from the end of the WUS reception (430). In some embodiments, if the WUS indicates that an on-time interval operation should be initiated, the terminal device 110 may initiate the on-time interval operation based on the time offset T1 from the end of the WUS reception.

[0094] For example, terminal device 110 may start the DRX ON time interval operation after a time offset T1 from the end of WUS reception.

[0095] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may initiate an on-time interval operation within a start time unit that is later than a time offset T1 from the end of the time unit in which the WUS was received. In some embodiments, the time unit is a slot, and the start time unit may be a first slot. In some embodiments, the time unit is a symbol, and the start time unit may be a first symbol. In some embodiments, the time unit is a sub-slot, and the start time unit may be a first sub-slot.

[0096] In some embodiments, the time offset T1 may be predefined or pre-set. For example, the time offset T1 may be associated with the capability or preference of the terminal device 110.

[0097] In some embodiments, the time offset T1 may be indicated by the WUS. In these embodiments, the terminal device 110 may obtain an indication of the time offset T1 from the WUS (for convenience, also referred to herein as the first indication) and determine the time offset T1 based on that indication. For example, the terminal device 110 may determine the time offset T1 from a set of candidate values ​​based on this indication. In some embodiments, the time offset T1 may be zero. Of course, the time offset T1 may be any other suitable value.

[0098] In some embodiments, the WUS may be a common group signal (e.g., a common group PDCCH). In this case, the time offset T1 may also be common to the group. In these embodiments, the WUS may include a plurality of wake-up instructions for a plurality of terminal devices and a value of the time offset T1 applied to the plurality of wake-up instructions.

[0099] In the context of this disclosure, the term “on-time interval operation” may mean downlink channel monitoring, e.g., PDCCH monitoring, or data transmission, e.g., PDSCH or PUSCH transmission. Data transmission may include at least one of sending data or receiving data. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may start an on-time interval timer, e.g., drx-onDurationTimer, to initiate an on-time interval operation.

[0100] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the time interval of the on-time interval operation based on the settings for the DRX. In other words, the terminal device 110 may determine the length of the on-time interval timer based on the settings for the DRX. Compared to the current specification, the length of the on-time interval of the DRX cycle remains unchanged. Figure 4B is a schematic diagram 400B showing an exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 4A according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4B, the WUS window 401 may start a little after the earliest time of the jitter range 403 and end after the end of the jitter range 403. Based on the settings for the DRX, the on-time interval 402 may be set to start after the WUS window 401. If a WUS 404 is detected, the on-time interval 405 may start at T1 from the end of reception of the WUS 404. In other words, the on-time interval 402 is shifted to start at T1 from the end of reception of the WUS 404.

[0101] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the time interval of an on-time interval operation based on a setting for the DRX and a predetermined time interval (represented as delta). For example, the terminal device 110 may determine the original length of the on-time interval timer (represented as T0) based on the DRX setting, and determine that the final length of the on-time interval timer is T0 + delta. This is beneficial for multi-flow traffic (e.g., video + audio, I-frame + P-frame, data + control) where the arrival times of each flow differ, because some of the traffic flows may arrive at a later time within the original on-time interval.

[0102] In some embodiments, the predetermined time interval may be associated with the detected WUS position in the WUS window. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the predetermined time interval based on the reference start time of the on-time interval operation and the actual start time of the on-time interval operation. For example, the predetermined time interval may be determined by the following equation (2). Delta = T3 - T2 (2) Here, delta represents a predetermined time interval, T3 represents the reference start time of the on-time interval, and T2 represents the actual start time of the on-time interval. In other words, delta may also be the time difference between the reference start time of the on-time interval and the actual start time of the on-time interval. It should be understood that the above formula is merely an example, and any other suitable method is possible.

[0103] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a predetermined time interval based on the remaining length of the time window after the WUS has finished receiving. For example, the predetermined time interval may be determined by the following equation (3). Delta = T₄ (3) Here, Delta represents a predetermined time interval, and T4 represents the remaining length of that time window after the end of WUS reception. It should be understood that the above formula is merely an example, and any other suitable method is possible.

[0104] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a predetermined time interval based on the remaining length of the time window after the end of the slot in which the WUS was received. For example, the predetermined time interval may be determined by the following equation (4). Delta = T5 (4)

[0105] Here, Delta represents a predetermined time interval, and T5 represents the remaining length of the time window after the end of the slot in which the WUS was received. It should be understood that the above formula is merely an example, and any other suitable method is possible.

[0106] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a predetermined time interval based on a predetermined time interval instruction (for convenience, also referred to herein as a second instruction) from the network device 120. For example, the predetermined time interval instruction may be carried within the WUS. Alternatively, the predetermined time interval instruction may be transmitted within the RRC pre-configuration.

[0107] Figure 4C is a schematic diagram 400C showing another exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 4A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4C, the WUS window 421 may start a little after the earliest time of the jitter range 423 and end after the end of the jitter range 423. Based on the settings for the DRX, the on-time interval 422 may be set to start after the WUS window 421. If a WUS 424 is detected, the on-time interval 425 may start at T1 from the end of reception of the WUS 424 and end at the original end time determined based on the settings for the DRX. In other words, the on-time interval 422 starts earlier than the reference start time of the on-time interval.

[0108] In some alternative embodiments, if terminal device 110 detects WUS, terminal device 110 may initiate an on-time interval operation at the reference start time. Figure 4D is a schematic diagram 400D showing another exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 4A according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4D, the WUS window 431 may start a little after the earliest time in the jitter range 433 and end after the end of the jitter range 433. Based on the settings for DRX, the on-time interval 432 may be set to start after the WUS window 431. If WUS 434 is detected, the on-time interval 435 may start at the original start time (i.e., the reference start time described above) determined based on the settings for DRX and end at the original end time determined based on the settings for DRX.

[0109] In some embodiments, the WUS may be indicated not to initiate an on-time interval operation. In these embodiments, the terminal device 110 may continue to sleep and not initiate an on-time interval. Figure 4E is a schematic diagram 400E showing another exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 4A according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4E, the WUS window 441 may start a little after the earliest time in the jitter range 443 and end after the end of the jitter range 443. Based on the settings for the DRX, the on-time interval 442 may be set to start after the WUS window 441. If WUS 444 is detected, the on-time interval 442 is not initiated.

[0110] In some embodiments, the WUS may represent one of the above solutions, such as those described in relation to Figures 4B to 4E, with two information bits.

[0111] In some embodiments, terminal device 110 may not receive a WUS from network device 120. For example, terminal device 110 may not be able to successfully detect the WUS. Another example is that terminal device 110 may not have any available monitoring occasions within the time window, for example, all monitoring occasions within the time window may conflict with monitoring or receiving other signals or with uplink symbols. In these embodiments, if terminal device 110 does not receive a WUS, terminal device 110 may initiate an on-time interval operation at the reference start time. Alternatively, if terminal device 110 does not receive a WUS, terminal device 110 may not initiate an on-time interval operation. In these embodiments, whether or not to initiate an on-time interval operation may be indicated by the RRC configuration.

[0112] Returning to Figure 4A, the network device 120 determines the time window (440) in a manner similar to the determination 410 of the terminal device 110. In response to having transmitted the WUS (420), the network device 120 initiates the DRX on-time interval operation (450) based on the time offset from the end of the WUS reception. The operation of initiation 450 is similar to the operation of initiation 430. Therefore, for brevity, the operations of determination 440 and initiation 450 will not be repeated here.

