Paging for Ambient Internet of Things devices

Abstract

Network communication may be performed using a paging procedure. A wireless transceiver unit (WTRU) may initiate paging using an on-demand paging procedure. The WTRU may decide to send a first indication that it is ready to initiate an on-demand paging procedure. The WTRU may send the first indication to at least one network entity. The WTRU may receive a second indication from at least one network entity that there is pending downlink data for the WTRU. In response to the determination that there is pending downlink data for the WTRU, the WTRU may listen on a paging channel. The WTRU may determine that a paging opportunity has been set up for the WTRU. The WTRU may read a paging message. In response to the determination that the paging message contains an identifier associated with the WTRU, the WTRU may perform a service request procedure to receive downlink data.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - Reference to Related Applications) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 465,778, filed on May 11, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Background Art

[0002] Paging is a procedure that enables a network to reach a wireless transmit - receive unit (WTRU) when the WTRU is in an inactive or idle state. Current paging techniques may be insufficient for ambient IoT devices with power constraints. Additionally, paging an ambient IoT device using current techniques may waste network resources.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] A wireless transceiver unit (WTRU) can determine whether to initiate an on-demand paging procedure. The WTRU can transmit a first indication associated with initiating an on-demand paging procedure to at least one network entity. The first indication may include a request for a system information block. For example, the first indication may identify a specific system information block. The WTRU can receive a system information block from at least one network entity. The system information block may indicate whether the WTRU should continue the on-demand paging procedure. In response to a system information block indicating that the WTRU should continue the on-demand paging procedure, the WTRU may monitor a paging channel for a second indication during a paging opportunity. The second indication may indicate whether a paging opportunity is being set up. The system information block may include a bit indicating whether the WTRU should monitor a paging channel. For example, a bit may indicate whether there is pending downlink data for the WTRU. If this bit indicates that there is pending downlink data for the WTRU, the system information block may indicate that the WTRU should continue the on-demand paging procedure. The system information block may indicate that the WTRU should return to a low-power state if this bit indicates that there is no pending downlink data for the WTRU. The WTRU can receive paging messages via the paging channel.

[0004] In some cases, a WTRU may receive configuration information associated with an on-demand paging procedure. This configuration information may include one or more of the following: conditions associated with initiating the paging procedure, timer values ​​associated with initiating the paging procedure, permitted locations, and / or indications in a system information block. The decision to initiate an on-demand paging procedure may be based on one or more of the following: configuration information, timer expiration, detection that the WTRU has sufficient power to perform the on-demand paging procedure, or detection that the WTRU is in a permitted location. Based on a paging message containing an identifier associated with the WTRU, the WTRU may perform a service request procedure to receive downlink data. This service request procedure may include the WTRU transitioning to a connected state and receiving downlink data. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0005] [Figure 1A] This is a system diagram showing an exemplary communication system in which one or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented. [Figure 1B] This is a system diagram showing an exemplary wireless transceiver unit (WTRU) that may be used in the communication system shown in Figure 1A, according to one embodiment. [Figure 1C] This is a system diagram showing an exemplary radio access network (RAN) and an exemplary core network (CN) that may be used in the communication system shown in Figure 1A according to one embodiment. [Figure 1D] This is a system diagram showing further exemplary RANs and CNs that may be used in the communication system shown in Figure 1A according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is an example of a paging procedure in a network. [Figure 3] This is an example of on-demand paging initiated by WTRU. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0006] Figure 1A shows an exemplary communication system 100 that can implement one or more disclosed embodiments. The communication system 100 may be a multiple access system that provides content such as voice, data, video, messaging, and broadcast to multiple radio users. The communication system 100 may enable multiple radio users to access such content through the sharing of system resources, including radio bandwidth. For example, the communication system 100 may employ one or more channel access methods such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), quadrature FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), zero-tail unique word DFT-spread OFDM (ZT UW DFT-s OFDM), unique word OFDM (UW-OFDM), resource block filtered OFDM, and filter bank multicarrier (FBMC).

[0007] As shown in Figure 1A, the communication system 100 may include radio transceiver units (WTRUs) 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d, a radio access network (RAN) 104 / 113, a core network (CN) 106 / 115, a public switched telephone network (PSTN) 108, the internet 110, and other networks 112, but it will be understood that the disclosed embodiments assume any number of WTRUs, base stations, networks, and / or network elements. Each of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d may be any type of device configured to operate and / or communicate in a radio environment. For example, WTRU 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d may all be referred to as “stations” and / or “STAs,” which may be configured to transmit and / or receive radio signals, and may include user equipment (UEs), mobile stations, fixed or mobile subscriber units, subscription-based units, pagers, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones, laptops, notebooks, personal computers, radio sensors, hotspots or Mi-Fi devices, IoT devices, watches or other wearables, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical equipment and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial devices and applications (e.g., robots and / or other radio devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronic devices, and devices operating on commercial and / or industrial radio networks. WTRU 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d may all be referred to interchangeably as WTRUs. Furthermore, what is described herein with reference to UEs may also apply to WTRUs (and vice versa).

[0008] The communication system 100 may also include base stations 114a and / or base stations 114b. Each of the base stations 114a and 114b may be any type of device configured to wirelessly interface with at least one of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d to facilitate access to one or more communication networks such as CN 106 / 115, the Internet 110, and / or other networks 112. As an example, base stations 114a and 114b may be any such device, including transceiver base stations (BTS), NodeBs (NB), eNodeBs (eNB), home NodeBs (HNB), home eNodeBs (HeNB), gNodeBs (gNB), NR NodeBs (NR NB), site controllers, access points (AP), and wireless routers. Although base stations 114a and 114b are depicted as single elements, it will be understood that base stations 114a and 114b may include any number of interconnected base stations and / or network elements.

[0009] Base station 114a may be part of RAN 104 / 113, which may also include other base stations and / or network elements (not shown) such as base station controllers (BSCs), radio network controllers (RNCs), and relay nodes. Base station 114a and / or base station 114b may be configured to transmit and / or receive radio signals on one or more carrier frequencies which may be called cells (not shown). These frequencies may be licensed spectra, unlicensed spectra, or combinations of licensed and unlicensed spectra. Cells can provide coverage for radio services in a particular geographic area which may be relatively fixed or may change over time. Cells may be further divided into cell sectors. For example, a cell associated with base station 114a may be divided into three sectors. Thus, in one embodiment, base station 114a may include three transceivers, i.e., one transceiver for each sector of the cell. In one embodiment, the base station 114a may employ multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology and utilize multiple transceivers for each sector of the cell. For example, beamforming may be used to transmit and / or receive signals in a desired spatial direction.

[0010] Base stations 114a, 114b may communicate with one or more WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, 102d via an air interface 116 which may be any suitable radio communication link (e.g., radio frequency (RF), microwave, centimeter wave, micrometer wave, infrared (IR), ultraviolet (UV), visible light, etc.). The air interface 116 may be established using any suitable radio access technology (RAT).

