Monitoring of downlink control information based on configuration information and the state of discontinuous cell operation.

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the activation or deactivation of cell discontinuous reception / discontinuous reception (DTX / DRX). In particular, network equipment transmits configuration information related to downlink control information (DCI) to terminal equipment. The configuration information indicates when to monitor the DCI. Terminal equipment monitors the DCI based on the configuration information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Various embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the field of communications, and in particular, to a method, device, apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium for monitoring downlink control information (DCI) based on configuration information and the state of cell discontinuous operation.

Background Art

[0002] Network energy saving (NES) is a notable issue in the field of communications. For example, in order to achieve power saving of network devices, cell DTX / DRX has also been proposed on the network device side. Similarly, cell DTX / DRX is a technology that enables a network device to enter a sleep state within a DTX / DRX cycle when there is no packet to be transmitted or received. Therefore, it is worthwhile to consider how to activate cell DTX / DRX.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a device is provided. The device includes at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the device to receive, from a network device, configuration information associated with downlink control information for operations related to cell discontinuous operation of a cell, the configuration information indicating when to monitor the downlink control information, the cell discontinuous operation including at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception, and to monitor the downlink control information based on the configuration information and the state of cell discontinuous operation.

[0004] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises at least one processor and at least one memory which stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to transmit to a terminal device configuration information associated with downlink control information for operation for cell discontinuous operation of a cell, the configuration information indicating when to monitor downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception, and transmit downlink control information to the terminal device based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0005] A third aspect of the present disclosure provides a method, which includes receiving configuration information from a network device associated with downlink control information for operation for cell discontinuous operation of a cell, the configuration information indicating when to monitor the downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception, and monitoring the downlink control information based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0006] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure provides a method, which involves transmitting to a terminal device configuration information associated with downlink control information for operation for cell discontinuous operation of a cell, the configuration information indicating when to monitor the downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception, and transmitting downlink control information to the terminal device based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0007] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure provides a first apparatus. The first apparatus comprises means for receiving configuration information from a network device associated with downlink control information for operation for cell discontinuous operation of a cell, the configuration information indicating when to monitor the downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception; and means for monitoring the downlink control information based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0008] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure provides a second apparatus. The second apparatus includes means for transmitting configuration information to a terminal device, associated with downlink control information relating to an operation for cell discontinuous operation of a cell, wherein the configuration information indicates when to monitor the downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception; and means for transmitting downlink control information to the terminal device based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0009] In a seventh aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided which stores instructions for causing a device to perform a method according to at least a third aspect.

[0010] In an eighth aspect of this disclosure, a computer-readable medium is provided which stores instructions for causing a device to perform a method according to at least the fourth aspect.

[0011] The summary section is not intended to identify any key or essential features of the embodiments of this disclosure, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of this disclosure. Other features of this disclosure will be readily apparent through the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] Several embodiments will be described with reference to the attached drawings. [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of a communication environment in which the embodiments of this disclosure can be implemented. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a signaling chart of cell DTX / DRX according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3A] Figure 3A shows a schematic diagram of a cell DTX / DRX pattern according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3B] Figure 3B shows a schematic diagram of a cell DTX / DRX pattern according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3C] Figure 3C shows a schematic diagram of a cell DTX / DRX pattern according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4A] Figure 4A shows a schematic diagram of the monitoring opportunities in a cell DTX / DRX pattern according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4B] Figure 4B shows a schematic diagram of the monitoring opportunities in the cell DTX / DRX pattern according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4C] Figure 4C shows a schematic diagram of the monitoring opportunities in a cell DTX / DRX pattern according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4D] Figure 4D shows a schematic diagram of the monitoring opportunities in a cell DTX / DRX pattern according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4E] Figure 4E shows a schematic diagram of the monitoring opportunities in the cell DTX / DRX pattern according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4F] Figure 4F shows a schematic diagram of monitoring opportunities in a cell DTX / DRX pattern according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of a method carried out in a first apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of a method implemented in a second apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a simplified block diagram of an apparatus suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8]Figure 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a computer-readable medium according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar elements. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The principles of this disclosure will be described with reference to several examples. These examples are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure, but are for illustrative purposes only and are intended to help those skilled in the art to understand and implement this disclosure. The examples described herein can be implemented in various ways other than those described below.

[0014] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the meanings generally understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

[0015] References in this specification such as “one embodiment,” “a particular embodiment,” and “an exemplary embodiment” indicate that the described embodiments may include certain features, structures, or characteristics, but not all embodiments are required to include such features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, these expressions do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. In addition, if certain features, structures, or characteristics are described in relation to a particular embodiment, it should be understood that such features, structures, or characteristics, whether explicitly stated or not, are applicable to other embodiments based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0016] Note that terms such as "first", "second",... attached before nouns, etc. may be used in this specification to describe various elements, but it should be understood that these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another and do not limit the order of the text. For example, the first element can be called the second element, and similarly, the second element can be called the first element, without departing from the scope of the embodiments. In this specification, the term "and / or" includes any combination of one or more of the listed terms.

[0017] In this specification, "at least one of the following: <list of two or more elements>" and "at least one of <list of two or more elements>" and similar expressions (when the list of two or more elements is combined with "and" or "or") mean at least one of the elements, at least two or more of the elements, or all of the elements.

[0018] In this specification, unless explicitly stated otherwise, performing a step "in response to A" does not indicate that the step is executed immediately after the occurrence of "A", and there may be one or more intervening steps.

[0019] The terms used in this specification are for the sole purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the examples. In this specification, the singular forms "a", "an", "the" are to be construed as including the plural form as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Further, the terms "comprise", "comprising", "have", "having", "include" and / or "including" as used in this specification specify the presence of the described features, elements, and / or components, etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0020] In this application, the term "circuit" (a) Circuit implementation using only hardware (such as implementation using only analog and / or digital circuits), and (b) A combination of hardware circuitry and software. For example (where applicable), (i) combinations of analog and / or digital hardware circuits and software / firmware, (ii) A combination of any part of a hardware processor (including a digital signal processor), software, and memory, which work together to perform various functions on devices such as mobile phones and servers, and (c) Hardware circuits and / or processors (such as a microprocessor or part of a microprocessor) that require software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but where such software may not be present if it is not necessary for operation. This may refer to one, more, or all of them.

[0021] This definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of the Terms in this Application (including any claims). Further examples include, as used in this Application, the term "circuit" encompasses not only a mere hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors), but also a portion of a hardware circuit or processor and the associated software and / or firmware implementation. The term "circuit" also encompasses, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit for a mobile device, or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0022] As used herein, the term “communication network” refers to a network conforming to any appropriate communication standard, such as New Radio (NR), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), LTE Advanced (LTE-A), Broadband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA®), High-Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), and Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT). Furthermore, communication between terminal devices and network devices in a communication network is conducted in accordance with any appropriate generation of communication protocol, including but not limited to first-generation (1G), second-generation (2G), 2.5G, 2.75G, third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), 4.5G, fifth-generation (5G), and sixth-generation (6G) communication protocols, and / or other protocols currently known or to be developed in the future. Embodiments of this disclosure can be applied to a variety of communication systems. Given the rapid development of communication technology, there will naturally be future communication technologies and systems to which this disclosure can be embodied. The scope of this disclosure should not be construed as being limited only to the aforementioned systems.

[0023] In this specification, the term “network equipment” refers to a node in a communications network from which terminal devices access the network and receive services. Network equipment may also refer to base stations (BS) or access points (APs), such as Node B (NodeB or NB), evolved Node B (eNodeB or eNB), NR NB (also called gNB), remote radio units (RRUs), radio headers (RHs), remote radio heads (RRHs), repeaters, integrated access backhaul (IAB) nodes, low-power nodes such as femto, pico, and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), or non-terrestrial network equipment such as satellite network equipment, low orbit (LEO) satellites, geostationary (GEO) satellites, and aircraft network equipment, which may vary depending on the terminology and technology applied. In some embodiments, the partitioned architecture of a radio access network (RAN) includes centralized units (CUs) and distributed units (DUs) in an IAB donor node. An IAB node includes a mobile terminal (IAB-MT) portion that behaves like a UE to its parent node, and a DU portion of the IAB node that behaves like a base station to the next hop's IAB node.