[0113] This makes it possible to dynamically determine the start time of the DRX cycle, achieving a good trade-off between delay and power consumption. Therefore, delay can be reduced and power consumption can be lowered. Variation

[0114] This embodiment is a modification of Embodiment 1. In Embodiment 1, the reference start time may be uniquely determined based on the settings for DRX. In the modification, multiple reference start times for on-time interval operations may be determined based on the settings for DRX. For example, the network device 120 may set multiple DRX start offset values ​​for the terminal device 110, and the terminal device 110 may determine the multiple reference start times based on the multiple DRX start offset values.

[0115] In some embodiments, only one on-time interval timer may be configured, and the multiple reference start times may be associated with this on-time interval timer. Figure 4F is a schematic diagram 400F showing an example of multiple time windows associated with a single on-time interval timer according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4F, three configurations for time windows are configured, namely, Candidate 1, Candidate 2, and Candidate 3. In Candidate 1, WUS window 451 is associated with on-time interval 452. In Candidate 2, WUS window 453 is associated with on-time interval 454. In Candidate 3, WUS window 455 is associated with on-time interval 456. Time windows 451, 453, and 455 may start a little after the earliest time in the jitter range 457 and end after the end of the jitter range 457. On-time intervals 452, 454, and 456 have the same time interval. In other words, time windows 451, 453, and 455 may be associated with the same on-time interval timer.

[0116] In some embodiments, multiple on-time interval timers may be configured, and each of the multiple reference start times may be associated with an on-time interval timer within the multiple on-time interval times. In some embodiments, the ends of the multiple on-time interval timers may be aligned with one another. Figure 4G is a schematic diagram 400G showing an example of multiple time windows associated with multiple on-time interval timers according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 4G, three configurations for time windows are configured, namely, Candidate 1, Candidate 2, and Candidate 3. In Candidate 1, WUS window 461 is associated with on-time interval 462. In Candidate 2, WUS window 463 is associated with on-time interval 464. In Candidate 3, WUS window 465 is associated with on-time interval 466. Time windows 461, 463, and 465 may start a little after the earliest time in the jitter range 467 and end after the end of the jitter range 467. The ON time intervals 462, 464, and 466 have different time intervals, but are aligned at the end of these ON time intervals. In other words, the time windows 461, 463, and 465 may be associated with multiple ON time interval timers.

[0117] The terminal device 110 may determine multiple start times for multiple time windows based on the multiple reference start times of the on-time interval operation and a time offset from the multiple reference start times (for convenience, also referred to herein as a third time offset). In other words, each of the multiple time windows is associated with a reference start time among the multiple reference start times.

[0118] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a plurality of start times for a plurality of time windows based on a plurality of reference start times for an on-time interval operation and a plurality of time offsets from the plurality of reference start times. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the plurality of time windows based on the plurality of start times and a plurality of time intervals set for the plurality of time windows. For example, the terminal device 110 may determine each time window based on the ps-Offset value and duration value set for the time window.

[0119] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the multiple time windows based on the multiple start times and one time interval set for the multiple time windows. That is, the multiple time windows are associated with the same ps-Offset and the same duration value set for the WUS.

[0120] Once the multiple time windows are determined, the terminal device 110 may monitor the WUS within these multiple time windows. In some embodiments, if a time window overlaps with the next time window, this time window may end before the start of the next time window. In other words, the terminal device 110 may stop monitoring the WUS within this time window after the start of the next time window.

[0121] In some embodiments, if the terminal device 110 receives a WUS within one of the multiple time windows (which for convenience may also be referred to herein as the first time window), the terminal device 110 may initiate the on-time interval operation at the first reference start time associated with the first time window among the multiple reference start times. In some embodiments, if the WUS indicates that the on-time interval operation should be initiated, the terminal device 110 may initiate the on-time interval operation at the first reference start time associated with the first time window among the multiple reference start times. In some embodiments, if the WUS indicates that the on-time interval operation should not be initiated, the terminal device 110 may not initiate the on-time interval operation.

[0122] In some embodiments, if the terminal device 110 receives a WUS within one of a plurality of time windows, the terminal device 110 may stop monitoring the WUS within the remaining time windows. For example, if the terminal device 110 successfully detects a WUS within a time window, the terminal device 110 may start an on-time interval timer at the start time associated with that time window and stop monitoring the WUS within the remaining time windows.

[0123] This makes it possible to dynamically determine the start time of the DRX cycle, achieving a good trade-off between delay and power consumption. Therefore, delay can be reduced and power consumption can be lowered. Examples of DRX implementations considering LP WUS

[0124] Considering that packets may arrive at unpredictable times within an on-time interval, embodiments of the present disclosure propose introducing a trigger signal (also referred to here as LP WUS) to fully wake up a terminal device from a low-power mode. The low-power mode may refer to a mode in which the terminal device is required to monitor the trigger signal but not to monitor the scheduling DCI. The scheduling DCI may refer to a DCI format having a CRC scrambled by a cell-radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI). The network device may configure at least two SSSGs, one SSSG (represented as SSSG0) used from the start of an on-time interval containing a search space set for LP WUS, and another SSSG (represented as SSSG1) used for normal DL / UL scheduling.

[0125] SSSG0 has a higher density but lower power consumption and may have, for example, less need for blind decoding or use sequence-based LP WUS. SSSG1 has a lower density but requires more power consumption and may have, for example, the usual DCI format (format 0-1, format 1-1) and high blind decoding complexity. When a terminal device detects LP WUS or when a terminal device receives a switching instruction (e.g., via DCI), the SSSG is switched from SSSG0 to SSSG1.

[0126] LP WUS may refer to a signal used to activate an SSSG or timer, or to trigger an SSSG switch. SSSG switching may be used to allow a terminal device to switch from low-power mode to data transmission mode. LP WUS consumes less power than normal PDCCH monitoring, potentially leading to fewer blind decoding attempts and lower detection and decoding complexity, for example.

[0127] In some embodiments, the LP WUS may be a sequence-based signal, which enables low power consumption. In some embodiments, the control channel element (CCE) aggregation level may be designed to achieve low power consumption. In some embodiments, the control resource set (CORESET) size may be designed to achieve low power consumption.

[0128] In some embodiments, the WUS may still be used before the on-time interval, as shown in Figure 3A, and its functionality can be enhanced for flexibility and backward compatibility. In some embodiments, the WUS may be omitted, as shown in Figure 3B. Several exemplary embodiments of this solution will be described in detail with reference to Figures 5A-5E.

[0129] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of another process 500A for communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For illustrative purposes, process 500A will be described with reference to Figure 1. Process 500A may involve terminal equipment 110 and network equipment 120 as shown in Figure 1.

[0130] As shown in Figure 5A, the terminal device 110 determines the target SSSG from a set of configured SSSGs, which includes a search space set for monitoring trigger signals used to activate an SSSG or trigger an SSSG switch (510). For example, the terminal device 110 may receive a configuration from the network device 120 indicating the set of configured SSSGs. For example, the set of configured SSSGs may include SSSG0 as described above. Of course, the set of configured SSSGs may also include any other suitable SSSGs, e.g., SSSG1. In some embodiments, the number of SSSG0s in the set of configured SSSGs may be 1, 2, 3, or any other value. In some embodiments, the number of SSSG1s in the set of configured SSSGs may be 1, 2, 3, or any other value.