[0011] More specifically, as described above, the communication system 100 may be a multiple access system and may employ one or more channel access schemes such as CDMA, TDMA, FDMA, OFDMA, and SC-FDMA. For example, base stations 114a and WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c in RAN 104 / 113 may implement radio technologies such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA) that can establish an air interface 116 using broadband CDMA (WCDMA®). WCDMA may include communication protocols such as High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA) and / or Advanced HSPA (HSPA+). HSPA may include High Speed ​​Downlink (DL) Packet Access (HSDPA) and / or High Speed ​​Uplink (UL) Packet Access (HSUPA).

[0012] In one embodiment, base stations 114a and WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c can implement radio technologies such as Advanced UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), which can establish an air interface 116 using Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and / or LTE Advanced (LTE-A) and / or LTE Advanced Pro (LTE-A Pro).

[0013] In one embodiment, the base station 114a and WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c may implement radio technologies such as NR radio access, which can establish an air interface 116 using New Radio (NR).

[0014] In one embodiment, base station 114a and WTRU 102a, 102b, 102c can implement multiple radio access technologies. For example, base station 114a and WTRU 102a, 102b, 102c can implement LTE radio access and NR radio access together, for example, using the dual connectivity (DC) principle. Thus, the air interface utilized by WTRU 102a, 102b, 102c may be characterized by transmissions between multiple types of radio access technologies and / or multiple types of base stations (e.g., eNB and gNB).

[0015] In other embodiments, base stations 114a and WTRUs 102a, 102b, and 102c may implement wireless technologies such as IEEE 802.11 (i.e., WiFi (Wireless Fidelity)), IEEE 802.16 (i.e., WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access)), CDMA2000, CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 EV-DO, Provisional Standard 2000 (IS-2000), Provisional Standard 95 (IS-95), Provisional Standard 856 (IS-856), GSM (Registered Trademark) (Global System for Mobile communications), GSM Advanced High-Speed ​​Data Rate (EDGE), and GSM EDGE (GERAN).

[0016] In Figure 1A, base station 114b may be, for example, a wireless router, home NodeB, home eNodeB, or access point, and may utilize any suitable RAT to facilitate wireless connectivity in local areas such as workplaces, homes, vehicles, premises, industrial facilities, aerial corridors (for use by drones), roads, etc. In one embodiment, base station 114b and WTRU 102c, 102d may implement wireless technology such as IEEE 802.11 to establish a wireless local area network (WLAN). In one embodiment, base station 114b and WTRU 102c, 102d may implement wireless technology such as IEEE 802.15 to establish a wireless personal area network (WPAN). In another embodiment, base station 114b and WTRU 102c, 102d may utilize a cellular-based RAT (e.g., WCDMA, CDMA2000, GSM, LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, NR, etc.) to establish a picocell or femtocell. As shown in Figure 1A, base station 114b may have a direct connection to the internet 110. Therefore, base station 114b does not need to access the internet 110 via CN106 / 115.

[0017] RAN104 / 113 may communicate with CN106 / 115, which may be any type of network configured to provide voice, data, applications, and / or VoIP services to one or more of WTRU102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d. The data may have various quality of service (QoS) requirements, such as different throughput requirements, latency requirements, fault tolerance requirements, reliability requirements, data throughput requirements, and mobility requirements. CN106 / 115 may provide call control, billing services, mobile location services, prepaid calling, internet connectivity, video distribution, and / or perform high-level security functions such as user authentication. Although not shown in Figure 1A, it should be understood that RAN104 / 113 and / or CN106 / 115 may communicate directly or indirectly with other RANs employing the same RAT as RAN104 / 113 or different RATs. For example, in addition to connecting to RAN104 / 113, which may utilize NR radio technology, CN106 / 115 may also communicate with another RAN (not shown) employing GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, WiMAX, E-UTRA, or WiFi radio technology.

[0018] CN106 / 115 can also function as a gateway for WTRU102a, 102b, 102c, 102d to access PSTN108, the Internet 110, and / or other networks 112. PSTN108 may include a circuit-switched telephone network providing basic telephone services (POTS). The Internet 110 may include a global system of interconnected computer networks and devices using common communication protocols such as TCP, UDP, and / or IP in the TCP / IP Internet Protocol Suite. Network 112 may include wired and / or wireless networks owned and / or operated by other service providers. For example, network 112 may include another CN connected to one or more RANs that may employ the same RAT as RAN104 / 113 or a different RAT.

[0019] Some or all of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d in the communication system 100 may include multimode capability (for example, WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c, and 102d may include multiple transceivers for communicating with different radio networks via different radio links). For example, WTRU 102c shown in Figure 1A may be configured to communicate with a base station 114a that may employ cellular-based radio technology and with a base station 114b that may employ IEEE 802 radio technology.

[0020] Figure 1B is a system diagram showing an example of WTRU102. As shown in Figure 1B, WTRU102 may include, in particular, a processor 118, a transceiver 120, a transceiver element 122, a speaker / microphone 124, a keypad 126, a display / touchpad 128, non-removable memory 130, removable memory 132, a power supply 134, a GPS chipset 136, and / or other peripherals 138. It will be understood that WTRU102 may comprise any subcombination of the aforementioned elements while maintaining consistency with the embodiment.

[0021] The processor 118 may be a general-purpose processor, a dedicated processor, a conventional processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors associated with a DSP core, a controller, a microcontroller, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) circuit, another type of integrated circuit (IC), a state machine, and the like. The processor 118 may perform signal coding, data processing, power control, input / output processing, and / or any other functions that enable the WTRU 102 to operate in a wireless environment. The processor 118 may be coupled to a transceiver 120 which can be coupled to a transceiver element 122. Although the processor 118 and transceiver 120 are shown as separate components in Figure 1B, it will be understood that the processor 118 and transceiver 120 may be integrated together in an electronic package or chip.

[0022] The transmitting / receiving element 122 may be configured to transmit and receive signals to and from a base station (e.g., base station 114a) via the air interface 116. For example, in one embodiment, the transmitting / receiving element 122 may be an antenna configured to transmit and / or receive RF signals. In one embodiment, the transmitting / receiving element 122 may be an emitter / detector configured to transmit and / or receive, for example, IR, UV, or visible light signals. In one embodiment, the transmitting / receiving element 122 may be configured to transmit and / or receive both RF signals and optical signals. It will be understood that the transmitting / receiving element 122 may be configured to transmit and / or receive any combination of wireless signals.

[0023] In FIG. 1B, the transmitting / receiving element 122 is depicted as a single element, but the WTRU 102 may include any number of transmitting / receiving elements 122. More specifically, the WTRU 102 may employ MIMO technology. Thus, in one embodiment, the WTRU 102 may include two or more transmitting / receiving elements 122 (e.g., multiple antennas) for transmitting and receiving wireless signals via the air interface 116.

[0024] The transceiver 120 may be configured to modulate signals to be transmitted by the transmitting / receiving element 122 and demodulate signals received by the transmitting / receiving element 122. As noted above, the WTRU 102 may have multi-mode capabilities. Thus, the transceiver 120 may include multiple transceivers to enable the WTRU 102 to communicate via multiple RATs such as, for example, NR and IEEE 802.11.