[0024] The term "terminal device" refers to any end device capable of wireless communication. While not an exhaustive list, terminal devices may also be called communication devices, user equipment (UE), subscriber stations (SS), portable subscriber stations, mobile stations (MS), or access terminals (AT). Terminal devices include mobile phones, mobile phone terminals, smartphones, Voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, tablets, wearable devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable computers, desktop computers, image capture devices such as digital cameras, game terminals, music storage and playback devices, in-vehicle wireless terminals, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, laptop-based equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles, smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), Internet of Things (IoT) devices, watches and other wearables, head-mounted displays (HMDs), vehicles, drones, medical equipment and applications (e.g., remote surgery), industrial equipment and applications (e.g., robots and / or other wireless devices operating in the context of industrial and / or automated processing chains), consumer electronics, devices operating on commercial and / or industrial wireless networks, and similar devices. Terminal devices may also correspond to the mobile termination (MT) portion of an IAB node (e.g., a relay node). In the following description, the terms “terminal device,” “communication device,” “terminal,” “user device,” and “UE” may be used interchangeably.

[0025] In this specification, the terms “resource,” “transmit resource,” “resource block,” “physical resource block” (PRB), “uplink resource,” or “downlink resource” may refer to any resource for communication, such as resources for communication between terminal equipment and network equipment, including time-domain resources, frequency-domain resources, spatial-domain resources, code-domain resources, or any combination of time, frequency, spatial, and / or code-domain resources that enable communication. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, both frequency-domain and time-domain resources will be used as examples of transmit resources to illustrate some embodiments of this disclosure. It should be noted that the embodiments of this disclosure are equally applicable to other resources in other domains.

[0026] In this specification, the terms “RRC connection state” or “RRC connection mode” may refer to a state in which a service radio bearer and a data radio bearer are assigned to a terminal device. In this specification, the terms “RRC idle state” or “RRC idle mode” may refer to a state in which the terminal device is powered on but no established RRC connection exists. In this specification, the terms “RRC deactivated state” or “RRC inactive mode” may refer to a state in which an RRC connection exists but that connection is suspended.

[0027] In this specification, the term “Cell Discontinuous Reception (DRX)” may refer to a technique that enables a network device to receive data within a certain period and enter a sleep state during another period when there are no packets to receive. In this specification, the term “Cell Discontinuous Transmission (DTX)” refers to a technique that enables a network device to transmit data within a certain period and enter a sleep state during another period when there are no packets to transmit. Cell DRX / DTX can be used in mobile communications to conserve battery power and / or conserve power for network devices. The terms “on period” or “active period” used in Cell DRX refer to a period during which a network device can monitor a channel (e.g., a physical control channel or a physical shared channel) and receive one or more data, reference signals, or control information on that channel. The terms “DRX period,” “DRX opportunity,” “off time,” “off period,” and “inactive period” used in Cell DRX refer to a period during which a network device does not monitor a channel and does not receive data or control information on that channel. The term "DRX cycle" as used herein includes an on period during which network devices can monitor a channel and a DRX period during which network devices can skip receiving the channel. The term "on period" or "active period" as used in cell DTX refers to a period of time during which network devices can transmit data or control information on, for example, a physical control channel or a physical shared channel. The terms "DTX period," "DTX opportunity," "off time," "off period," or "inactive period" as used herein in cell DTX refer to a period during which network devices do not transmit data or control information on a channel. The term "DTX cycle" as used herein includes an on period during which network devices can transmit data or control information on a channel and a DTX period during which network devices can skip transmitting on a channel. The term "DRX cycle" as used herein includes an on period during which network devices can receive data or control information on a channel and a DRX period during which network devices can skip receiving on a channel.

[0028] As mentioned above, cell DTX / DRX has been proposed. The purpose of cell DTX / DRX is to define periods during which a cell does not transmit or receive signals or channels related to RRC-connected UEs. For example, a cell may omit the transmission of certain CSI-RS signals or the reception of SR / BSR signals during a specific period. During the inactivity period of cell DTX, the UE is not expected to receive and / or process periodic or semi-persistent channel status information reference signals (CSI-RS) from the gNB. In other words, network equipment can omit this during inactivity periods to save energy.

[0029] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to the activation or deactivation of cell DTX / DRX. In particular, a network device transmits configuration information related to downlink control information (DCI) to a terminal device. The configuration information indicates to the terminal device when (e.g., time) to monitor DCI that can be used to activate / deactivate a particular DRX / DRX pattern of a cell. The terminal device monitors DCI based on the configuration information. In this way, the process of activating / deactivating cell DTX / DRX can be improved based on the transmitted DCI (e.g., a new group common DCI format 2_x). Furthermore, an optimal trade-off can be achieved between network power saving (during cell DTX / DRX activation), ensuring quality of service (QoS) (dynamic instruction for (de)activation of cell DRX / DRX), and UE power saving (optimized monitoring opportunities).

[0030] Figure 1 shows an example of a communication environment 100 in which an embodiment of the present disclosure can be implemented. In the communication environment 100, the first device 110 and the second device 120 can communicate with each other.

[0031] The first device 110 may be a terminal device such as a UE. The second device 120 may be a network device such as a GNB. The first device 110 may be located within cell 102, which is a serving cell.

[0032] For the sake of explanation, several embodiments will be described below in which the first device 110 operates as a terminal device and the second device 120 operates as a network device. However, in some embodiments, operations described in relation to the terminal device may be performed by the network device or other devices, and operations described in relation to the network device may be performed by the terminal device or other devices.

[0033] In some embodiments, when the first device 110 is a terminal device and the second device 120 is a network device, the link from the second device 120 to the first device 110 is called a downlink (DL), and the link from the first device 110 to the second device 120 is called an uplink (UL). In a DL, the second device 120 is a transmitting (TX) device (or transmitter), and the first device 110 is a receiving (RX) device (or receiver). In a UL, the first device 110 is a TX device (or transmitter), and the second device 120 is an RX device (or receiver).

[0034] Communication in communication environment 100 includes, but is not limited to, cellular communication protocols such as first generation (1G), second generation (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G), fifth generation (5G), and sixth generation (6G), wireless local area network communication protocols such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, and / or other protocols that are currently known or may be developed in the future. Furthermore, communication includes, but is not limited to, code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division duplexing (FDD), time division duplexing (TDD), multiple input multiple output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM), and / or other technologies that are currently known or may be developed in the future.

[0035] Examples of embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0036] Referring to Figure 2, which shows signaling flows 200 according to several embodiments of the present disclosure. For convenience of explanation, the signaling flows 200 will be described using, for example, the first apparatus 110 and the second apparatus 120, with reference to Figure 1.

[0037] The second device 120 can transmit (2010) a configuration of cell discontinuous operation of a cell (e.g., cell 102) to the first device 110. In other words, the first device 110 can receive a configuration of cell discontinuous operation. Cell discontinuous operation may include cell discontinuous transmission (DTX). Alternatively, or in addition, cell discontinuous operation may include cell discontinuous reception (DRX).

[0038] The cell discontinuous operation setting may indicate the period of the cell discontinuous operation, for example, the period of cell DTX and / or cell DRX. The cell discontinuous operation setting may also indicate the on-period (i.e., active period) of the cell discontinuous operation. Furthermore, the cell discontinuous operation configuration may indicate an offset of the on-period of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0039] Figure 3A shows an example of a cell discontinuous operation configuration. According to the cell discontinuous operation pattern 310 shown in Figure 3A, there is an ON period 311 (also called the active period) and an inactive period 312 within one cycle 313 of the cell discontinuous operation. As shown in Figure 3A, the transmit / receive operation in the second device 120 can be assumed to be either ON or Active. In other words, the second device 120 can always transmit and receive outside the cell discontinuous pattern 310. Note that the cell discontinuous operation pattern 310 may be a cell DRX pattern or a cell DTX pattern.