[0131] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine whether a time window for WUS detection is set (511). If a time window is set, the terminal device 110 may determine whether a WUS is detected within the time window (512). If a WUS is detected, the terminal device 110 may determine whether the WUS indicates that the DRX should begin an on-time interval operation (513). If the WUS indicates that the DRX should begin an on-time interval operation, the terminal device 110 may determine the target SSSG to be an SSSG in the set of SSSGs that does not include a search space set for monitoring trigger signals (for convenience, also referred to herein as the first SSSG) (514).

[0132] Once the target SSSG is determined, the terminal device 110 starts the DRX on-time interval operation based on the target SSSG. For example, the terminal device 110 may start PDCCH monitoring based on the setting of the target SSSG.

[0133] The network device 120 also determines the target SSSG in a manner similar to the determination 510 of the terminal device 110 (530). Therefore, for brevity, the operation of determination 530 will not be repeated here. Once the target SSSG is determined, the network device 120 initiates the DRX on-time interval operation based on the target SSSG (540). For example, the network device 120 may perform data transmission based on the setting of the target SSSG.

[0134] For illustrative purposes, several embodiments of determining the target SSSG will be described with reference to Figures 5B-5E.

[0135] Figure 5B is a schematic diagram 500B illustrating an exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 5A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5B, if a WUS 501 is detected indicating the start of an on-time interval 502, the terminal device 110 may start the on-time interval with SSSG 503. SSSG 503 does not include a search space set for monitoring trigger signals. For example, SSSG 503 may be SSSG1 as described above.

[0136] In some embodiments, SSSG 503 (i.e., the first SSSG) may be predefined or preconfigured. In other words, an SSSG (e.g., SSSG1) is preconfigured or predefined (e.g., by RRC information) to become the active SSSG at the start of an on-time interval, provided that a WUS is detected and the WUS indicates that an on-time interval should begin.

[0137] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may obtain information about the SSSG 503 from the WUS 501 and, based on the information about the SSSG 503, determine which SSSG 503 to use from the set of SSSGs. In other words, the WUS 501 may indicate which SSSG from the set of SSSGs to use as the active SSSG at the start of the on-time interval of the next DRX cycle.

[0138] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a candidate SSSG set from the configured SSSG set that does not include a search space set for each SSSG to monitor trigger signals (for convenience, this is also referred to herein as the first candidate SSSG set). The terminal device 110 may then determine the SSSG with the lowest index among the candidate SSSG set as SSSG 503. In other words, the terminal device 110 may determine the active SSSG based on whether or not the SSSG includes a search space set for LP WUS monitoring. In this case, the active SSSG should be an SSSG without a search space configured for LP WUS monitoring. If there are multiple SSSGs without a search space for LP WUS monitoring, the SSSG with the lowest SSSG ID is determined as the active SSSG.

[0139] In some embodiments, the WUS may not be detected within the time window. This may mean that the terminal device 110 failed to detect the WUS, or that the network device 120 did not transmit the WUS. In these embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine from the configured SSSG set an SSSG (also referred to herein as a second SSSG for convenience) that includes a search space set for monitoring trigger signals.

[0140] Figure 5C is a schematic diagram 500C showing another exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 5A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5C, monitoring of WUS 521 is configured on terminal device 110, but WUS 521 is not detected by terminal device 110. In this case, terminal device 110 may initiate an on-time interval with SSSG 523. SSSG 523 includes a search space set for monitoring trigger signals. For example, SSSG 523 may be SSSG0 as described above.

[0141] In some embodiments, SSSG 523 (i.e., the second SSSG) may be predefined or preconfigured. In other words, an SSSG (e.g., SSSG0) is preconfigured or predefined (e.g., by RRC information) to become the active SSSG at the start of an on-time interval, provided that no WUS is detected.

[0142] In some embodiments, if a WUS is detected within a time window and indicates that the WUS should not start an on-time interval, the terminal device 110 may continue to sleep without starting the on-time interval. Figure 5D is a schematic diagram 500D showing yet another exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 5A according to embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5D, if a WUS 541 is detected indicating that the on-time interval 542 should not start, the terminal device 110 may not start the on-time interval.

[0143] In some embodiments, if the terminal device 110 determines that no time window for WUS detection is set, the terminal device 110 may determine from the set of SSSGs that includes a search space set for monitoring trigger signals (i.e., a second SSSG) as the target SSSG. In other words, even if WUS monitoring is not set, the terminal device 110 always starts the ON time interval.

[0144] Figure 5E is a schematic diagram 500E showing another exemplary on-time interval operation in the process of Figure 5A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5E, if no time window for WUS detection is set, the terminal device 110 may start an on-time interval 561 with SSSG 562. SSSG 562 includes a search space set for monitoring trigger signals. For example, SSSG 562 may be SSSG0 described above.

[0145] In some embodiments, SSSG 562 (i.e., the second SSSG) may be predefined or preconfigured. In other words, an SSSG (e.g., SSSG0) is preconfigured or predefined (e.g., by RRC information) to become the active SSSG at the start of an on-time interval, provided that no WUS is detected.

[0146] In this way, a good trade-off between power saving and transmission delay can be achieved for traffic with significant jitter (e.g., XR). Example of DRX implementation considering SSSG switching

[0147] The inventors have found that when an SSSG switchover occurs within a short DRX cycle, for example, when switching from SSSG0 to SSSG1, the question arises as to whether the SSSG should be switched back to SSSG0 within the next one or more short DRX cycles. Embodiments of this disclosure provide a solution to this problem and other potential problems. Details of this solution will be described with reference to Figures 6A and 6B.

[0148] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of yet another process 600A for communication according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. For illustrative purposes, process 600A will be described with reference to Figure 1. Process 600A may involve a terminal device 110 and a network device 120 as shown in Figure 1. In this embodiment, a plurality of SSSGs are configured for the terminal device 110.

[0149] As shown in Figure 6A, if an SSSG switch from one SSSG (also referred to as the first SSSG) to another SSSG (also referred to as the second SSSG) is performed within a short DRX cycle (also referred to as the first short DRX cycle), the terminal device 110 determines the SSSG from among the multiple SSSGs based on the timer associated with the DRX (610).

[0150] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine whether the timer is running or not (611). If the timer is running (e.g., not stopped), the terminal device 110 may determine the second SSSG as the SSSG (612). In other words, the terminal device 110 maintains the current SSSG while the timer is still running. In some embodiments, if the timer is running and no SSSG switching instruction is received, the terminal device 110 may maintain the current SSSG.

[0151] In some embodiments, if the timer is not running, for example, if the timer expires or is stopped, the terminal device 110 may determine the first SSSG as the SSSG (613). In other words, the terminal device 110 may switch back to the first SSSG when the timer expires or is stopped. In some alternative embodiments, if the timer is not running, for example, if the timer expires or is stopped, the terminal device 110 may determine the default SSSG as the SSSG (613').

[0152] In some embodiments, the timer associated with DRX may be a timer set for short DRX cycles, e.g., drx-ShortCycleTimer, or any other suitable timer. Short DRX cycles can enable short sleeps between transmissions. drx-ShortCycleTimer is used to control the duration for which short DRX cycles are used. drx-ShortCycleTimer is started or restarted after the expiration of drx-InactivityTimer or after a medium access control-control element (MAC-CE) instruction, and terminates if not restarted again within a time interval (i.e., the timer length), or is stopped by a MAC-CE instruction.

[0153] In some embodiments, the timer associated with the DRX may be a newly defined timer. The timer may be started when an SSSG switchover occurs. The timer may be paused when the terminal device 110 is inactive. The timer may be restarted when the terminal device 110 is active. In other words, the timer runs only during active hours and is paused when it is not active.