[0025] The processor 118 of the WTRU102 may be coupled to a speaker / microphone 124, a keypad 126, and / or a display / touchpad 128 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) display unit or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display unit) and may receive user input data from them. The processor 118 may also output user data to the speaker / microphone 124, the keypad 126, and / or the display / touchpad 128. Furthermore, the processor 118 may access information in any type of suitable memory, such as non-removable memory 130 and / or removable memory 132, and store data therein. Non-removable memory 130 may include RAM, ROM, a hard disk, or any other type of memory storage device. Removable memory 132 may include a SIM card, a memory stick, a secure digital (SD) memory card, and the like. In other embodiments, the processor 118 may access and store data in memory that is not physically located on the WTRU 102, such as on a server or home computer (not shown).

[0026] The processor 118 may be configured to receive power from the power supply 134 and distribute and / or control power to other components in the WTRU 102. The power supply 134 may be any suitable device for supplying power to the WTRU 102. For example, the power supply 134 may include one or more dry cell batteries (e.g., nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-zinc (NiZn), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), lithium-ion (Li-ion), etc.), a solar cell, a fuel cell, etc.

[0027] The processor 118 may also be coupled to a GPS chipset 136 which may be configured to provide location information (e.g., longitude and latitude) about the current location of the WTRU 102. In addition to, or instead of, information from the GPS chipset 136, the WTRU 102 may receive location information from base stations (e.g., base stations 114a, 114b) via the air interface 116 and / or determine its location based on the timing of signals received from two or more nearby base stations. It will be understood that the WTRU 102 may acquire location information by any preferred location determination method while maintaining consistency with the embodiment.

[0028] The processor 118 may also be coupled to other peripherals 138, which may include one or more software and / or hardware modules that provide additional features, functions, and / or wired or wireless connectivity. For example, peripherals 138 may include an accelerometer, e-compass, satellite transceiver, digital camera (e.g., for photos and / or videos), Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, vibration device, television transceiver, hands-free headset, Bluetooth® module, frequency modulation (FM) radio unit, digital music player, media player, video game player module, internet browser, virtual reality and / or augmented reality (VR / AR) device, activity tracker, etc. Peripherals 138 may include one or more sensors. The sensors may be one or more of the following: gyroscope, accelerometer, Hall effect sensor, magnetometer, orientation sensor, proximity sensor, temperature sensor, time sensor, geolocation sensor, altimeter, light sensor, touch sensor, magnetometer, barometer, gesture sensor, biosensor, and / or humidity sensor.

[0029] WTRU102 may include a full-duplex radio where the transmission and reception of some or all of the signal (for example, related to a particular subframe for both the uplink (for transmission) and the downlink (for reception)) may occur simultaneously and / or concurrently. The full-duplex radio may include an interference management unit 139 to reduce and / or substantially eliminate self-interference through signal processing via either hardware (e.g., chokes) or a processor (e.g., a separate processor (not shown) or processor 118). In one embodiment, WTRU102 may include a half-duplex radio for the transmission and reception of some or all of the signal (for example, related to a particular subframe for either the uplink (for transmission) or the downlink (for reception)).

[0030] Figure 1C is a system diagram showing RAN104 and CN106 according to one embodiment. As described above, RAN104 employs E-UTRA wireless technology and can communicate with WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c via the air interface 116. RAN104 may also communicate with CN106.

[0031] RAN104 may include eNode-B160a, 160b, and 160c, but it will be understood that RAN104 may include any number of eNode-B while maintaining consistency with the embodiment. Each of eNode-B160a, 160b, and 160c may be equipped with one or more transceivers for communicating with WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c via the air interface 116. In one embodiment, eNode-B160a, 160b, and 160c may implement MIMO technology. Thus, eNode-B160a may use multiple antennas, for example, to transmit a radio signal to and / or receive a radio signal from WTRU102a.

[0032] Each of the eNodeB160a, 160b, and 160c may be associated with a specific cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle wireless resource management decisions, handover decisions, user scheduling on uplink (UL) and / or downlink (DL), etc. As shown in Figure 1C, the eNodeB160a, 160b, and 160c may communicate with each other via the X2 interface.

[0033] The CN106 shown in Figure 1C may include a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 162, a Serving Gateway (SGW) 164, and a Packet Data Network (PDN) Gateway (PGW) 166. Although each of the above elements is shown as part of CN106, it should be understood that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by an entity other than the CN operator.

[0034] MME162 may be connected to each of the eNodeB160a, 160b, and 160c within RAN104 via the S1 interface and may act as a control node. For example, MME162 may be responsible for authenticating users of WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c, activating / deactivating bearers, and selecting a specific serving gateway during the initial attachment of WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c. MME162 may provide control plane functionality for switching between RAN104 and other RANs (not shown) employing other radio technologies such as GSM and / or WCDMA.

[0035] SGW164 may be connected to each of the e-nodes B160a, 160b, and 160c in RAN104 via the S1 interface. Generally, SGW164 can route and forward user data packets to and from WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c. SGW164 may perform other functions such as anchoring the user plane during handovers between e-nodes B, triggering paging when DL data is available to WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c, and managing and remembering the context of WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c.

[0036] SGW164 may be connected to PGW166, which can provide WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c with access to a packet-switched network such as the Internet 110 to facilitate communication between WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c and IP-enabled devices.

[0037] CN106 can facilitate communication with other networks. For example, CN106 may provide WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c with access to a circuit-switched network such as PSTN108 to facilitate communication between WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c and conventional fixed communication devices. For example, CN106 may include or communicate with an IP gateway (e.g., an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) server) that acts as an interface between CN106 and PSTN108. Furthermore, CN106 can provide WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c with access to other networks 112, which may include other wired and / or wireless networks owned and / or operated by other service providers.

[0038] Although the WTRU is shown as a wireless terminal in Figures 1A to 1D, in some typical embodiments, such a terminal may use a wired communication interface with a communication network (for example, temporarily or permanently).

[0039] In a typical embodiment, the other network 112 may be a WLAN.

[0040] A WLAN in Infrastructure Basic Service Set (BSS) mode has an access point (AP) for the BSS and one or more stations (STAs) associated with the AP. The AP may have access to or interface to a distribution system (DS) or another type of wired / wireless network that carries traffic to and / or from the BSS. Traffic originating outside the BSS and destined for the STA may arrive through the AP and be sent to the STA. Traffic originating from the STA to destinations outside the BSS may be sent to the AP and delivered to their respective destinations. Traffic between STAs within the BSS can be transmitted through the AP, for example, a source STA may send traffic to the AP, and the AP may deliver the traffic to the destination STA. Traffic between STAs within the BSS may be considered or referred to as peer-to-peer traffic. Peer-to-peer traffic can be transmitted (e.g., directly) between a source STA and a destination STA using a Direct Link Setup (DLS). In certain typical embodiments, the DLS may be an 802.11e DLS or an 802.11z Tunnel DLS (TDLS). WLANs using Independent BSS (IBSS) mode may not have access points (APs), and STAs within or using IBSS (e.g., all STAs) may communicate directly with each other. The IBSS communication mode is sometimes referred to as the “ad-hoc” communication mode in this specification.