[0040] Figure 3B shows an example of a cell discontinuous operation configuration. According to the cell discontinuous operation pattern 320 shown in Figure 3B, within one cycle 323 of the cell discontinuous operation, there is an on period 321 (also called the active period) and an inactive period 322. As shown in Figure 3B, it can be assumed that the transmit / receive operation in the second device 120 is off or inactive. In other words, the second device 120 does not transmit or receive outside of the cell discontinuous operation pattern 320. In this way, the first device 110 can monitor the activation of the cell discontinuous operation during the sleep period of the second device 120. Note that the cell discontinuous operation pattern 320 may also be a cell DRX pattern or a cell DTX pattern.

[0041] In some embodiments, a cell consists of multiple cell discontinuous operations. These multiple cell discontinuous operations may include any appropriate number of such operations. Figure 3C shows an example configuration of two cell discontinuous operations set for a cell. According to the cell discontinuous operation pattern 330 shown in Figure 3C, one cell discontinuous operation cycle 333 contains an on-period 331 (also called an active period) and an inactive period 332. According to the cell discontinuous operation pattern 340 shown in Figure 3C, another cell discontinuous operation cycle 343 contains an on-period 341 (also called an active period) and an inactive period 342. Note that cell discontinuous operation pattern 330 may be a cell DRX pattern or a cell DTX pattern, and cell discontinuous operation pattern 340 may also be a cell DRX pattern or a cell DTX pattern.

[0042] Referring to Figure 2, the second device 120 transmits configuration information associated with the DCI for the operation for cell discontinuities to the first device 110 (2020). In other words, the first device 110 receives configuration information associated with the DCI for the operation for cell discontinuities from the second device 120. The configuration information indicates when to monitor the DCI. Furthermore, as mentioned above, a cell discontinuity may include one or more of the cell DTX or cell DRX. The operation for a cell discontinuity may include activating the cell discontinuity. Alternatively, the operation for a cell discontinuity may include deactivating the cell discontinuity. In other embodiments, the operation may include switching from one cell discontinuity to another, i.e., deactivating the current cell discontinuity and activating the other cell discontinuity.

[0043] In one embodiment, the DCI is scrambled with a dedicated Wireless Network Temporary Identifier (RNTI). For example, Network Power Saving (NES)-RNTI (NES-RNTI) is used to scramble the DCI. As an example, the DCI may be a Group Common DCI Format 2_x with Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) scrambled with NES-RNTI.

[0044] The first device 110 determines when to monitor the DCI based on the configuration information (2030). For example, the DCI is monitored by the first device 110 during one of the following periods, or any combination thereof: during normal network operation periods when it is always on / active, during network sleep operation periods when it is always off / inactive, or during active and / or inactive periods of the cell DTX / DRX.

[0045] The first device 110 monitors the DCI from the second device 120 based on the configuration information and the state of cell discontinuous operation (2040). In other words, the first device 110 receives the DCI based on the configuration information and the state of cell discontinuous operation. That is, the second device 120 transmits the DCI to the first device 110 based on the configuration information and the state of cell discontinuous operation (2050). The first device 110 can monitor the DCI indicating the periodic operation set by the second device 120. The following are various examples of how the configuration information and the state of cell discontinuous operation (activated or deactivated) affect the monitoring and reception of the DCI from the second device 120. For example, the first device 110 may monitor the DCI in different ways depending on whether the state of cell discontinuous operation is active or inactive. For example, if a cell discontinuity is active, DCI may be monitored during the monitoring period associated with that cell discontinuity. Alternatively, if a cell discontinuity is active, DCI may be monitored during the monitoring period associated with another cell discontinuity (e.g., the default cell discontinuity).

[0046] The first device 110 performs an action based on the received DCI (2060). For example, the first device 110 activates or deactivates a cell discontinuous operation based on the received DCI. In this way, the process of activating / deactivating cell DTX / DRX based on the new group common DCI format 2_x can be enhanced. Furthermore, an optimal trade-off can be achieved between network power saving (when activating cell DTX / DRX), ensuring quality of service (QoS) (dynamic instruction for (de)activating) cell DRX / DRX, and UE power saving (optimized monitoring opportunities).

[0047] For illustrative purposes only, an example of monitoring DCI will be described with reference to Figures 4A to 4F.

[0048] In some embodiments, configuration information may indicate a time offset (also called the “first time offset”) relative to the start of cell discontinuity. The start of cell discontinuity may be intended as a potential start of cell discontinuity. In other words, start may refer to the potential start of the on-period of cell discontinuity. For example, if DCI indicates activation of cell discontinuity, start is the actual start of cell discontinuity. In some embodiments, the first time offset is relative to the “time parameter” or “point in time” of cell discontinuity. As an example, point in time may refer to the start of the on-period of cell discontinuity. Cell discontinuity may be in an inactive state. In other words, cell discontinuity is configured but not activated or applied.

[0049] The first device 110 determines a start time (also called the "first start time") based on a first time offset and the start of cell discontinuity. In this case, the first device 110 monitors DCIs indicating the activation of cell discontinuity from the first start time. The second device 120 transmits DCIs indicating the activation of cell discontinuity based on the first time offset and the start of cell discontinuity. Since DCIs indicate the activation of cell discontinuity, the first device 110 performs the activation of cell discontinuity based on the DCIs. For example, the activation of cell discontinuity is applied based on the DCIs from the start time of cell discontinuity.

[0050] In one embodiment, the first time offset is based on the start of the inactive period in the cell discontinuous operation. In other words, the start of the cell discontinuous operation may be the start of the inactive period in the cell discontinuous operation. The inactive period may be a subsequent inactive period after the reception of DCI. For example, as shown in Figure 4A, the first time offset 411 may be based on the start of the inactive period 311 in the cell discontinuous operation. Furthermore, the first device 110 may monitor DCI at one or more monitoring opportunities 414 and 415 within the first time offset 411.

[0051] In another embodiment, the first time offset is based on the start of the active period in the cell discontinuous operation. In other words, the start of the cell discontinuous operation may be the start of the active period in the cell discontinuous operation. The active period may be the next active period after the reception of the DCI. For example, as shown in Figure 4B, the first time offset 421 may be based on the start of the active period 321 in the cell discontinuous operation. Furthermore, the first device 110 may monitor the DCI at one or more monitoring opportunities 424 and 425 within the first time offset 421.

[0052] Alternatively, or in addition, the configuration information may indicate a time offset (also called a "second time offset") to the switching boundary in the cell discontinuous operation. The cell discontinuous operation may be in an activated state. In other words, the cell discontinuous operation may be in use or applied. The switching boundary may refer to the boundary between the active and inactive periods in the cell discontinuous operation.

[0053] The first device 110 determines a start time (also called the "second start time") based on a second time offset and a switching boundary. In this case, the first device 110 monitors DCIs indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation from the second start time. The second device 120 transmits DCIs indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation based on the second time offset and a switching boundary. Since the DCIs indicate the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation, the first device 110 performs the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation based on the DCIs.

[0054] In one embodiment, the second time offset is relative to the active-to-inactive switching boundary in cell discontinuous operation. For example, as shown in Figure 4A, the time offset 412 is relative to the active-to-inactive switching boundary. The first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating the deactivation of cell discontinuous operation at one or more monitoring opportunities (not shown) within the time offset 412. As another example, as shown in Figure 4B, the time offset 423 can be relative to the active-to-inactive switching boundary. The first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating the deactivation of cell discontinuous operation at one or more monitoring opportunities (not shown) within the time offset 423.

[0055] In another embodiment, the second time offset may be relative to the inactive-to-active switching boundary in cell discontinuous operation. For example, as shown in Figure 4A, the time offset 413 may be relative to the inactive-to-active switching boundary. The first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating the deactivation of cell discontinuous operation at one or more monitoring opportunities (not shown) within the time offset 413. In another example, as shown in Figure 4B, the time offset 422 may be relative to the inactive-to-active switching boundary. The first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating the deactivation of cell discontinuous operation at one or more monitoring opportunities (not shown) within the time offset 422.