[0154] Based on the determined SSSG, the terminal device 110 initiates the DRX on-time interval operation within a short DRX cycle (also referred to herein as a second short DRX cycle) that is slower than the first short DRX cycle (620). In other words, the terminal device 110 may initiate the DRX on-time interval operation within one or more of the following short DRX cycles.

[0155] Figure 6B is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary DRX operation in the process of Figure 6A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, the timer associated with the DRX is a drx-ShortCycleTimer.

[0156] As shown in Figure 6B, during the on-time interval 601 in the previous DRX cycle, the SSSG switchover occurs from SSSG 604 to SSSG 605. For the following short DRX cycle, since the drx-ShortCycleTimer is still running, the terminal device 110 may start the on-time interval 602 in the following short DRX cycle with SSSG 605. For the next long DRX cycle, since the drx-ShortCycleTimer has expired, the terminal device 110 may start the on-time interval 603 in the next long DRX cycle with SSSG 604. It should be noted that this is merely an example and is not intended to limit the present disclosure.

[0157] In some embodiments, if the switch from the first SSSG to the second SSSG occurs within a first short DRX cycle, the terminal device 110 may switch back to the first SSSG at the end of the first short DRX cycle. In some embodiments, how the SSSG is determined may be pre-configured. Returning to Figure 6A, if the SSSG switch occurs within a short DRX cycle, the network device 120 also determines the SSSG from among several SSSGs based on a timer associated with the DRX (630). The operation of determination 630 is similar to the operation of determination 610 of the terminal device 110, so for brevity, a detailed explanation will not be repeated here.

[0158] Once the SSSG is determined, the network device 120 initiates the DRX on-time interval operation based on the determined SSSG within the next one or more short DRX cycles (640). For example, the network device 120 may perform data transmission using the determined SSSG within the next one or more short DRX cycles.

[0159] The solution shown in Figure 6A makes it possible to avoid unnecessary SSSG switching and reduce power consumption. Examples of implementation of the method

[0160] Therefore, embodiments of this disclosure provide communication methods implemented in terminal devices and network devices. These methods are described below with reference to Figures 7-12.

[0161] Figure 7 shows exemplary communication methods 700 implemented in a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 700 may be implemented in a terminal device 110 as shown in Figure 1. Method 700 will now be described with reference to Figure 1 for illustrative purposes. It should be understood that method 700 may include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the illustrated blocks may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0162] In block 710, the terminal device 110 determines a time window for monitoring the WUS from the network device 120.

[0163] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a reference start time for an on-time interval operation based on a first setting for the DRX, and determine a start time for a time window based on the reference start time and a second time offset from the reference start time. The terminal device 110 may then determine a time window based on the start time for the time window and a time interval set for the WUS.

[0164] In some alternative embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a reference value based on at least a second setting for the search space set for the WUS, determine the start time of the time window based on an operation to round up or round down the reference value, and determine the time window based on the start time of the time window and the time interval set for the WUS. The terminal device 110 may then perform WUS detection within this time window.

[0165] In block 720, the terminal device 110 determines whether the WUS was received from the network device 120 within this time window. If the WUS was received, the process proceeds to block 730. In block 730, the terminal device 110 starts the DRX on-time interval operation based on a first time offset from the end of the WUS reception. For example, the terminal device 110 may start the on-time interval timer at a first time offset from the end of the WUS transmission. The terminal device 110 may then perform downlink channel monitoring (e.g., PDCCH monitoring) during the on-time interval.

[0166] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may initiate an on-time interval operation within a start time unit that is later than a first time offset from the end of the time unit in which the WUS was received. In some embodiments, the time unit includes at least one of a slot, a symbol, or a subslot.

[0167] In some embodiments, the first time offset may be predefined or pre-set. In some embodiments, the first time offset may be indicated by the WUS. In these embodiments, the terminal device 110 may obtain a first indication of the first time offset from the WUS and determine the first time offset based on the first indication.

[0168] In some embodiments, the WUS may include a plurality of wake-up instructions for a plurality of terminal devices and a first time offset value applied to the plurality of wake-up instructions.

[0169] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the time interval of an on-time interval operation based on a first setting for the DRX. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the time interval of an on-time interval operation based on a first setting for the DRX and a predetermined time interval. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the predetermined time interval based on the reference start time of the on-time interval operation, determined based on the first setting for the DRX, and the time to start the on-time interval operation. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the predetermined time interval based on the remaining length of the time window after the WUS has finished receiving. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the predetermined time interval based on the remaining length of the time window after the WUS has finished receiving the slot. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine the predetermined time interval based on a second instruction of a predetermined time interval from the network device 120.

[0170] In some embodiments, depending on whether a WUS is received from the network device 120 within a time window, the terminal device 110 may initiate an on-time interval operation of the DRX at a reference start time determined based on a first setting for the DRX. For example, the terminal device 110 may start an on-time interval timer at the reference start time. The terminal device 110 may then perform downlink channel monitoring (e.g., PDCCH monitoring) during the on-time interval.

[0171] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a plurality of reference start times for an on-time interval operation based on a first setting for the DRX, determine a plurality of start times for a plurality of time windows based on the plurality of reference start times and a third time offset from the plurality of reference start times, and determine the plurality of time windows as time windows based on the plurality of start times set for the plurality of time windows and one or more time intervals. In some embodiments, the plurality of start times may be associated with one on-time interval timer. In some alternative embodiments, each of the plurality of start times may be associated with one of the plurality of on-time interval timers.

[0172] In some embodiments, upon receiving a WUS within a first time window of the plurality of time windows, the terminal device 110 may initiate the on-time interval operation at a first reference start time associated with the first time window among the plurality of reference start times. In some embodiments, upon receiving a WUS within a first time window of the plurality of time windows, the terminal device 110 may stop monitoring for WUS within the remaining time windows of the plurality of time windows.

[0173] The solution in Figure 7 allows for the dynamic determination of the DRX cycle start time, enabling a good trade-off between delay and power consumption. Therefore, delay can be reduced and power consumption can be lowered.

[0174] Figure 8A shows an exemplary communication method 800A implemented in a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 800A may be implemented in a terminal device 110 as shown in Figure 1. For illustrative purposes, method 800A will be described below with reference to Figure 1. It should be understood that method 800A may include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the illustrated blocks may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0175] In block 801, the terminal device 110 determines the target SSSG from a set of configured SSSGs, which includes a search space set for monitoring trigger signals used to activate an SSSG or trigger an SSSG switch. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may select the target SSSG from the set of configured SSSGs based on the setting of a time window and the reception of a WUS. In some embodiments, the target SSSG may include a search space set for monitoring trigger signals. In some embodiments, the target SSSG may not include a search space set for monitoring trigger signals.

[0176] In block 802, the terminal device 110 starts the DRX on-time interval operation based on the target SSSG. For example, the terminal device may start the on-time interval timer using the target SSSG. The terminal device 110 may then use the target SSSG to perform downlink channel monitoring (e.g., PDCCH monitoring) during the on-time interval.

[0177] Thus, a trigger signal is introduced to fully wake up the terminal device from a low-power mode in which it is not required to monitor the scheduling DCI. This can reduce power consumption. For illustrative purposes, several exemplary embodiments will be further described with reference to Figure 8B.