[0041] When using 802.11ac infrastructure mode or a similar operating mode, an AP can transmit beacons on a fixed channel, such as the primary channel. The primary channel can be of a fixed width (e.g., a wide bandwidth of 20 MHz) or a dynamically set width via signaling. The primary channel may be the operating channel of the BSS and may be used by the STA to establish a connection with the AP. In certain typical embodiments, a carrier-sensing multiple access / collision avoidance scheme (CSMA / CA) may be implemented, for example, in an 802.11 system. In the case of CSMA / CA, the STA, including the AP (e.g., all STAs), can sense the primary channel. If the primary channel is sensed / detected by a particular STA and / or determined to be busy, that particular STA can backoff. One STA (e.g., just one station) can transmit on a given BSS at any time.

[0042] High-throughput (HT) STAs can use a 40MHz wide channel for communication, for example, by combining a primary 20MHz channel with adjacent or non-adjacent 20MHz channels to form a 40MHz wide channel.

[0043] Very high-throughput (VHT) STAs can support channels with widths of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, and / or 160 MHz. 40 MHz and / or 80 MHz channels can be formed by combining consecutive 20 MHz channels. 160 MHz channels may be formed by combining eight consecutive 20 MHz channels or by combining two discontinuous 80 MHz channels, the latter sometimes referred to as an 80+80 configuration. In the 80+80 configuration, the channel-coded data passes through a segment parser, which splits the data into two streams. Inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) processing and time-domain processing can be performed independently on each stream. The streams are mapped to two 80 MHz channels, and the data is transmitted by the transmitting STA. At the receiver of the receiving STA, the above operation for the 80+80 configuration can be reversed, and the combined data can be transmitted to the media access control (MAC).

[0044] Sub-1GHz operating modes are supported by 802.11af and 802.11ah. Channel operating bandwidth and carrier are reduced in 802.11af and 802.11ah compared to those used in 802.11n and 802.11ac. 802.11af supports 5MHz, 10MHz, and 20MHz bandwidths in the TV white space (TVWS) spectrum, while 802.11ah supports 1MHz, 2MHz, 4MHz, 8MHz, and 16MHz bandwidths using the non-TVWS spectrum. According to a typical embodiment, 802.11ah can support meter-type control / machine-type communications (MTC), such as MTC devices in a macro-coverage area. MTC devices may have limited functionality, including support for specific and / or limited bandwidths (e.g., support only). MTC devices may include batteries with battery life exceeding a threshold (e.g., maintaining a very long battery life).

[0045] A WLAN system can support multiple channels and channel bandwidths, including 802.11n, 802.11ac, 802.11af, and 802.11ah, and this WLAN system includes a channel that can be designated as the primary channel. The bandwidth of the primary channel may be equal to the maximum common operating bandwidth supported by all STAs in the BSS. The bandwidth of the primary channel may be set and / or limited by an STA from among all STAs operating in a BSS that support the minimum bandwidth operating mode. In the 802.11ah example, even if the AP and other STAs in the BSS support operating modes of 2MHz, 4MHz, 8MHz, 16MHz, and / or other channel bandwidths, the primary channel of an STA (e.g., an MTC-type device) that supports (e.g., only supports) the 1MHz mode may be 1MHz wide. Carrier sensing and / or network allocation vector (NAV) settings may depend on the status of the primary channel. For example, if the primary channel is busy because an STA (which only supports 1MHz operating mode) is transmitting to the AP, a large portion of the frequency band remains idle, and even if it were available, the entire available frequency band can be considered busy.

[0046] In the United States, the usable frequency band for 802.11ah is 902MHz to 928MHz. In South Korea, the usable frequency band is 917.5MHz to 923.5MHz. In Japan, the usable frequency band is 916.5MHz to 927.5MHz. The total usable bandwidth for 802.11ah is 6MHz to 26MHz, depending on the country code.

[0047] Figure 1D is a system diagram showing RAN113 and CN115 according to one embodiment. As described above, RAN113 can employ NR radio technology to communicate with WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c via the air interface 116. RAN113 may also communicate with CN115.

[0048] RAN113 may include gNB180a, 180b, and 180c, but it will be understood that RAN113 may include any number of gNBs while maintaining consistency with one embodiment. Each of gNB180a, 180b, and 180c may include one or more transceivers for communicating with WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c via the air interface 116. In one embodiment, gNB180a, 180b, and 180c can implement MIMO technology. For example, gNB180a and 180b can transmit and / or receive signals to and from WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c using beamforming. Thus, for example, gNB180a can transmit and / or receive radio signals to and from WTRU102a using multiple antennas. In one embodiment, gNB180a, 180b, and 180c can implement carrier aggregation technology. For example, gNB180a can transmit multiple component carriers to WTRU102a (not shown). A subset of these component carriers may be on the unlicensed spectrum, and the remaining component carriers may be on the licensed spectrum. In one embodiment, gNB180a, 180b, and 180c can implement Coordinated Multi-Point (CoMP) technology. For example, WTRU102a can receive coordinated transmissions from gNB180a and gNB180b (and / or gNB180c).

[0049] WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c can communicate with gNB180a, 180b, and 180c using transmissions associated with scalable numerology. For example, OFDM symbol spacing and / or OFDM subcarrier spacing may vary by different transmissions, different cells, and / or different parts of the radio transmission spectrum. WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c can communicate with gNB180a, 180b, and 180c using subframes or transmit time intervals (TTIs) of varying or scalable lengths (e.g., varying numbers of OFDM symbols and / or varying lengths of absolute time duration).

[0050] gNB180a, 180b, and 180c can be configured to communicate with WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c in standalone and / or non-standalone configurations. In a standalone configuration, WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c can communicate with gNB180a, 180b, and 180c without accessing other RANs (e.g., e-nodes B160a, 160b, and 160c). In a standalone configuration, WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c can utilize one or more gNB180a, 180b, and 180c as mobility anchor points. In a standalone configuration, WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c can communicate with gNB180a, 180b, and 180c using signals in unlicensed bands. In a non-standalone configuration, WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c can communicate with gNB180a, 180b, and 180c while also communicating with other RANs such as eNode-B160a, 160b, and 160c. For example, WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c can implement the DC principle to communicate with one or more gNB180a, 180b, and 180c and one or more eNodes B160a, 160b, and 160c almost simultaneously. In a non-standalone configuration, eNodes B160a, 160b, and 160c can act as mobility anchors for WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c, and gNB180a, 180b, and 180c can provide additional coverage and / or throughput to service WTRU102a, 102b, and 102c.

[0051] Each of the gNB180a, 180b, and 180c may be associated with a specific cell (not shown) and may be configured to handle radio resource management decisions, handover decisions, user scheduling in UL and / or DL, support for network slicing, dual connectivity, interworking between NR and E-UTRA, routing of user plane data to user plane functions (UPF) 184a and 184b, access to control plane information, and routing to mobility management functions (AMF) 182a and 182b. As shown in Figure 1D, the gNB180a, 180b, and 180c can communicate with each other via the Xn interface.

[0052] The CN115 shown in Figure 1D may include at least one AMF182a, 182b, at least one UPF184a, 184b, at least one Session Management Function (SMF)183a, 183b, and optionally a Data Network (DN)185a, 185b. Although each of the above elements is shown as part of CN115, it should be understood that any of these elements may be owned and / or operated by an entity other than the CN operator.