[0056] Furthermore, the second device 120 can set a period, thereby defining how often the first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation during the cell DTX / DRX active period. The UE monitoring period can be set to an integer multiple of the set cell DTX / DRX period. For example, the first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation every five times during the active or inactive period of the cell discontinuous operation after the activation of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0057] In some embodiments, as described above, the cell may include multiple cell discontinuities, including cell discontinuities. In one embodiment, none of the multiple cell discontinuities are activated. In this case, the first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating the activation of a cell discontinuity during the active period of the default cell discontinuity among the multiple cell discontinuities. Based on the DCI, the first device 110 activates one of the multiple cell discontinuities.

[0058] In one embodiment, the configuration information may include a time offset (also called the "third time offset") relative to the start or end of the active period in the default cell discontinuity. The first device 110 determines a start time (also called the "third start time") based on the third time offset and the state of the default cell discontinuity. In this case, the first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating the activation of another cell discontinuity from the third start time within the active period of the default discontinuity. The first device 110 performs the activation of the other cell discontinuity based on the downlink control information. For example, as shown in Figure 4C, if the cell discontinuity pattern 330 is the pattern of the default discontinuity, the third time offset may be a time offset 431 relative to the start of the active period 332. Alternatively, the third time offset may be a time offset 432 relative to the end of the active period 332. The first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating the activation of the cell discontinuity at the monitoring opportunity 433.

[0059] Furthermore, the second device 120 can set a period, which defines how often the first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating the activation of cell discontinuity during the active period of the default DTX pattern. The UE monitoring period can be set to an integer multiple of the set cell DTX / DRX period; for example, the first device 110 monitors the DCI every three times the active time of the default DTX / DRX pattern.

[0060] In some embodiments, the default cell discontinuity operation may be the first of several cell discontinuities. Alternatively, the default cell discontinuity operation may be explicitly indicated by the second device 120. In other embodiments, the default cell discontinuity operation may be the last of several cell discontinuities to be activated. For example, if a cell discontinuity operation has been previously activated and deactivated, and the cell is currently configured as a cell DTX / DRX and deactivated, the first device 110 may be configured to monitor a DCI indicating activation within the active period of the last activated DTX pattern.

[0061] In some embodiments, a cell is composed of multiple cell discontinuous operations, and one of these cell discontinuous operations is in an activated state. In this case, the first device 110 can monitor the DCI indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation during the active period of the cell discontinuous operation. For example, as shown in Figure 4D, if cell discontinuous operation pattern 330 is in an activated state, the first device 110 can monitor the DCI indicating deactivation during the active period 332-1. Alternatively, or in addition to the above, the first device 110 may monitor the DCI indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation throughout the entire active period of the cell discontinuous operation, i.e., at monitoring opportunities according to the monitoringSlot period and Offset / duration / monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot in the SearchSpace configuration. For example, as shown in Figure 4D, if the cell discontinuous operation pattern 330 is in an activated state, the first device 110 can monitor the DCI indicating deactivation throughout the entire active period, including active periods 332-1 and 332-2. Based on the DCI, the first device 110 can deactivate the cell discontinuous operation.

[0062] Alternatively, if a cell consists of multiple cell discontinuous operations, and one of these cell discontinuous operations is in an activated state, the configuration information may indicate a time offset (also called the "fourth time offset") to the active-to-inactive switching boundary during the active period of that cell discontinuous operation. For example, as shown in Figure 4E, if cell discontinuous operation pattern 330 is in an activated state, the fourth time offset may be a time offset 441 to the active-to-inactive switching boundary during the active period 332. The first device 110 may monitor the DCI indicating deactivation at the monitoring opportunity 442.

[0063] Furthermore, the second device 120 can set a period, which defines how often the first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating deactivation during the active period of the currently active DTX / DRX pattern (e.g., DTX / DRX pattern 330). The UE monitoring period can be set to an integer multiple of the set cell DTX / DRX period. For example, the first device 110 monitors the DCI once every four active periods of the currently activated DTX / DRX pattern.

[0064] In some embodiments, if a DCI indicating the deactivation of a cell discontinuous operation is received during the active period, the first device 110 can deactivate the cell discontinuous operation based on the received DCI. Alternatively, or in addition to that, the first device 110 can activate further cell discontinuous operations among a plurality of cell discontinuous operations. For example, if a cell is currently configured and activated for cell DTX / DRX pattern 1 (e.g., cell DTX / DRX pattern 330) and wants to switch to cell DTX / DRX pattern 2 (e.g., cell DTX / DRX pattern 340), the first device 110 may be configured to monitor the DCI during the active period of the currently activated cell DTX / DRX pattern 1 (e.g., cell DTX / DRX pattern 330). A DCI that activates cell DTX / DRX pattern 2 (for example, cell DTX / DRX pattern 340) may mean deactivating cell DTX / DRX pattern 1, since only one cell DTX / DRX pattern can be active at a time.

[0065] In some embodiments, if a cell consists of multiple cell discontinuous operations and one of these cell discontinuous operations is in an activated state, the first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation during the inactive period of that cell discontinuous operation. The first device 110 can perform deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation based on downlink control information. For example, if a cell currently has a cell DTX set and is activated, the first device 220 is configured to monitor the DCI indicating deactivation during the inactive period of the currently activated DTX pattern.

[0066] In one embodiment, the configuration information indicates a time offset (also called the "fifth time offset") relative to the start or end of the inactive period in the cell discontinuous operation. The first device 110 can determine a start time (also called the "fifth start time") based on the fifth time offset and the start or end of the inactive period. In this case, the first device 110 can monitor downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation from the fifth start time. For example, as shown in Figure 4F, if the cell discontinuous operation pattern 330 is a pattern of discontinuous operation, the fifth time offset may be a time offset 451 relative to the start of the inactive period 331. Alternatively, the fifth time offset may be a time offset 452 relative to the end of the inactive period 331. The first device 110 can monitor DCI indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation at monitoring opportunity 453.

[0067] Furthermore, the second device 120 can set a period, which defines how often the first device 110 monitors the DCI indicating deactivation during the inactivity period of the currently activated DTX / DRX pattern (e.g., DTX / DRX pattern 330). The UE monitoring period can be set to an integer multiple of the set cell DTX / DRX period. For example, the first device 110 monitors the DCI to be deactivated every six inactivity periods of the currently active DTX / DRX pattern. In other embodiments, the frequency of monitoring opportunities (MOs) may be set by the second device 120 with respect to the inactivity period, i.e., via the monitoringSlot period, offset, duration, and monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot of the SearchSpace configuration.

[0068] In some embodiments, if a DCI indicating the deactivation of a cell discontinuous operation is received during an inactive period, the first device 110 can deactivate the cell discontinuous operation based on the received DCI. Alternatively, in addition to this, the first device 110 can activate further cell discontinuous operations among a plurality of cell discontinuous operations. For example, if a cell is currently configured and activated for cell DTX / DRX pattern 1 (e.g., cell DTX / DRX pattern 330) and wants to switch to cell DTX / DRX pattern 2 (e.g., cell DTX / DRX pattern 340), the first device 110 may be configured to monitor DCIs during the inactive period of the currently activated cell DTX / DRX pattern 1 (e.g., cell DTX / DRX pattern 330). Activating a DCI for cell DTX / DRX pattern 2 (e.g., cell DTX / DRX pattern 340) may mean deactivating cell DTX / DRX pattern 1, since only one cell DTX / DRX pattern can be active at a time.

[0069] In some embodiments, when both cell DTX and DRX are configured, the first device 110 can monitor DCI during the on-period of cell DTX, which may or may not coincide with the on-period of cell DRX. In some embodiments, there may be one or more monitoring opportunities defined relative to the first monitoring opportunity defined in the above embodiments.