[0178] Figure 8B shows an exemplary method 800B for initiating an on-time interval operation of a DRX implemented in a terminal device, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 800B may be performed in a terminal device 110 as shown in Figure 1. For illustrative purposes, method 800B will be described below with reference to Figure 1. It should be understood that method 800B may include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the illustrated blocks may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0179] As shown in Figure 8B, in block 810, the terminal device 110 may determine whether a time window for WUS detection has been set. If a time window has been set, the process proceeds to block 820. In block 820, the terminal device 110 may determine whether a WUS has been received within the set time window. If a WUS has been received, the process proceeds to block 830. In block 830, the terminal device 110 may determine whether this WUS indicates that an on-time interval operation is about to begin.

[0180] If this WUS indicates to initiate an on-time interval operation, the process proceeds to block 840. In block 840, the terminal device 110 may determine a first SSSG within the configured SSSG set, which does not include a search space set for monitoring trigger signals, as the target SSSG.

[0181] In some embodiments, the first SSSG may be predefined or preconfigured. In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may obtain information about the first SSSG from the WUS and determine the first SSSG from the configured SSSG set based on the information about the first SSSG. In other words, the first SSSG may be indicated by the WUS.

[0182] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine a first set of candidate SSSGs from the configured SSSG sets, in which each SSSG does not include a search space set for monitoring trigger signals, and determine the SSSG with the lowest index among the first set of candidate SSSGs as the first SSSG. Thus, the terminal device 110 may determine the first SSSG according to a predefined rule.

[0183] Referring to Figure 8B, if it is determined in block 810 that no time window has been set, the process proceeds to block 850. If it is determined in block 820 that no WUS was received within the set time window, the process also proceeds to block 850. In block 850, the terminal device 110 may determine a second SSSG within the set SSSG set, which includes a search space set for monitoring trigger signals, as the target SSSG. In some embodiments, the second search space set group may be predefined or preconfigured. Of course, any other suitable method is also possible.

[0184] If the WUS determines in block 830 that it will not initiate an on-time interval operation, the process proceeds to block 860. In block 860, the terminal device 110 may not initiate an on-time interval operation, i.e., it may continue to sleep.

[0185] It should be understood that the process in Figure 8B is merely an example, and the process in Figure 8A may also be implemented in any other suitable way.

[0186] Figure 9 shows exemplary communication methods 900 implemented in a terminal device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 900 may be implemented in a terminal device 110 as shown in Figure 1. Method 900 will now be described with reference to Figure 1 for illustrative purposes. It should be understood that method 900 may include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the illustrated blocks may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0187] In block 901, the terminal device 110 determines whether an SSSG switch from the first SSSG to the second SSSG was performed within the first short DRX cycle. If an SSSG switch was performed, the process proceeds to block 902.

[0188] In block 902, the terminal device 110 determines an SSSG from a plurality of SSSGs based on a timer associated with the DRX. In some embodiments, the timer associated with the DRX may be a timer set for short DRX cycles, for example, a drx-ShortCycleTimer.

[0189] In some alternative embodiments, the timer associated with the DRX may be a newly defined timer. In these embodiments, the terminal device 110 may start the timer when an SSSG switchover occurs, pause the timer when the terminal device 110 is inactive, and restart the timer when the terminal device 110 is active.

[0190] In some embodiments, the terminal device 110 may determine whether the timer associated with the DRX is running. If the timer is running, the terminal device 110 may determine the second SSSG as the SSSG. If the timer expires or is stopped, the terminal device 110 may determine the first SSSG or the default SSSG as the SSSG. In some embodiments, the default SSSG may be predefined or preconfigured.

[0191] In block 903, the terminal device 110 initiates the DRX on-time interval operation based on the determined SSSG within a second short DRX cycle that is slower than the first short cycle. For example, the terminal device 110 may initiate the on-time interval timer using the determined SSSG within the next one or more short DRX cycles. The terminal device 110 may then perform downlink channel monitoring (e.g., PDCCH monitoring) during the on-time interval.

[0192] The method shown in Figure 9 makes it possible to avoid unnecessary SSSG switching and reduce power consumption.

[0193] Figure 10 shows an exemplary communication method 1000 implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 1000 may be implemented in a network device 120 as shown in Figure 1. Method 1000 will now be described with reference to Figure 1 for illustrative purposes. It should be understood that method 1000 may include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the illustrated blocks may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0194] In block 1010, the network device 120 determines a time window for transmitting the WUS to the terminal device 110. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine a reference start time for an on-time interval operation based on a first setting for the DRX, and determine a start time for the time window based on the reference start time and a second time offset from the reference start time. The network device 120 may then determine the time window based on the start time for the time window and the time interval set for the WUS.

[0195] In some alternative embodiments, the network device 120 may determine a reference value based on at least a second setting for the search space set for the WUS, determine the start time of the time window based on an operation to round up or round down the reference value, and determine the time window based on the start time of the time window and the time interval set for the WUS. The network device 120 may then transmit the WUS within this time window.

[0196] In block 1020, the network device 120 determines whether the WUS was sent to the terminal device 110 within this time window. If the WUS was sent, process 1000 proceeds to block 1030. In block 1030, the network device 120 starts the DRX on-time interval operation based on a first time offset from the end of the WUS transmission. For example, the network device 120 may start the on-time interval timer at the first time offset from the end of the WUS transmission. Thus, the network device 120 may perform data transmission within this on-time interval.

[0197] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may initiate an on-time interval operation within a start time unit that is later than a first time offset from the end of the time unit in which the WUS was received. In some embodiments, the time unit includes at least one of a slot, a symbol, or a subslot.

[0198] In some embodiments, the first time offset may be predefined or pre-set. In some embodiments, the first time offset may be indicated by the WUS. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may transmit a first instruction for the first time offset to the terminal device 110 within the WUS.

[0199] In some embodiments, the WUS may include a plurality of wake-up instructions for a plurality of terminal devices and a first time offset value applied to the plurality of wake-up instructions.

[0200] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine the time interval of an on-time interval operation based on a first setting for the DRX. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine the time interval of an on-time interval operation based on a first setting for the DRX and a predetermined time interval. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine the predetermined time interval based on a reference start time for the on-time interval operation determined based on a first setting for the DRX and the time to start the on-time interval operation. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine the predetermined time interval based on the remaining length of the time window after the WUS has finished receiving. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine the predetermined time interval based on the remaining length of the time window after the WUS has finished sending. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may send a second instruction for the predetermined time interval to the terminal device 110.

[0201] In some embodiments, in response to the fact that no WUS was sent to the terminal device 110 within the time window, the network device 120 may start the on-time interval operation of the DRX at a reference start time determined based on a first setting for the DRX. For example, the network device 120 may start the on-time interval timer at the reference start time. The network device 120 may then perform data transmission within this on-time interval.

[0202] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine a plurality of reference start times for on-time interval operations based on a first setting for the DRX, determine a plurality of start times for a plurality of time windows based on the plurality of reference start times and a third time offset from the plurality of reference start times, and determine the plurality of time windows as time windows based on the plurality of start times set for the plurality of time windows and one or more time intervals. In some embodiments, the plurality of start times may be associated with one on-time interval timer. In some alternative embodiments, each of the plurality of start times may be associated with one of the plurality of on-time interval timers.

[0203] In some embodiments, in response to sending a WUS within a first time window of the plurality of time windows, the network device 120 may initiate the on-time interval operation at a first reference start time associated with the first time window among the plurality of reference start times. In some embodiments, in response to sending a WUS within a first time window of the plurality of time windows, the network device 120 may stop monitoring the WUS within the remaining time windows of the plurality of time windows.