[0053] AMF 182a, 182b may be connected to one or more gNB180a, 180b, 180c in RAN113 via the N2 interface and function as a control node. For example, AMF182a, 182b may be responsible for user authentication of WTRU102a, 102b, 102c, support for network slicing (e.g., handling different protocol data unit (PDU) sessions with different requirements), selection of specific SMF183a, 183b, management of registration areas, termination of NAS signaling, mobility management, etc. Network slicing may be used by AMF182a, 182b to customize CN support for WTRU102a, 102b, 102c based on the type of service utilized by WTRU102a, 102b, 102c. For example, various network slices can be established for various use cases, such as services that rely on ultra-high reliability low latency (URLLC) access, services that rely on extended large-scale mobile broadband (eMBB) access, and services for machine-type communications (MTC) access. The AMF182 may provide control plane functionality for switching between RAN113 and other RANs (not shown) that use other radio technologies such as LTE, LTE-A, LTE-A Pro, and / or non-3GPP access technologies such as WiFi.

[0054] SMF183a and 183b may be connected to AMF182a and 182b in CN115 via the N11 interface. SMF183a and 183b may also be connected to UPF184a and 184b in CN115 via the N4 interface. SMF183a and 183b can select and control UPF184a and 184b and configure the routing of traffic through UPF184a and 184b. SMF183a and 183b can perform other functions such as managing and assigning WTRU IP addresses, managing PDU sessions, controlling policy enforcement and QoS, and providing downlink data notifications. PDU session types may be IP-based, non-IP-based, Ethernet®-based, etc.

[0055] UPF184a, 184b can be connected to one or more gNB180a, 180b, 180c in RAN113 via the N3 interface, which provides WTRU102a, 102b, 102c with access to packet-switched networks such as the Internet 110 and facilitates communication between WTRU102a, 102b, 102c and IP-enabled devices. UPF184, 184b can perform other functions such as packet routing and forwarding, enforcement of user plane policies, support for multi-homed PDU sessions, processing of user plane QoS, buffering of downlink packets, and providing mobility anchors.

[0056] CN115 can facilitate communication with other networks. For example, CN115 may include, or communicate with, an IP gateway (e.g., an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) server) that acts as an interface between CN115 and PSTN108. Furthermore, CN115 may provide WTRU102a,102b,102c with access to other networks 112, which may include other wired and / or wireless networks owned and / or operated by other service providers. In one embodiment, WTRU102a,102b,102c may be connected to local DN185a,185b through UPF184a,184b via an N3 interface to UPF184a,184b and an N6 interface between UPF184a,184b and data networks (DN)185a,185b.

[0057] With regard to Figures 1A to 1D and the corresponding descriptions therein, one or more, or all, of the functions described herein with respect to one or more of the WTRU102a to d, base stations 114a to b, e-nodes B160a to c, MME162, SGW164, PGW166, gNB180a to c, AMF182a to b, UPF184a to b, SMF183a to b, DN185a to b, and / or other devices described herein can be performed by one or more emulation devices (not shown). The emulation devices may be one or more devices configured to emulate one or more, or all, of the functions described herein. For example, emulation devices may be used to test other devices and / or to simulate network and / or WTRU functions.

[0058] Emulation devices can be designed to implement one or more tests of other devices in a lab environment and / or operator network environment. For example, one or more emulation devices can be fully or partially implemented and / or deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless network to perform one, more or all of its functions in order to test other devices in a communications network. One or more emulation devices can be temporarily implemented / deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless network to perform one, more or all of its functions. Emulation devices can be directly coupled to another device for testing purposes and / or can perform tests using wireless communication.

[0059] One or more emulation devices may perform one or more functions (including all functions) without being implemented / deployed as part of a wired and / or wireless communication network. For example, an emulation device may be used in a test scenario in a test lab and / or in a test scenario in a non-deployed (e.g., test) wired and / or wireless communication network to implement testing of one or more components. One or more emulation devices may be test equipment. Direct RF coupling and / or wireless communication via RF circuitry (e.g., which may have one or more antennas) may be used by the emulation device to transmit and / or receive data.

[0060] Ambient IoT (Internet of Things) devices (e.g., WTRUs) may be configured with information used to determine when to send a signal to a base station. The signal can identify the group to which the WTRU belongs. The purpose of the signal is to trigger the base station to begin broadcasting an indication. The purpose of the indication is for the WTRU to read the indication and decide whether to perform a procedure to check if it is being paged. The advantage of this procedure is that if the signal indicates that the WTRU does not need to perform the procedure to check if it is being paged, the WTRU can enter a low-power state. Another advantage of this procedure is that if the WTRU needs to be paged, the network does not need to attempt to send a paging signal until it receives a signal from the ambient IoT device.

[0061] The methods and embodiments described herein may be performed by access and mobility functions (AMFs). These operations may be performed by any network function that provides mobility management functions in a network that provides communication services to ambient IoT devices.

[0062] The methods and embodiments described herein may be performed by a session management function (SMF). These operations may be performed by any network function that provides session management functionality in a network that provides communication services to ambient IoT devices.

[0063] The methods and embodiments described herein may be performed by a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, gNodeB, or base station. These operations may be performed by any base station communicating with ambient IoT devices.

[0064] System information request messages may be used in paging procedures. System information request messages can be a type of message that can be sent from a WTRU to a base station. A system information request can request that the base station broadcast specific information. A system information request may indicate what information is requested to be broadcast. The information may be transmitted in a system information block (SIB). An SIB may contain information to be broadcast by the base station. The same information that is proposed to be transmitted may also be transmitted in any message broadcast by the base station. The events described herein can trigger a service request. A service request is a procedure used by a WTRU to request to enter a connected state in order to receive downlink data and / or to enter a connected state in order to transmit uplink data.

[0065] Non-Access Layer (NAS) messages can be transmitted from the WTRU to the network and / or received from the network by the WTRU. These messages can also be transmitted via other protocols used to transmit control information between the WTRU and the network (e.g., the core network). Radio Resource Control (RRC) messages can be transmitted from the WTRU to the RAN node and received from the WTRU to the RAN node. These messages can also be transmitted via other protocols used to transmit control information between the WTRU and the base station. The terms base station, gNB, NG-RAN, RAN, and RAN node may be used interchangeably.

[0066] Figure 2 shows an example of a paging procedure in a network. Paging is a procedure that allows the network to reach a WTRU when the WTRU is inactive or idle. While the WTRU is transitioning to idle mode, the last known gNB to which the WTRU was attached (e.g., an anchor gNB) can store the WTRU's core context information. Discontinuous reception (DRX) allows the WTRU to shut down for a certain period of time before waking up, decoding a paging opportunity (PO), and checking whether there are any paging messages to the WTRU and / or on which resource block the messages may be sent. As shown in Figure 2, if there is incoming data from a user plane function (UPF), the SMF can notify the AMF about the incoming traffic using a Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer Request. The AMF can then trigger a gNB using an NG Application Protocol (NGAP) paging message. Given DRX, the gNB can paging the WTRU using a paging opportunity (PO) on the PDCCH channel. WTRUs can decode PDCCH traffic for any paging information per cycle, which can result in wasted resources if there is no data for the WTRU to receive.