[0070] Figure 5 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method 500 implemented in a first apparatus according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. For convenience of explanation, method 500 will be described in terms of the first apparatus 110 in Figure 1.

[0071] In block 510, the first device 110 receives configuration information from the network device related to downlink control information for operation for cell discontinuous operation of the cell. The configuration information indicates when to monitor downlink control information, and cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception.

[0072] In block 520, the first device 110 monitors downlink control information based on configuration information and the state of cell discontinuous operation.

[0073] In some embodiments, Method 500 further includes performing actions for cell discontinuous motion based on downlink control information.

[0074] In some embodiments, the configuration information indicates a time offset relative to the start of cell discontinuity, and the cell discontinuity is in a deactivated state. Method 500 includes determining a start time based on a first time offset and the start of cell discontinuity; monitoring downlink control information related to cell discontinuity from the start time; and activating cell discontinuity based on downlink control information indicating activation of cell discontinuity.

[0075] In some embodiments, the start of cell discontinuous operation may be the start of the inactive period in cell discontinuous operation, or the start of cell discontinuous operation may be the start of the active period in cell discontinuous operation.

[0076] In some embodiments, the configuration information indicates a time offset with respect to a switching boundary in cell discontinuous operation, and the cell discontinuous operation is in an activated state. Method 500 further includes determining a start time based on the time offset and the switching boundary, monitoring downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation from the start time, and performing deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation based on downlink control information indicating deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0077] In some embodiments, the time offset is relative to the switching boundary from active to inactive in discontinuous cell operation, or to the switching boundary from inactive to active in discontinuous cell operation.

[0078] In some embodiments, if a cell consists of multiple cell discontinuous operations and none of the multiple cell discontinuous operations are activated, the method 500 further includes monitoring downlink control information related to the default cell discontinuous operation among the multiple cell discontinuous operations during the active period of the default cell discontinuous operation, and activating one of the multiple cell discontinuous operations based on the downlink control information indicating the activation of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0079] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes a time offset relative to the start or end of the active period in the default cell discontinuity, and the method 500 further includes determining a start time based on the time offset and the state of the default cell discontinuity; monitoring downlink control information related to the cell discontinuity from the start time within the active period of the default cell discontinuity; and activating the cell discontinuity based on the downlink control information indicating the activation of the default cell discontinuity.

[0080] In some embodiments, the default cell discontinuity is either the first of several cell discontinuities, or explicitly indicated by the network device, or the last cell discontinuity to be activated among several cell discontinuities.

[0081] In some embodiments, a cell is composed of multiple cell discontinuous operations, one of which is in an activated state, and Method 500 further includes monitoring downlink control information associated with the cell discontinuous operation during the active period of the cell discontinuous operation, and deactivating the cell discontinuous operation based on downlink control information indicating deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0082] In some embodiments, Method 500 further includes monitoring downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation throughout the entire active period of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0083] In some embodiments, the configuration information indicates a time offset to the active-to-inactive switching boundary during the active period in cell discontinuous operation, and Method 500 further includes determining a start time based on the time offset and the active-to-inactive switching boundary, and monitoring downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation from the start time.

[0084] In some embodiments, Method 500 further includes, upon determination that downlink control information relating to cell discontinuous operation has been received, performing deactivation of cell discontinuous operation based on downlink control information indicating deactivation of cell discontinuous operation.

[0085] In some embodiments, Method 500 further includes activating a further cell discontinuous operation among a plurality of cell discontinuous operations.

[0086] In some embodiments, if a cell is composed of multiple cell discontinuous operations, and one of the multiple cell discontinuous operations is in an activated state, the method 500 further includes monitoring downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation during the inactive period of the cell discontinuous operation, and performing deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation based on the downlink control information indicating deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0087] In some embodiments, the configuration information indicates a time offset relative to the start or end of an inactive period in cell discontinuous operation, and Method 500 further includes determining a start time based on the time offset and the start or end of the inactive period, and monitoring downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation from the start time.

[0088] In some embodiments, Method 500 further includes deactivating a cell discontinuous operation upon determination that downlink control information indicating the deactivation of a cell discontinuous operation has been received during an inactive period, and activating a further cell discontinuous operation among a plurality of cell discontinuous operations.

[0089] In some embodiments, Method 500 further includes monitoring downlink control information indicating the operation in accordance with a period set by the network device.

[0090] In some embodiments, downlink control information is scrambled using a dedicated wireless network temporary identifier.

[0091] In some embodiments, the action for cell discontinuity includes either activating the cell discontinuity or deactivating the cell discontinuity.

[0092] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a terminal device.

[0093] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method 600 implemented in a second apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. For convenience of explanation, method 600 is described in terms of the second apparatus 120 in Figure 1.

[0094] In block 610, the second device 120 transmits configuration information to the terminal device associated with downlink control information for operation for cell discontinuous operation of the cell. The configuration information indicates when to monitor the downlink control information, and cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception.

[0095] In block 620, the second device 120 transmits downlink control information to the terminal device based on configuration information and the state of cell discontinuity operation.

[0096] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes a time offset relative to the start of the cell discontinuous operation configuration, and the cell discontinuous operation of the cell is in a deactivated state. The method 600 further includes transmitting downlink control information indicating the activation of the cell discontinuous operation configuration from a starting point based on the time offset and the start of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0097] In some embodiments, the start of cell discontinuous operation is either the start of the inactive period in cell discontinuous operation, or the start of cell discontinuous operation is the start of the active period in cell discontinuous operation.

[0098] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes a time offset relative to the switching boundary in the cell discontinuous operation, and the cell discontinuous operation of the cell is in an activated state. The method 600 further includes transmitting downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation from a starting point based on the time offset and the switching boundary.

[0099] In some embodiments, the time offset is relative to the active-to-inactive switching boundary in a cell discontinuous operation configuration, or the time offset is relative to the inactive-to-active switching boundary in a cell discontinuous operation configuration.

[0100] In some embodiments, the cell is composed of multiple cell discontinuous operations, and none of the multiple cell discontinuous operations are activated. The method 600 further includes transmitting downlink control information indicating activation of a cell discontinuous operation during the active period of the default cell discontinuous operation among the multiple cell discontinuous operations.

[0101] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes a time offset relative to the start or end of the active period in the default cell discontinuous operation, and the method 600 further includes transmitting downlink control information indicating the activation of the cell discontinuous operation from a starting point based on the time offset and the state of the default cell discontinuous operation.

[0102] In some embodiments, the default cell discontinuity is either the first of several cell discontinuities, or explicitly indicated by the network device, or the last cell discontinuity to be activated among several cell discontinuities.

[0103] In some embodiments, the cell is composed of multiple cell discontinuous operations, and one of the multiple cell discontinuous operations is in an activated state. Method 600 further includes transmitting downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation during the active period of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0104] In some embodiments, Method 600 further includes transmitting downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation throughout the entire active period of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0105] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes a time offset relative to the active-to-inactive switching boundary in the cell discontinuous operation configuration, and the method 600 further includes determining a start time and transmitting downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation from the start time based on the time offset and the active-to-inactive switching boundary.

[0106] In some embodiments, the cell is composed of multiple cell discontinuous operations, and one of the multiple cell discontinuous operations is in an activated state. Method 600 further includes transmitting downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation during the inactive period in the cell discontinuous operation configuration.

[0107] In some embodiments, the configuration information indicates a time offset relative to the start or end of an inactive period in cell discontinuous operation, and the method 600 further includes transmitting downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation from a starting point based on the time offset and the start or end of the inactive period.

[0108] In some embodiments, method 600 further includes transmitting downlink control information indicating the operation at intervals set by the network device.

[0109] In some embodiments, downlink control information is scrambled using a dedicated wireless network temporary identifier.

[0110] In some embodiments, the action for cell discontinuity includes either activating the cell discontinuity or deactivating the cell discontinuity.

[0111] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a network device.