[0204] The solution in Figure 10 allows for the dynamic determination of the DRX cycle start time, enabling a good trade-off between delay and power consumption. Therefore, delay can be reduced and power consumption can be lowered.

[0205] Figure 11 shows an exemplary communication method 1100 implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 1100 may be implemented in a network device 120 as shown in Figure 1. Method 1100 will now be described with reference to Figure 1 for illustrative purposes. It should be understood that method 1100 may include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the illustrated blocks may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0206] In block 1110, the network device 120 determines the target SSSG from a set of configured SSSGs, which includes a search space set for monitoring trigger signals used to activate an SSSG or trigger an SSSG switch. In some embodiments, if a WUS is received and the WUS indicates that an on-time interval operation of the DRX has begun, the network device 120 may determine a first SSSG in the set of configured SSSGs that does not include a search space for monitoring the trigger signal as the target SSSG.

[0207] In some embodiments, the first SSSG may be predefined or preconfigured. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine the first SSSG from a set of configured SSSGs and transmit information about the first SSSG to the terminal device 110 within the WUS. In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine a first candidate set of SSSGs from a set of configured SSSGs, each SSSG not including a search space set for monitoring trigger signals, and determine the SSSG with the lowest index among the first candidate set of SSSGs as the first SSSG.

[0208] In some embodiments, if the WUS is not received within the time window, or if the time window is not set, the network device 120 may determine a second SSSG within the set of SSSGs that includes the search space set for monitoring the trigger signal as the target SSSG. In some embodiments, the second search space set group may be predefined or preconfigured. Of course, any other suitable method is also possible.

[0209] In block 1120, the network device 120 starts the DRX on-time interval operation based on the target SSSG. For example, the network device 120 may start the on-time interval timer using the target SSSG. The network device 120 may then use the target SSSG to perform data transmission within this on-time interval.

[0210] Thus, a trigger signal is introduced to fully wake up the terminal device from a low-power mode in which it is not required to monitor the scheduling DCI. This reduces power consumption.

[0211] Figure 12 shows an exemplary communication method 1200 implemented in a network device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, method 1200 may be implemented in a network device 120 as shown in Figure 1. Method 1200 will now be described with reference to Figure 1 for illustrative purposes. It should be understood that method 1200 may include additional blocks not shown and / or some of the illustrated blocks may be omitted, and the scope of the present disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0212] In block 1210, the network device 120 determines whether an SSSG switchover from the first SSSG to the second SSSG was performed within the first short DRX cycle. If an SSSG switchover was performed, the process proceeds to block 1220.

[0213] In block 1220, the network device 120 determines an SSSG from a plurality of SSSGs based on a timer associated with the DRX. In some embodiments, the timer associated with the DRX may be a timer set for short DRX cycles, for example, a drx-ShortCycleTimer.

[0214] In some alternative embodiments, the timer associated with the DRX may be a newly defined timer. In these embodiments, the network device 120 may start the timer when an SSSG switchover occurs, pause the timer when the terminal device 110 is inactive, and restart the timer when the terminal device 110 is active.

[0215] In some embodiments, the network device 120 may determine whether the timer associated with the DRX is running. If the timer is running, the network device 120 may determine the second SSSG as the SSSG. If the timer expires or stops, the network device 120 may determine the first SSSG or the default SSSG as the SSSG. In some embodiments, the default SSSG may be predefined or preconfigured.

[0216] In block 1230, the network device 120 starts the DRX on-time interval operation based on the determined SSSG within a second short DRX cycle that is slower than the first short cycle. For example, the network device 120 may start the on-time interval timer using the determined SSSG within the next one or more short DRX cycles. The network device 120 may then use the determined SSSG to perform data transmission within this on-time interval.

[0217] The method shown in Figure 12 can avoid unnecessary SSSG switching and improve system performance. Examples of these implementations

[0218] Figure 13 is a schematic block diagram of a device 1300 suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 1300 can be considered as another exemplary embodiment of the terminal device 110 or network device 120 shown in Figure 1. Therefore, the device 1300 may be implemented in or as part of the terminal device 110 or network device 120.

[0219] As illustrated, the device 1300 comprises a processor 1310, a memory 1320 coupled to the processor 1310, a suitable transmitter (TX) and receiver (RX) 1340 coupled to the processor 1310, and a communication interface coupled to the TX / RX 1340. The memory 1320 stores at least a portion of the program 1330. The TX / RX 1340 is used for bidirectional communication. The TX / RX 1340 has at least one antenna to facilitate communication, although the access node referred to herein may actually have multiple antennas. The communication interface may represent any interface necessary for communication with other network elements, such as the X2 / Xn interface for bidirectional communication between eNBs / gNBs, the S1 / NG interface for communication between Mobility Management Entities (MMEs) / Access and Mobility Management Functions (AMFs) / SGWs / UPFs and eNBs / gNBs, the Un interface for communication between eNBs / gNBs and relay nodes (RNs), or the Uu interface for communication between eNBs / gNBs and terminal devices.

[0220] Program 1330 is deemed to include program instructions that, when executed by the associated processor 1310, enable the device 1300 to operate according to embodiments of the present disclosure, as described herein with reference to Figures 3A to 12. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by computer software executable by the processor 1310 of the device 1300, by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware. The processor 1310 may be configured to implement various embodiments of the present disclosure. Furthermore, a combination of the processor 1310 and memory 1320 may form processing means 1350 suitable for implementing various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0221] Memory 1320 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as non-temporary computer-readable storage media, semiconductor-based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable memory, as non-limiting examples. Although only one memory 1320 is shown in device 1300, several physically different memory modules may be present in device 1300. Processor 1310 may be of any type suitable for a local technology network and may include, as non-limiting examples, one or more of general-purpose computers, dedicated computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multicore processor architectures. Device 1300 may have multiple processors, for example, application-specific integrated circuit chips that are temporally dependent on a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0222] In some embodiments, the terminal device comprises a circuit that determines a time window for monitoring a wake-up signal from a network device and, upon receiving the wake-up signal from the network device within the time window, is configured to initiate an on-time interval operation for discontinuous reception based on a first time offset from the end of reception of the wake-up signal.

[0223] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to initiate the on-time interval operation within a start time unit later than the first time offset from the end of the time unit in which the wake-up signal was received. In some embodiments, the first time offset is predefined or preset. In some embodiments, the circuit may further be configured to obtain a first indication of the first time offset from the wake-up signal and to determine the first time offset based on the first indication.

[0224] In some embodiments, the wake-up signal includes a plurality of wake-up instructions for a plurality of terminal devices and a first time offset value applied to the plurality of wake-up instructions.

[0225] In some embodiments, the circuit may be further configured to determine the time interval of an on-time interval operation based on a first setting for discontinuous reception, or to determine the time interval of an on-time interval operation based on a first setting for discontinuous reception and a predetermined time interval.

[0226] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to perform at least one of the following: determining the predetermined time interval based on a reference start time determined based on a first setting for discontinuous reception of the on-time interval operation and the time to start the on-time interval operation; determining the predetermined time interval based on the remaining length of the time window after the wake-up signal has finished being received; determining the predetermined time interval based on the remaining length of the time window after the end of the slot in which the wake-up signal was received; or determining the predetermined time interval based on a second instruction for the predetermined time interval from the network device.

[0227] In some embodiments, the circuit may be further configured to initiate the on-time interval operation for discontinuous reception at a reference start time determined based on a first setting for discontinuous reception, depending on whether a wake-up signal was received from the network device within the time window.