[0067] Early paging indications can be implemented to reduce power consumption in a WTRU by using early paging indications. For example, an Early Paging Indicator (EPI) can be transmitted to the WTRU via Downlink Control Information (DCI) or a reference signal, so that the WTRU checks for paging on the next PO instead of decoding each PO transmitted during the wake-up time. Once the EPI is received by the WTRU, the WTRU can prepare to decode the next PO to be received.

[0068] Subgrouping can be implemented to reduce false paging notification rates when a wide range of WTRUs have the same PO, or when a group of inactive WTRUs have the same EPI. This can reduce power consumption in WTRUs. Subgroup information can be transmitted along with the EPI via DCI, which divides the WTRU group into subgroups. This allows the WTRU to determine whether to decode the next PO.

[0069] The paging techniques described herein may work efficiently for WTRUs without specific power constraints (e.g., extreme power constraints), but may be insufficient for ambient IoT devices with specific power constraints (e.g., extreme power constraints). Paging ambient IoT devices using these techniques may result in wasted network resources. Certain paging procedures may present drawbacks when considered for ambient IoT devices. WTRUs with extreme power constraints may have relatively small energy storage capacities compared to other WTRUs and energy storage components in WTRUs that may include batteries or other energy storage devices whose charging times are unknown and / or irregular. Some IoT devices with extreme power constraints (such as WTRUs) may lack batteries or use capacitors for energy storage. Some IoT devices with extreme power constraints (such as WTRUs) may use energy harvesting techniques to store energy in components such as batteries and capacitors. When certain energy harvesting techniques (such as vibrational energy harvesting and RF energy harvesting) are used, IoT devices with extreme power constraints (such as WTRUs) may only be able to harvest a few microwatts of energy. For WTRUs with extreme power constraints, the amount of energy obtained in a typical energy harvesting scenario may be far less than that of other WTRUs that can draw energy from other sources (e.g., a mobile phone charger). For example, charging some WTRUs may consume more than 10 watts of power. Furthermore, WTRUs using energy harvesting techniques may harvest energy at unpredictable times. For example, a WTRU that harvests energy from vibrations may harvest energy when the WTRU vibrates (e.g., when the WTRU moves).

[0070] When implementing paging techniques, devices can listen for paging indications during their allocated paging opportunities. Ambient IoT devices may rely on power from the environment and may not have enough power stored to listen for paging indications during their allocated paging opportunities.

[0071] If a WTRU does not respond to paging, the network can assume that the WTRU's location has changed and expand the paging area (such as the number of cells to which paging messages are sent). This method may not be properly implemented in ambient IoT devices. The paging indication may be sent to the correct location, but the ambient IoT device may not respond because it does not have enough energy stored to receive the paging message. Therefore, when this method is applied to ambient IoT devices, network resources (such as paging resources) may be wasted. Thus, paging procedures may be implemented to efficiently manage network resources, taking into account the unreliability of the power supply of ambient IoT devices.

[0072] This specification describes embodiments for paging ambient IoT devices. A WTRU can initiate a paging request to the network when it has sufficient power and is triggered by certain conditions. The embodiments described herein can reduce signaling and / or power consumption in the WTRU, as well as transmission resources and signaling in the network. The embodiments described herein may be useful in scenarios where there is a densely and widely distributed group of ambient devices connected to the network.

[0073] An ambient IoT device (e.g., a WTRU) can be configured with information that the WTRU can use to determine when to send a signal to a base station. This signal can identify the group to which the WTRU belongs. This signal can trigger the base station to begin broadcasting an indication. This indication can be provided so that the WTRU can read the indication and determine whether to perform a procedure to check if it is being paged.

[0074] If the signal indicates that the WTRU does not need to perform the procedure to check whether it is being paged, the WTRU can enter a low-power state. If the WTRU needs to be paged, the network does not need to attempt to send a paging signal until it receives a signal from the ambient IoT device.

[0075] The WTRU may determine whether to initiate an on-demand paging procedure. This determination may be based on configuration information received via NAS or RRC messages. It may also be based on the expiration of a timer or the detection that the WTRU has sufficient power to perform the on-demand paging procedure. Furthermore, it may be based on the detection that the WTRU is in an authorized location.

[0076] A WTRU can send a message to the network requesting that information be broadcast. The content of the message may be based on configuration information received in a NAS or RRC message. The content of the message may include a group identifier or a paging listening identifier. The message may also be a system information on demand request message, which identifies a SIB, and the identified SIB is based on configuration information.

[0077] A WTRU may receive messages broadcast by the network, and at least a portion of those messages may be used by the WTRU to determine whether to proceed with the on-demand paging procedure. The content of the message may be a Social Impact Band (SIB). The content of the message may include a group identifier associated with the WTRU. The content of the message may include bits representing the group to which the WTRU is associated, and / or bits indicating whether the WTRU in that group is being paged. The content of the message may include an identifier for the WTRU.

[0078] Based on the content of the message broadcast by the network, the WTRU may decide to send a message to the network in order to continue the on-demand paging procedure and / or to determine whether the WTRU is being paged.

[0079] A WTRU can initiate the paging procedure by sending an indication to the network that the WTRU is up. This indication may or may not specifically identify the WTRU. This indication may also identify the group or service to which the WTRU belongs. The network determines whether to page any of the WTRUs associated with the group, and if it intends to page any of the WTRUs associated with the group, the network can begin broadcasting an indication that at least one WTRU in the group needs to receive a paging message. This exemplary procedure is sometimes called "on-demand paging" because paging messages may be sent in response to requests or demands from the WTRU.

[0080] In the case of ambient IoT devices, the network can queue data and / or send paging requests to the RAN. The RAN (e.g., a RAN node) can queue paging requests until a system information request is sent by the WTRU. This can be a paging procedure initiated by the WTRU, as the WTRU can control the start of the paging process.

[0081] The SMF can receive downlink data notifications from the UPF. Downlink data notifications can trigger the SMF to notify the AMF that there is downlink data available for the WTRU. Messages from the SMF can indicate to the AMF that, if the WTRU is in the CM-IDLE state, the WTRU, AMF, and RAN can perform on-demand paging procedures. The SMF can determine whether on-demand paging procedures can be used based on PCC rules. Alternatively, or in addition to that, the AMF can determine whether on-demand paging procedures can be used based on the WTRU's subscription information. If the WTRU is in the CM-IDLE state, the AMF can respond to the SMF with an indication that the WTRU is currently unreachable and that on-demand paging procedures will be performed. Based on the determination that the WTRU is in the CM-IDLE state and that on-demand paging procedures will be used, the AMF can assume that the WTRU is unreachable because it cannot be paged. The AMF can then send a paging request to the RAN node. A paging request may include WTRU identification information and / or may indicate to the RAN node that an on-demand paging procedure may be performed.