[0112] In some embodiments, a first apparatus capable of performing any of the methods 500 (e.g., the first apparatus 110 in Figure 1) may include means for performing each operation of the method 500. These means may be implemented in any suitable form. For example, they may be implemented as a circuit or a software module. The first apparatus may be implemented as the first apparatus 110 in Figure 1, or incorporated therein.

[0113] In some embodiments, the first device includes means for receiving configuration information from a network device associated with downlink control information for operation for cell discontinuous operation of a cell, wherein the configuration information indicates when to monitor the downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception; and means for monitoring the downlink control information based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0114] In some embodiments, the first device further includes means for performing actions for cell discontinuity based on downlink control information.

[0115] In some embodiments, the configuration information indicates a time offset relative to the start of cell discontinuous operation, and the cell discontinuous operation is in an inactive state. The system includes means for determining a start time based on a first time offset and the start of cell discontinuous operation, means for monitoring downlink control information related to cell discontinuous operation from the start time, and means for activating cell discontinuous operation based on downlink control information indicating the activation of cell discontinuous operation.

[0116] In some embodiments, the start of cell discontinuous operation is either the start of the inactive period in cell discontinuous operation, or the start of cell discontinuous operation is the start of the active period in cell discontinuous operation.

[0117] In some embodiments, the configuration information indicates a time offset with respect to the switching boundary in the cell discontinuous operation, and the cell discontinuous operation is in an activated state. The configuration includes means for determining a start time based on the time offset and the switching boundary, means for monitoring downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation from the start time, and means for deactivating the cell discontinuous operation based on downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0118] In some embodiments, the time offset is relative to the switching boundary from active to inactive in cell discontinuous operation, or the time offset is relative to the switching boundary from inactive to active in cell discontinuous operation.

[0119] In some embodiments, the cell is composed of multiple cell discontinuous operations, and none of the multiple cell discontinuous operations are activated. The system includes means for monitoring downlink control information related to the default cell discontinuous operation during the active period of the default cell discontinuous operation among the multiple cell discontinuous operations, and means for activating one of the multiple cell discontinuous operations based on the downlink control information indicating the activation of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0120] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes a time offset to the start or end of the active period in the default cell discontinuity operation, and comprises means for determining a start time based on the time offset and the state of the default cell discontinuity operation, means for monitoring downlink control information related to the cell discontinuity operation from the start time within the active period of the default cell discontinuity operation, and means for activating the cell discontinuity operation based on downlink control information indicating the activation of the default cell discontinuity operation.

[0121] In some embodiments, the default cell discontinuity is either the first of several cell discontinuities, or explicitly indicated by the network device, or the last cell discontinuity to be activated among several cell discontinuities.

[0122] In some embodiments, the cell is composed of multiple cell discontinuous operations, and one of the cell discontinuous operations is in an activated state. The cell comprises means for monitoring downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation during the active period of the cell discontinuous operation, and means for deactivating the cell discontinuous operation based on downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0123] In some embodiments, the first device further includes means for monitoring downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation throughout the entire active period of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0124] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes a time offset relative to the active-to-inactive switching boundary during the active period in cell discontinuous operation, means for determining a start time based on the time offset and the active-to-inactive switching boundary, and means for monitoring downlink control information related to cell discontinuous operation from the start time.

[0125] In some embodiments, the first device further includes means for deactivating cell discontinuous operation based on downlink control information indicating deactivation of cell discontinuous operation, upon determination that downlink control information related to cell discontinuous operation has been received.

[0126] In some embodiments, the first apparatus further includes means for activating further cell discontinuous operations among a plurality of cell discontinuous operations.

[0127] In some embodiments, the cell is composed of multiple cell discontinuous operations, and one of the multiple cell discontinuous operations is in an activated state. The cell comprises means for monitoring downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation during the inactive period of the cell discontinuous operation, and means for deactivating the cell discontinuous operation based on the downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0128] In some embodiments, the configuration information indicates a time offset relative to the start or end of an inactive period in cell discontinuous operation, and includes means for determining a start time based on the time offset and the start or end of the inactive period, and means for monitoring downlink control information related to cell discontinuous operation from the start time.

[0129] In some embodiments, the first device further includes means for deactivating a cell discontinuous operation in accordance with the determination that downlink control information indicating the deactivation of a cell discontinuous operation has been received during the inactive period, and means for activating a further cell discontinuous operation among a plurality of cell discontinuous operations.

[0130] In some embodiments, the first device further includes means for monitoring downlink control information indicating the operation at intervals set by the network device.

[0131] In some embodiments, downlink control information is scrambled using a dedicated wireless network temporary identifier.

[0132] In some embodiments, the action for cell discontinuity includes either activating the cell discontinuity or deactivating the cell discontinuity.

[0133] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a terminal device.

[0134] In some embodiments, the first apparatus further comprises means for performing other operations in some embodiments of Method 500 or the first apparatus 110. In some embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory for storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus to perform operations.

[0135] In some embodiments, a second apparatus capable of performing any of the methods 600 (e.g., the second apparatus 120 in Figure 1) may include means for performing each operation of the methods 600. These means can be implemented in any suitable form. For example, they may be implemented as a circuit or a software module. The second apparatus may be implemented as or included in the second apparatus 120 in Figure 1.

[0136] In some embodiments, the second device comprises means for transmitting configuration information to a terminal device associated with downlink control information for operation for cell discontinuous operation of a cell, wherein the configuration information indicates when to monitor downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception; and means for transmitting downlink control information to the terminal device based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0137] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes a time offset relative to the start of the cell discontinuous operation configuration, and the cell discontinuous operation of the cell is in a deactivated state, and the configuration includes means for transmitting downlink control information indicating activation of the cell discontinuous operation configuration from a starting point based on the time offset and the start of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0138] In some embodiments, the start of cell discontinuous operation is either the start of the inactive period in cell discontinuous operation, or the start of cell discontinuous operation is the start of the active period in cell discontinuous operation.

[0139] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes a time offset relative to a switching boundary in cell discontinuous operation, and the cell discontinuous operation of the cell is in an activated state, and includes means for transmitting downlink control information indicating deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation from a starting point based on the time offset and switching boundary.

[0140] In some embodiments, the time offset is relative to the active-to-inactive switching boundary in a cell discontinuous operation configuration, or the time offset is relative to the inactive-to-active switching boundary in a cell discontinuous operation configuration.

[0141] In some embodiments, the cell is composed of multiple cell discontinuous operations, none of which are activated, and during the active period of the default cell discontinuous operation among the multiple cell discontinuous operations, the cell is provided with means for transmitting downlink control information indicating the activation of a cell discontinuous operation.

[0142] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes a time offset to the start or end of the active period in the default cell discontinuous operation, and includes means for transmitting downlink control information indicating activation of the cell discontinuous operation from a starting point based on the time offset and the state of the default cell discontinuous operation.

[0143] In some embodiments, the default cell discontinuity is either the first of several cell discontinuities, or explicitly indicated by the network device, or the last cell discontinuity to be activated among several cell discontinuities.

[0144] In some embodiments, the cell is composed of multiple cell discontinuous operations, and one of the multiple cell discontinuous operations is in an activated state. During the active period of the cell discontinuous operation, the cell is provided with means for transmitting downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0145] In some embodiments, the second device further includes means for transmitting downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation throughout the entire active period of the cell discontinuous operation.

[0146] In some embodiments, the configuration information includes a time offset relative to the active-to-inactive switching boundary in a cell discontinuous operation configuration, means for determining a start time, and means for transmitting downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation from the start time based on the time offset and the active-to-inactive switching boundary.

[0147] In some embodiments, the cell is composed of multiple cell discontinuous operations, and one of the cell discontinuous operations is in an activated state. The cell discontinuous operation configuration includes means for transmitting downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation during the inactive period.

[0148] In some embodiments, the configuration information indicates a time offset to the start or end of an inactive period in cell discontinuous operation, and includes means for transmitting downlink control information indicating the deactivation of cell discontinuous operation from a starting point based on the time offset and the start or end of the inactive period.