[0228] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the time window by determining a plurality of reference start times for the on-time interval operation based on a first setting for discontinuous reception, determining a plurality of start times for a plurality of time windows based on the plurality of reference start times and a third time offset from the plurality of reference start times, and determining the plurality of time windows as the time window based on the plurality of start times set for the plurality of time windows and one or more time intervals.

[0229] In some embodiments, the multiple start times are associated with one on-time interval timer, or each of the multiple start times is associated with one of the multiple on-time interval timers.

[0230] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to initiate the on-time interval operation by initiating the on-time interval operation at a first reference start time associated with the first time window among the multiple reference start times, in response to receiving a wake-up signal within a first time window among the multiple time windows. In some embodiments, the circuit may further be configured to stop monitoring the wake-up signal within the remaining time windows among the multiple time windows, in response to receiving the wake-up signal within a first time window among the multiple time windows.

[0231] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the time window by determining a reference start time for the on-time interval operation based on a first setting for discontinuous reception, determining the start time of the time window based on the reference start time and a second time offset from the reference start time, and determining the time window based on the start time of the time window and a time interval set for the wake-up signal.

[0232] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the time window by determining a reference value based on at least a second setting for the search space set for the wake-up signal, determining the start time of the time window based on an operation of rounding up or rounding down the reference value, and determining the time window based on the start time of the time window and the time interval set for the wake-up signal.

[0233] In some embodiments, the terminal device comprises a circuit which determines a target search space set group from a set of configured search space set groups which include a search space set for monitoring a trigger signal used to activate a search space set group or to trigger a search space set group switch, and is configured to initiate an on-time interval operation of discontinuous reception based on the target search space set group.

[0234] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the target search space set group by determining, upon determination that the wake-up signal is received and the wake-up signal indicates that an on-time interval operation of discontinuous reception has begun, a first search space set group within the set of search space set groups that does not include a search space set for monitoring the trigger signal, as the target search space set group. In some embodiments, the first search space set group is predefined or preconfigured.

[0235] In some embodiments, the circuit may further be configured to obtain information of the first search space set group from the wake-up signal and to determine the first search space set group from the set of search space set groups to be set based on the information of the first search space set group.

[0236] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the first search space set group by determining from the set of set search space set groups a set of first candidate search space set groups in which each search space set group does not contain a search space set for monitoring the trigger signal, and determining the search space set group having the lowest index among the set of first candidate search space set groups as the first search space set group.

[0237] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the target search space set group by determining a second search space set group, which includes a search space set for monitoring the trigger signal, within the set of set search space set groups, as the target search space set group, in accordance with the determination that no wake-up signal was received or that no time window for monitoring the wake-up signal has been set. In some embodiments, the second search space set group is predefined or pre-set.

[0238] In some embodiments, the terminal device includes a circuit which, based on a timer associated with discontinuous reception, determines a search space set group from a plurality of search space set groups according to the determination that a search space set group switch from a first search space set group to a second search space set group was performed within a first short discontinuous reception cycle, and is configured to initiate an on-time interval operation of discontinuous reception within a second short discontinuous reception cycle that is slower than the first short cycle, based on the determined search space set group.

[0239] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the search space set group by determining whether the timer associated with discontinuous reception is running, determining the second search space set group as the search space set group according to the determination that the timer is running, and determining the first search space set group or the default search space set group as the search space set group according to the determination that the timer has expired or stopped. In some embodiments, the timer is a timer set for short discontinuous reception cycles.

[0240] In some embodiments, the circuit may be further configured to start the timer when the search space set group switching occurs, to pause the timer when the terminal device is inactive, and to resume the timer when the terminal device is active.

[0241] In some embodiments, the network device comprises a circuit which determines a time window for transmitting a wake-up signal to a terminal device and, in response to transmitting the wake-up signal to the terminal device within the time window, initiates an on-time interval operation of discontinuous reception based on a first time offset from the end of transmission of the wake-up signal.

[0242] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to initiate the on-time interval operation within a start time unit that is later than a first time offset from the end of the time unit in which the wake-up signal was transmitted.

[0243] In some embodiments, the first time offset is predefined or pre-set. In some embodiments, the circuit may further be configured to transmit a first instruction for the first time offset in the wake-up signal to the terminal device. In some embodiments, the wake-up signal includes a plurality of wake-up instructions for a plurality of terminal devices and a value for the first time offset applied to the plurality of wake-up instructions.

[0244] In some embodiments, the circuit may be further configured to determine the time interval of an on-time interval operation based on a first setting for discontinuous reception, or to determine the time interval of an on-time interval operation based on a first setting for discontinuous reception and a predetermined time interval.

[0245] In some embodiments, the circuit may further be configured to perform at least one of the following: determining the predetermined time interval based on a reference start time determined based on a first setting for discontinuous reception of the on-time interval operation and a time to start the on-time interval operation; determining the predetermined time interval based on the remaining length of the time window after the wake-up signal has finished being received; determining the predetermined time interval based on the remaining length of the time window after the end of the slot in which the wake-up signal was transmitted; or transmitting a second instruction for the predetermined time interval to the terminal device.

[0246] In some embodiments, the circuit may further be configured to initiate the on-time interval operation for discontinuous reception at a reference start time determined based on a first setting for discontinuous reception, depending on whether a wake-up signal was transmitted to the terminal device within the time window.

[0247] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the time window by determining a plurality of reference start times for the on-time interval operation based on a first setting for discontinuous reception, determining a plurality of start times for a plurality of time windows based on the plurality of reference start times and a third time offset from the plurality of reference start times, and determining the plurality of time windows as the time window based on the plurality of start times set for the plurality of time windows and one or more time intervals.

[0248] In some embodiments, the multiple start times are associated with one on-time interval timer, or each of the multiple start times is associated with one of the multiple on-time interval timers.

[0249] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to initiate the on-time interval operation by initiating the on-time interval operation at a first reference start time associated with the first time window among the multiple reference start times, in response to receiving a wake-up signal within a first time window among the multiple time windows.

[0250] In some embodiments, the circuit may be further configured to stop transmitting the wake-up signal in the remaining time windows of the plurality of time windows, depending on whether the wake-up signal was transmitted in a first time window of the plurality of time windows.

[0251] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the time window by determining a reference start time for the on-time interval operation based on a first setting for discontinuous reception, determining the start time of the time window based on the reference start time and a second time offset from the reference start time, and determining the time window based on the start time of the time window and a time interval set for the wake-up signal.

[0252] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the time window by determining a reference value based on at least a second setting for the search space set for the wake-up signal, determining the start time of the time window based on an operation of rounding up or rounding down the reference value, and determining the time window based on the start time of the time window and the time interval set for the wake-up signal.

[0253] In some embodiments, the network device comprises a circuit which determines a target search space set group from a set of configured search space set groups which include a search space set for monitoring a trigger signal used to activate a search space set group or to trigger a search space set group switch, and is configured to initiate an on-time interval operation of discontinuous reception based on the target search space set group.

[0254] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the target search space set group by determining a first search space set group within the set of search space set groups that does not include a search space set for monitoring the trigger signal, in accordance with the determination that a wake-up signal has been received and the wake-up signal indicates that an on-time interval operation of discontinuous reception has been initiated, as the target search space set group.

[0255] In some embodiments, the first search space set group is predefined or preconfigured. In some embodiments, the circuit may further determine the first search space set group from the preconfigured set of search space set groups and transmit information about the first search space set group to the terminal device in the wake-up signal.