[0082] A WTRU may decide to perform an on-demand paging procedure with the network if it determines that it has enough power stored to receive and process data from the network, and / or is triggered by certain conditions. A WTRU may send a System Information on-Demand Request to the network, requesting the network to broadcast a paging group SIB. The paging group SIB may contain a group identifier on which one or more WTRUs are paged, or each bit of the paging group SIB may represent a group of devices, and / or the network may set the corresponding bit in the SIB if it wishes to page one or more WTRUs in a group. If a WTRU reads the SIB and determines that the bit in the SIB corresponding to its group is set, the WTRU may begin listening on the paging channel. If a WTRU reads the SIB and determines that it does not find its group identifier or that the bit in the SIB corresponding to its group is not set, the WTRU may return to sleep.

[0083] If the WTRU reads the paging channel and determines that an allocated paging opportunity has been set, the WTRU can read the paging message. If the WTRU reads the paging channel and determines that no allocated paging opportunity has been set, the WTRU can return to sleep mode. If the WTRU reads the paging message and finds an identifier in the paging message that has been assigned to the WTRU, the WTRU can determine to perform a service request procedure to receive mobile termination data. If the WTRU reads the paging message and does not find an identifier in the paging message that has been assigned to the WTRU, the WTRU can return to sleep mode.

[0084] A WTRU can determine whether to expend energy attempting to read the paging indicator. This determination may be based on reading the SIB. The network may avoid setting the SIB until a System Information On Demand request is received. By waiting to set the WTRU's paging opportunity until after a System Information On Demand request is received, the possibility of other WTRUs detecting false paging can be avoided.

[0085] Figure 3 shows the call flow diagram for WTRU-initiated on-demand paging 300. In 312, UPF310 can receive downlink data. In 314a, upon receiving downlink data, UPF310 can send a downlink data notification to SMF308. In 314b, SMF308 can acknowledge receiving the notification and notify UPF310 to store the downlink data when WTRU302 is using on-demand paging. UPF310 can store the downlink data (e.g., user data) until it receives a notification from SMF308 that WTRU302 is ready to receive downlink data. In 316a, SMF308 can send a message to AMF306 notifying AMF306 that there is downlink data available for WTRU302. The message sent in 316a can indicate, for example, that the AMF306 will perform an on-demand paging procedure when the WTRU302 is idle (e.g., in the CM-IDLE state). For example, the message sent in 316a could be a Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer request.

[0086] In 316b, AMF306 may send a response message to SMF308 in response to a message received in 316a. The response message sent to SMF308 in 316b may indicate that WTRU302 is in the CM-IDLE state and / or that an on-demand paging procedure should be performed. In 318, AMF306 may send a paging message to a RAN node (e.g., AN304). The paging message may include an identifier for WTRU302 and an indication that an on-demand paging procedure should be performed. The paging message may include a group ID. The group ID may be used by a RAN node (such as AN304) to determine which SIB and / or which bits of the SIB can be used to indicate to WTRU302 that mobile termination data is available in WTRU302. As an addition or alternative, the identifier of WTRU302 may be used (e.g., by AN304) to determine which SIB and / or which bits of the SIB may be used to indicate to WTRU302 that mobile termination data is available in WTRU302.

[0087] In 320, a RAN node (e.g., AN304) can store paging requests and wait for an indication from WTRU302 that WTRU302 is available to receive pages.

[0088] WTRU302 may decide to initiate an on-demand paging procedure. In 322, one or more events and / or conditions can trigger WTRU302 to initiate an on-demand paging procedure. For example, the decision to initiate an on-demand paging procedure may be based on (and may be triggered by, for example) one or more of the following: configuration information, timer expiration, detection that WTRU302 has sufficient power to perform the on-demand paging procedure, and / or detection that WTRU302 is in an authorized location. Configuration information is associated with the on-demand paging procedure and may be received from a network (e.g., AN304). Configuration information may include conditions related to initiating the paging procedure, timer values ​​related to initiating the paging procedure, authorized locations, and / or indications in a system information block. In 322, WTRU302 may send a system information on-demand request to at least one network entity (e.g., AN304). This request may include indications related to the on-demand paging procedure. For example, a System Information On Demand request may indicate a request to broadcast a specific SIB to a RAN node (e.g., AN304). This request can identify the SIB. For example, a request from WTRU302 can identify an SIB that includes a bit indicating to WTRU302 whether there is pending downlink data at WTRU302. For example, this bit may indicate whether WTRU302 should monitor the paging channel. Events and / or conditions that trigger WTRU302 to send a System Information On Demand request to the network (e.g., AN304) are described herein. The RAN node (e.g., AN304) can receive a System Information On Demand request from WTRU302 at 322.Based on both the receipt of a system information on-demand request and notification from AMF306 that downlink data is pending for WTRU302, a RAN node (e.g., AN304) can set the paging indicator associated with WTRU302.

[0089] Based on receiving a System Information On-Demand request, a RAN node (e.g., AN304) may initiate broadcasting an SIB at 326 indicating whether WTRU302 should proceed with the on-demand paging procedure. For example, the SIB may include bits indicating to WTRU302 whether there is pending downlink data at WTRU302, for example, whether the WTRU should proceed with the on-demand paging procedure (e.g., monitoring the paging channel). The SIB may indicate that WTRU302 should proceed with the on-demand paging procedure if the bits indicate that there is pending downlink data at WTRU302.

[0090] At 326, WTRU302 can receive an SIB indicating whether WTRU302 should continue the on-demand paging procedure and detect the state of a bit indicating to WTRU whether WTRU302 has pending downlink data. For example, AN304 may send a system information on-demand response message to WTRU302 at 326. If the state of the bit indicates that WTRU302 has no pending downlink data, WTRU302 can return to a sleep or low-power state (e.g., CM-IDLE state). If the state of the bit indicates that WTRU302 has pending downlink data, WTRU302 can continue the on-demand paging procedure and listen on the paging channel at 328. For example, in response to an SIB indicating that WTRU302 should continue the on-demand paging procedure, WTRU302 may monitor the paging channel for a second indication in a paging opportunity. The second indication may indicate whether a paging opportunity is set up.

[0091] If WTRU302 reads the paging channel and determines that an allocated paging opportunity has been set, WTRU302 can receive a paging message from AN304 at 330. If WTRU302 reads the paging channel and determines that no allocated paging opportunity has been set, WTRU can return to sleep. At 330, WTRU302 can read the paging message. At 332, WTRU302 can perform a service request procedure to receive downlink data based on the paging message containing an identifier associated with WTRU302. This service request procedure may include WTRU302 transitioning to a connected state and / or WTRU302 receiving downlink data. For example, WTRU302 can determine whether the paging message contains an identifier associated with WTRU302. If WTRU302 determines that the paging message contains an identifier associated with WTRU302, WTRU302 may perform a service request procedure to the network in 332 to transition to a connected state and / or begin receiving downlink data. For example, WTRU302 may send a service request to AMF306 in 332. If WTRU302 determines that the paging message does not contain an identifier associated with WTRU302, WTRU302 may return to a sleep state.

[0092] There are several events and conditions that trigger an on-demand paging procedure for a WTRU. A WTRU can receive configuration information related to the on-demand paging procedure. This configuration information can be received from the AMF in NAS messages, from the Policy Control Function (PCF) in NAS messages (e.g., carried in NAS messages), from the base station in RRC messages, from a user interface (e.g., a graphical user interface (GUI), buttons, or switches), and / or from another WTRU (e.g., via a sidelink such as PC5).