[0149] In some embodiments, the second device further includes means for transmitting downlink control information indicating the operation at intervals set by the network device.

[0150] In some embodiments, downlink control information is scrambled using a dedicated wireless network temporary identifier.

[0151] In some embodiments, the action for cell discontinuity includes either activating the cell discontinuity or deactivating the cell discontinuity.

[0152] In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a network device.

[0153] In some embodiments, the second apparatus further comprises means for performing other operations in some embodiments of Method 600 or the second apparatus 120. In some embodiments, the means comprises at least one processor and at least one memory for storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus to perform operations.

[0154] Figure 7 is a simplified block diagram of a device 700 suitable for implementing an embodiment of the present disclosure. The device 700 is provided for implementing communication devices such as the first device 110 and the second device 120 shown in Figure 1. As shown in the figure, the device 700 includes one or more processors 710, one or more memories 720 connected to the processors 710, and one or more communication modules 740 connected to the processors 710.

[0155] The communication module 740 is for bidirectional communication. The communication module 740 has one or more communication interfaces to facilitate communication with one or more other modules or devices. The communication interfaces can represent any interfaces necessary for communication with other network elements. In some embodiments, the communication module 740 may include at least one antenna.

[0156] The processor 710 is any type suitable for the technology network and, in non-limiting examples, may include one or more of general-purpose computers, dedicated computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multicore processor architectures. The device 700 may have multiple processors, such as application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips that are time-dependent to a clock that synchronizes the main processor.

[0157] Memory 720 may include one or more non-volatile memories and one or more volatile memories. Examples of non-volatile memories include, but are not limited to, read-only memory (ROM) 724, electrically rewritable read-only memory (EPROM), flash® memory, hard disks, compact discs (CDs), digital video discs (DVDs), optical discs, laser discs, and other magnetic and optical storage devices. Examples of volatile memories include, but are not limited to, random-access memory (RAM) 722 and other volatile memories that are not retained during power-off periods.

[0158] The computer program 730 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the associated processor 710. The instructions in program 730 may include instructions for performing operations / actions in some embodiments of the present disclosure. Program 730 may be stored in memory, for example, ROM 724. The processor 710 can perform any appropriate operations and processes by loading program 730 into RAM 722.

[0159] The embodiments of this disclosure are implemented by program 730, which enables the apparatus 700 to perform any of the processes of this disclosure described with reference to Figures 2 to 6. The embodiments of this disclosure may also be implemented by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0160] In some embodiments, the program 730 may be tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, either contained within the device 700 (e.g., in memory 720) or in another storage device accessible from the device 700. The device 700 can read the program 730 from the computer-readable medium into the RAM 722 for execution. In some embodiments, the computer-readable medium may include any type of non-temporary storage medium, such as ROM, EPROM, flash® memory, hard disk, CD, or DVD. The term "non-temporary" as used herein refers to the medium itself (i.e., tangible and not signal-based), and not to the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0161] Figure 8 shows an example of a computer-readable medium 800, which may take the form of a CD, DVD, or other optical disc. The computer-readable medium 800 stores a program 730.

[0162] In general, various embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented by hardware or dedicated circuitry, software, logic, or any combination thereof. Some embodiments may be implemented in hardware, while others may be implemented by firmware or software that can be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other arithmetic unit. Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described using block diagrams, flowcharts, or other illustrations, but it should be understood that the blocks, devices, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented, in non-limiting examples, by hardware, software, firmware, dedicated circuitry or logic, general-purpose hardware, controllers or other arithmetic units, or a combination thereof.

[0163] Some embodiments of this disclosure also provide at least one computer program product tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, such as a non-temporary computer-readable medium. This computer program product includes computer-executable instructions, such as those contained in a program module, which are executed on a device on a target physical or virtual processor to perform any of the methods described above. Generally, a program module includes routines, programs, libraries, objects, classes, components, data structures, etc., that perform a particular task or implement a particular abstract data type. The functionality of program modules may be combined or divided among program modules as needed in various embodiments. The machine-executable instructions for a program module may be executed in a local or distributed device. In a distributed device, the program module may reside on both local and remote storage media.

[0164] Program code for performing the methods of this disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages. The program code is 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, causes the functions / operations specified in the flowchart and / or block diagrams to be performed. The program code may run entirely on the machine, partially on the machine, run as a standalone software package, run partially on the machine and partially on a remote machine, or run entirely on a remote machine or server.

[0165] In the context of this disclosure, computer program code or related data may be transmitted by any suitable medium to enable a device, apparatus, or processor to perform various processes and operations as described above. Examples of such mediums include signals and computer-readable media.

[0166] Computer-readable media are computer-readable signal media or computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor systems, apparatus, devices, or appropriate combinations thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include electrical connections with one or more wires, portable computer floppy 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 appropriate combinations thereof.

[0167] Furthermore, while the operations are shown in a specific order, this does not mean that such operations must be performed in a specific order or sequentially as shown, or that all illustrated operations must be performed, in order to achieve the desired result. Under certain circumstances, multitasking or parallel processing may be advantageous. Similarly, the above description includes details of several specific embodiments, but these should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of this disclosure, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to a particular embodiment. Unless expressly stated, certain features described in the context of an individual embodiment may be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, unless expressly stated, various features described in the context of a single embodiment may be implemented individually or in any appropriate partial combination in multiple embodiments.

[0168] While this disclosure uses terminology specific to structural features and / or methodological actions, it should be understood that the disclosure as defined in the attached claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or actions described above. Rather, the specific features and actions described above are disclosed as exemplary forms for carrying out the claims.

Claims

1. It is a device, At least one processor, When executed by the at least one processor, the device: Receiving configuration information from a network device associated with downlink control information for operation for cell discontinuous operation of a cell, wherein the configuration information indicates when to monitor the downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception. Based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation, the downlink control information is monitored, At least one memory to store instructions to execute, A device equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned device is Based on the downlink control information, the operation for the cell discontinuity is performed. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is configured to do so.

3. The configuration information indicates a time offset relative to the start of the cell discontinuous operation, and the cell discontinuous operation is in an inactive state. The aforementioned device is The start time is determined based on the first time offset and the start of the cell discontinuous operation. From the aforementioned starting point, the downlink control information related to the discontinuous operation of the cell is monitored. Based on the downlink control information indicating the activation of the cell discontinuous operation, the activation of the cell discontinuous operation is performed. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is configured to do so.

4. The start of the discontinuous cell operation is either the start of the inactive period in the discontinuous cell operation, or The start of the discontinuous cell operation is the start of the active period in the discontinuous cell operation. The apparatus according to claim 3.

5. The configuration information indicates the time offset with respect to the switching boundary in the cell discontinuous operation, and the cell discontinuous operation is in an activated state. The aforementioned device is The start time is determined based on the aforementioned time offset and the aforementioned switching boundary. From the aforementioned starting point, the downlink control information related to the discontinuous operation of the cell is monitored. Based on the downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the discontinuous cell operation, the deactivation of the discontinuous cell operation is performed. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is configured to do so.

6. The aforementioned time offset is relative to the switching boundary from active to inactive in the discontinuous operation of the cell, or The aforementioned time offset is relative to the switching boundary from inactive to active in the discontinuous operation of the cell. The apparatus according to claim 5.

7. The cell is composed of multiple discontinuous cell movements, and none of the multiple discontinuous cell movements are activated. The aforementioned device is During the active period of the default cell discontinuity among the multiple cell discontinuity operations, the downlink control information related to the cell discontinuity operation is monitored. Based on the downlink control information indicating the activation of the cell discontinuous operation, the activation of the cell discontinuous operation among the plurality of cell discontinuous operations is performed. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is configured to do so.

8. The configuration information includes a time offset relative to the start or end of the active period in the default cell discontinuous operation. The aforementioned device is The start time is determined based on the aforementioned time offset and the default cell discontinuous operation state. From the start time within the active period in the default cell discontinuous operation, the downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation is monitored. Based on the downlink control information indicating the activation of the default cell discontinuous operation, the activation of the cell discontinuous operation is performed. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein it is configured to do so.