[0256] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the first search space set group by determining from the set of set search space set groups a set of first candidate search space set groups in which each search space set group does not contain a search space set for monitoring the trigger signal, and determining the search space set group having the lowest index among the set of first candidate search space set groups as the first search space set group.

[0257] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the target search space set group by determining a second search space set group, which includes a search space set for monitoring the trigger signal, within the set of set search space set groups, as the target search space set group, in accordance with the determination that no wake-up signal was received or that no time window for monitoring the wake-up signal has been set. In some embodiments, the second search space set group is predefined or pre-set.

[0258] In some embodiments, the network device comprises a circuit that, upon determination that a search space set group switch from a first search space set group to a second search space set group occurred within a first short discontinuous reception cycle, determines a search space set group from a plurality of search space set groups based on a timer associated with discontinuous reception, and, based on the determined search space set group, initiates an on-time interval operation of discontinuous reception within a second short discontinuous reception cycle that is later than the first short cycle.

[0259] In some embodiments, the circuit may be configured to determine the search space set group by determining whether the timer associated with discontinuous reception is running, determining the second search space set group as the search space set group according to the determination that the timer is running, and determining the first search space set group or the default search space set group as the search space set group according to the determination that the timer has expired or stopped. In some embodiments, the timer is configured for short discontinuous reception cycles.

[0260] In some embodiments, the circuit may further be configured to start the timer when the search space set group switching occurs, pause the timer when the terminal device is in an inactive time, and restart the timer when the terminal device is in an active time.

[0261] As used herein, the term "circuit" may refer to a hardware circuit and / or a combination of a hardware circuit and software. For example, a circuit may be a combination of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware. As yet another example, a circuit may be any part of a hardware processor that comprises a digital signal processor, software and software including one or more memories, which cooperate to cause an apparatus such as a terminal device or a network device to perform various functions. In yet another example, a circuit may be a hardware circuit that requires software / firmware for operation and / or a processor such as a microprocessor or a part thereof, but software may not be present if it is not required for operation. As used herein, the term "circuit" also covers implementations of a hardware circuit or only one or more processors, or a part of a hardware circuit or one or more processors and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware.

[0262] 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 can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device. While various aspects of the embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated and described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or any other pictorial representations, it is to be understood that the blocks, devices, 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 controllers or other computing devices, or any combination thereof.

[0263] The present disclosure also provides at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The computer program product comprises computer-executable instructions, such as instructions included in program modules, executed in a device on a target physical processor or virtual processor to perform the processes or methods described above with reference to FIGS. 3A to 12. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In various embodiments, the functionality of program modules may be combined or split between program modules as required. Machine-executable instructions of program modules may be executed within local or distributed devices. In distributed devices, program modules may be located in both local and remote storage media.

[0264] Program code for performing the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. These program codes may be provided to a processor or controller of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable data processing device, and when executed by the processor or controller, the program code may implement the functions / operations specified in the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. The program code may run entirely on a machine, partially on a machine, as an independent software package, partially on a machine and partially on a remote machine, or entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0265] The program code described above may be implemented on a machine-readable medium, which may be any tangible medium that can contain or store programs used by or associated with an instruction execution system, device, or apparatus. The machine-readable medium may be a machine-readable signal medium or a machine-readable storage medium. The machine-readable medium may include, but is not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, devices, or apparatus, or any suitable combination of the aforementioned mediums. More specific examples of machine-readable storage media may include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer disks, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), optical fibers, portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, or any suitable combination of the above.

[0266] While the operations have been described in a specific order, it should not be understood that, in order to obtain the desired results, these operations must be performed in the specific order shown, or in a sequential order, or that all of the described operations must be performed. In some cases, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, while some specific implementation details are included in the above discussion, these should not be interpreted as limitations on the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Some features described in the context of individual embodiments may be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may be implemented separately or in any suitable subcombination in multiple embodiments.

[0267] While this disclosure has been described in language specific to structural features and / or methodological behavior, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the attached claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or behaviors described above. Rather, the specific features and behaviors described above are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claims.

Claims

1. A terminal device, Means for determining at least one monitoring occasion for a wake-up signal (WUS) based on setting a period for the WUS monitoring occasions, wherein a first monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasion is determined based on the start time of an on-time interval and a first time offset, and each monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasion spans a time interval of at least one symbol; Means for starting drx-onDurationTimer when the terminal device is unable to monitor all of the at least one monitoring occasions due to conflicts, A terminal device equipped with the following features.

2. Means for starting the drx-onDurationTimer to monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) when the WUS is detected, The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

3. The first monitoring occasion is determined based on the slot in which the drx-onDurationTimer is started and the first time offset. The terminal device according to claim 1.

4. Means for receiving the setting of the period for the WUS monitoring occasion from the network device, The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. A means for determining the start time of the drx-onDurationTimer based on the settings for discontinuous reception, Means for determining the start of a plurality of monitoring occasions based on the aforementioned start time and a second time offset associated with the drx-onDurationTimer, Means for determining the plurality of monitoring occasions based on the start time and the time intervals set for the plurality of monitoring occasions, Means for monitoring the WUS in the aforementioned multiple monitoring occasions, When the aforementioned WUS is detected, means for starting the drx-onDurationTimer, The terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

6. The system includes means for transmitting a wake-up signal (WUS) used to determine at least one monitoring occasion, a period setting for the monitoring occasion, the first monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasion being determined based on the start time of an on-time interval and a first time offset, each monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasion spanning at least one symbol time interval, and the terminal device starting a drx-onDurationTimer if it is unable to monitor all of the at least one monitoring occasions due to conflicts. Network device.

7. The first monitoring occasion is determined based on the slot in which the drx-onDurationTimer is started and the first time offset. The network device according to claim 6.

8. Means for transmitting the setting of the period for the WUS monitoring occasion to a terminal device, The network device according to claim 6, further comprising:

9. A method of communication performed by a terminal device, Determining at least one monitoring occasion for a wake-up signal (WUS) based on setting a period for the WUS monitoring occasion, wherein a first monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasion is determined based on the start time of the ON time interval and a first time offset, and each monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasion spans at least one symbol time interval. The terminal device starts drx-onDurationTimer if it is unable to monitor all of the at least one monitoring occasions due to conflicts. A method that includes this.

10. When the aforementioned WUS is detected, the drx-onDurationTimer is started to monitor the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

11. The first monitoring occasion is determined based on the slot in which the drx-onDurationTimer is started and the first time offset. The method according to claim 9.

12. Receiving the setting of the period for the WUS monitoring occasion from the network device, The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

13. Based on the settings for discontinuous reception, the start time of the drx-onDurationTimer is determined, Based on the aforementioned start time and a second time offset associated with the drx-onDurationTimer, the start of multiple monitoring occasions is determined. The plurality of monitoring occasions are determined based on the start time and the time intervals set for the plurality of monitoring occasions. Monitoring the WUS in the aforementioned multiple monitoring occasions, When the aforementioned WUS is detected, the drx-onDurationTimer is started, The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

14. A method of communication performed by a network device, The process includes transmitting a wake-up signal (WUS) used to determine at least one monitoring occasion to a terminal device, wherein the first monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasion is determined based on the start time of an on-time interval and a first time offset, each monitoring occasion in the at least one monitoring occasion spans at least one symbol time interval, and the terminal device starts a drx-onDurationTimer if it is unable to monitor all of the at least one monitoring occasions due to conflicts. method.

15. The first monitoring occasion is determined based on the slot in which the drx-onDurationTimer is started and the first time offset. The method according to claim 14.

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