[0093] The configuration information can be received by the WTRU from different network nodes. For example, configuration information from the AMF may indicate how often the on-demand paging procedure will be performed when it is enabled, and configuration information from the base station may indicate whether the on-demand paging procedure is enabled. The configuration information may include information indicating what conditions must be met for the WTRU to perform the on-demand paging procedure. The configuration information may include timer values. The WTRU can configure timers using time values. The WTRU can reset timers each time it enters connected mode or initiates an on-demand paging procedure. The WTRU can determine whether to perform a paging procedure when the timer expires. Therefore, time values ​​can be used to configure the WTRU so that the number of on-demand paging procedures attempted by the WTRU is limited within a time domain.

[0094] Configuration information may include permitted or unauthorized location information. The WTRU may decide not to initiate the on-demand paging procedure if it determines that the WTRU is at a location corresponding to an unauthorized location. The WTRU may decide to initiate the on-demand paging procedure if it determines that the WTRU is at a location corresponding to an permitted location.

[0095] Configuration information can indicate to the WTRU which SIB and / or which bits of the SIB it should read when the WTRU checks whether it needs to be paged. If the WTRU determines that it has enough power stored to perform an on-demand paging procedure, it may decide to initiate the on-demand paging procedure by sending an appropriate system information on-demand request. The WTRU may receive downlink data and determine that the conditions indicated in the configuration information indicate that an on-demand paging procedure is permitted (e.g., permitted at the WTRU's current location or current time). If the WTRU determines that it has enough power stored to perform an on-demand paging procedure, and / or has received downlink data, and / or has received a trigger message from another WTRU via a sidelink (e.g., PC5), it may decide to initiate the on-demand paging procedure by sending an appropriate system information on-demand request.

[0096] There are several alternative approaches to initiating an on-demand paging procedure. A WTRU can initiate an on-demand paging procedure by sending a System Information On-Demand Request. Alternatively, a WTRU can send a different message to initiate an on-demand paging procedure. For example, a WTRU can initiate an on-demand paging procedure by sending a message containing a paging-listening identifier. This identifier can be associated not only with that WTRU but also with other WTRUs (for example, this identifier may be shared by a group of WTRUs). The paging-listening identifier can be received by the WTRU in configuration information related to the on-demand paging procedure. The RAN can determine which SIB to broadcast based on the paging-listening identifier. An advantage of initiating the process by sending the paging-listening identifier instead of sending a System On-Demand Information Request is that a fake or malicious base station may not know the number of the SIB to broadcast in response to the WTRU's transmission of the paging-listening identifier.

[0097] Alternative deployment models also exist. The examples described herein illustrate how an ambient IoT device communicates with a base station to determine whether the ambient IoT device can receive data from a network. The same procedure may apply to scenarios where the ambient IoT device interacts with a WTRU, such as a handheld device used to collect data from the ambient IoT device and transmit the data to the ambient IoT device. For example, the interaction in Figure 3, described as taking place between the WTRU and the base station, may take place between the ambient IoT device and the WTRU via the PC5 interface. Additional or alternative, the interaction between the ambient IoT device and the WTRU may be used by the ambient IoT device to determine whether the WTRU is being paged. If the ambient IoT device determines that the ambient IoT device is being paged, it can initiate communication with the network by sending a service request to the network. In other words, steps 322 to 330 in Figure 3 may take place between the ambient IoT device and the handheld device, and step 332 may take place between the ambient IoT device and the network.

Claims

1. A method performed by a wireless transceiver unit (WTRU), Determine whether to initiate the on-demand paging procedure, Sending a first indication associated with initiating the on-demand paging procedure to at least one network entity, wherein the first indication includes a request for a system information block, Receiving the aforementioned system information block from at least one network entity, wherein the system information block indicates whether the WTRU should continue the on-demand paging procedure, In response to a system information block indicating that the WTRU should continue the on-demand paging procedure, the WTRU monitors the paging channel for a second indication during a paging opportunity, Receiving paging messages via the paging channel, A method that includes this.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving configuration information associated with the on-demand paging procedure, wherein the configuration information includes one or more of the following: conditions associated with initiating the paging procedure, timer values ​​associated with initiating the paging procedure, permitted positions, or indications of a system information block.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determination to initiate the on-demand paging procedure is based on one or more of the following: the configuration information, the expiration of the timer, the detection that the WTRU has sufficient power to perform the on-demand paging procedure, or the detection that the WTRU is in an authorized position.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the system information block includes a bit indicating whether the WTRU should monitor the paging channel, the bit indicating whether the WTRU has pending downlink data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the system information block indicates that the WTRU should continue the on-demand paging procedure if the bit indicates that there is downlink data pending in the WTRU.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the system information block indicates that the WTRU should return to a low-power state if the bit indicates that there is no pending downlink data for the WTRU.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first indication associated with initiating the on-demand paging procedure identifies a particular block of system information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second indication indicates whether the paging opportunity is set.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a service request procedure for receiving downlink data based on the paging message which includes an identifier associated with the WTRU.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein performing the service request procedure further includes transitioning to a connected state, and the method further includes receiving the downlink data.

11. A wireless transceiver unit (WTRU), Determine whether to initiate the on-demand paging procedure, Sending a first indication associated with initiating the on-demand paging procedure to at least one network entity, wherein the first indication includes a request for a system information block, Receiving the aforementioned system information block from at least one network entity, wherein the system information block indicates whether the WTRU should continue the on-demand paging procedure, In response to a system information block indicating that the WTRU should continue the on-demand paging procedure, the WTRU monitors the paging channel for a second indication during a paging opportunity, Receiving paging messages via the paging channel, A WTRU equipped with a processor configured to perform the following.

12. The WTRU of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to receive configuration information associated with the on-demand paging procedure, the configuration information includes one or more of the following: conditions associated with initiating the paging procedure, timer values ​​associated with initiating the paging procedure, permitted positions, or indications of a system information block.

13. The WTRU of claim 12, wherein the determination to initiate the on-demand paging procedure is based on one or more of the following: the configuration information, the expiration of the timer, the detection that the WTRU has sufficient power to perform the on-demand paging procedure, or the detection that the WTRU is in an authorized position.

14. The WTRU of claim 11, wherein the system information block includes a bit indicating whether the WTRU should monitor the paging channel, the bit indicating whether the WTRU has pending downlink data.

15. The WTRU of claim 14, wherein the system information block indicates that the WTRU should continue the on-demand paging procedure if the bit indicates that there is pending downlink data in the WTRU.

16. The WTRU of claim 14, wherein the system information block indicates that the WTRU should return to a low-power state if the bit indicates that there is no pending downlink data for the WTRU.

17. The WTRU of claim 11, wherein the first indication associated with initiating the on-demand paging procedure identifies a specific system information block.

18. The second indication is the WTRU of claim 11, which indicates whether the paging opportunity is set.

19. The processor is further configured to perform a service request procedure for receiving downlink data based on the paging message which includes an identifier associated with the WTRU, the WTRU of claim 11.

20. The WTRU of claim 19, wherein performing the service request procedure includes configuring the processor to transition to a connected state, and the processor is further configured to receive the downlink data.

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