9. The default cell discontinuity described above is either the first of the multiple cell discontinuities described above, or The default cell discontinuity operation is either explicitly indicated by the network device or The default cell discontinuity described above is the cell discontinuity that was last activated among the multiple cell discontinuities described above. The apparatus according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The cell is composed of multiple discontinuous cell movements, and one of the multiple discontinuous cell movements is in an activated state. The aforementioned device is During the active period of the cell discontinuous operation, the downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation is monitored. Based on the downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the discontinuous cell operation, the deactivation of the discontinuous cell operation is performed. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is configured to do so.

11. The aforementioned device is During the entire active period of the cell discontinuous operation, the downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation is monitored. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein it is configured to do so.

12. The configuration information indicates the time offset relative to the switching boundary from active to inactive during the active period in the cell discontinuous operation. The aforementioned device is The start time is determined based on the aforementioned time offset and the active-to-inactive switching boundary. From the aforementioned starting point, the downlink control information related to the discontinuous operation of the cell is monitored. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein it is configured to do so.

13. The aforementioned device is In accordance with the determination that the downlink control information related to the discontinuous operation of the cell has been received, Based on the downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the discontinuous cell operation, the deactivation of the discontinuous cell operation is performed. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein it is configured to do so.

14. The aforementioned device is Activating further cell discontinuities among the aforementioned multiple cell discontinuities, The apparatus according to claim 13, which is configured in such a way.

15. The cell is composed of multiple discontinuous cell movements, and one of the multiple discontinuous cell movements is in an activated state. The aforementioned device is During the inactive period of the cell discontinuous operation, the downlink control information related to the cell discontinuous operation is monitored. Based on the downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the discontinuous cell operation, the deactivation of the discontinuous cell operation is performed. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is configured to do so.

16. The configuration information indicates a time offset relative to the start or end of the inactive period in the cell discontinuous operation. The aforementioned device is Based on the aforementioned time offset and the start or end of the inactive period, the start time is determined. From the aforementioned starting point, the downlink control information related to the discontinuous operation of the cell is monitored. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein it is configured to do so.

17. The aforementioned device is In accordance with the determination that the downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation has been received during the aforementioned inactive period, The deactivation of the aforementioned cell discontinuous operation is performed, Activating further cell discontinuities among the aforementioned multiple cell discontinuities, The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein it is configured to do so.

18. The aforementioned device is The downlink control information indicating the operation is monitored at intervals set by the network device. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the apparatus is configured to be such.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the downlink control information is scrambled by a dedicated wireless network temporary identifier.

20. The operation for the aforementioned cell discontinuity is, Activation of the aforementioned cell discontinuous operation, or Deactivation of the aforementioned cell discontinuous operation, The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 19, including one of the above.

21. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the apparatus includes a terminal device.

22. It is a device, At least one processor, When executed by the at least one processor, the device: Transmitting configuration information to a terminal device associated with downlink control information for operation against cell discontinuous operation of a cell, wherein the configuration information indicates when to monitor the downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception. To transmit the downlink control information to the terminal device based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation, At least one memory to store instructions to execute, A device equipped with the following features.

23. The configuration information includes a time offset relative to the start of the cell discontinuous operation configuration, and the cell discontinuous operation of the cell is in an inactive state. The aforementioned device is From the start time based on the time offset and the start of the cell discontinuous operation, the downlink control information indicating the activation of the cell discontinuous operation configuration is transmitted. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein it is configured to do so.

24. The start of the discontinuous cell operation is either the start of the inactive period in the discontinuous cell operation, or The start of the cell discontinuous operation is the start of the active period in the cell discontinuous operation. The apparatus according to claim 23.

25. The configuration information includes a time offset with respect to the switching boundary in the cell discontinuous operation, and the cell discontinuous operation of the cell is in an activated state. The aforementioned device is From the start time based on the time offset and the switching boundary, the downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation is transmitted. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein it is configured to do so.

26. The aforementioned time offset is relative to the switching boundary from active to inactive in the cell discontinuous operation configuration, or The aforementioned time offset is relative to the switching boundary from inactive to active in the cell discontinuous operation configuration. The apparatus according to claim 25.

27. The cell is composed of multiple discontinuous cell movements, and none of the multiple discontinuous cell movements are activated. The aforementioned device is During the active period of the default cell discontinuity among the multiple cell discontinuity operations, the downlink control information indicating the activation of the cell discontinuity operation is transmitted. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein it is configured to do so.

28. The configuration information includes a time offset relative to the start or end of the active period in the default cell discontinuous operation. The aforementioned device is From a starting point based on the aforementioned time offset and the default state of cell discontinuous operation, the downlink control information indicating the activation of the cell discontinuous operation is transmitted. The apparatus according to claim 27, which is configured in such a way.

29. The default cell discontinuity described above is either the first of the multiple cell discontinuities described above, or The default cell discontinuity operation is either explicitly indicated by the network device or The default cell discontinuity described above is the cell discontinuity that was last activated among the multiple cell discontinuities described above. The apparatus according to claim 27 or 28.

30. The cell is composed of multiple discontinuous cell movements, and one of the multiple discontinuous cell movements is in an activated state. The aforementioned device is During the active period of the cell discontinuous operation, the downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation is transmitted. The apparatus according to claim 22.

31. The aforementioned device is During the entire active period of the cell discontinuous operation, the downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation is transmitted. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein it is configured to do so.

32. The configuration information includes a time offset relative to the switching boundary from active to inactive in the cell discontinuous operation configuration, The aforementioned device is Determine the starting point, From the start time based on the time offset and the active-to-inactive switching boundary, the downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation is transmitted. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein it is configured to do so.

33. The cell is composed of multiple discontinuous cell movements, and one of the multiple discontinuous cell movements is in an activated state. The aforementioned device is During the inactive period in the cell discontinuous operation configuration, the downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation is transmitted. The apparatus according to claim 22, wherein it is configured to do so.

34. The configuration information indicates a time offset relative to the start or end of the inactive period in the cell discontinuous operation. The aforementioned device is From a start time based on the time offset and the start or end of the inactive period, the downlink control information indicating the deactivation of the cell discontinuous operation is transmitted. The apparatus according to claim 33, which is configured in such a way.

35. The aforementioned device is The network device transmits the downlink control information indicating the operation at intervals set by the network device. The apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 34, wherein the apparatus is configured to do so.

36. The apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 35, wherein the downlink control information is scrambled by a dedicated wireless network temporary identifier.

37. The operation for the aforementioned cell discontinuity is, Activation of the aforementioned cell discontinuous operation, or Deactivation of the aforementioned cell discontinuous operation, The apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 36, including one of the above.

38. The apparatus according to any one of claims 22 to 37, wherein the apparatus includes a network device.

39. In the device, receiving configuration information associated with downlink control information for operation against cell discontinuous operation of a cell, wherein the configuration information indicates when to monitor the downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception. Based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation, the downlink control information is monitored, Methods that include...

40. In the device, the device transmits configuration information to a terminal device associated with downlink control information for operation for cell discontinuous operation of a cell, wherein the configuration information indicates when to monitor the downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception. To transmit the downlink control information to the terminal device based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation, Methods that include...

41. Means for receiving configuration information from a network device associated with downlink control information for operation for cell discontinuous operation of a cell, wherein the configuration information indicates when to monitor the downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception, Means for monitoring the downlink control information based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation, A device equipped with the following features.

42. Means for transmitting configuration information to a terminal device, associated with downlink control information relating to the operation of a cell discontinuous operation, wherein the configuration information indicates when to monitor the downlink control information, and the cell discontinuous operation includes at least one of cell discontinuous transmission or cell discontinuous reception. Means for transmitting downlink control information to the terminal device based on the configuration information and the state of the cell discontinuous operation, A device equipped with the following features.

43. A computer-readable medium storing instructions for causing a device to perform at least the method described in claim 39 or 40.

Images