Mapping of the paging early indicator to multiple paging opportunities

Abstract

A method (1200) by a wireless device (110) includes receiving (1202) a paging early indicator (PEI) configuration from a network node (160) including an indication of a mapping of a PEI to multiple Paging Occasions (POs). The wireless device receives (1204) the PEI from the network node. Based on the mapping of the PEI to the multiple POs, the wireless device monitors (1206) a shared channel for the multiple POs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to wireless communication, and more particularly to systems and methods for mapping a paging early indicator (PEI) to multiple paging opportunities (POs).

Background Art

[0002] User equipment (UE) in the fifth generation (5G) / NR (New Radio) in the RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE states operates in a so-called discontinuous reception (DRX) mode. In this mode, the UE wakes up sometimes according to a scheme set by the network (NW) and listens to the paging channel. When the NW is interested in the connection with the UE, the NW pages the UE at the set timing, and the UE establishes a connection with the NW. The paging message from the NW is initiated by the core NW (CN) or a base station (such as a gNB). More specifically, the paging initiated by the CN is used to reach the UE in the RRC_IDLE state, and the paging initiated by the gNB (also known as RAN (Radio Access Node) paging) is used to reach the UE in the RRC_INACTIVE state.

[0003] The paging message from the NW is carried through a combination of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) / physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), similar to other data scheduled in the downlink (DL). When there is DL data for the UE, the NW transmits a downlink control information (DCI) container including details about where and how the UE can find the data in the PDSCH on the PDCCH. There are various forms of DCI in the 3GPP (registered trademark) specifications. In 3GPP TS38.212, it is described that a DCI format such as DCI format 1_0 is used for the paging message, and the cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits of the DCI are scrambled with a specific value called a P-RNTI (paging - radio network temporary identifier) (0XFFFE).

[0004] The NW typically constitutes multiple paging opportunities for each DRX cycle. For example, the NW can constitute 8 paging opportunities (POs) within a 1.28 - second DRX cycle. The paging configuration that specifies the amount and in - time position of the POs is broadcast in the system information (SI) as part of, for example, the SIB1 content. When a UE registers with the NW, an ID of the UE called 5G - Shortened - Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identifier (5G - S - TMSI) is assigned. This ID is used by the UE and the NW in a formula specified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) to derive in which scenarios the UE should listen for the possibility of a paging message. It should be noted that multiple UEs may listen for the possibility of a paging message at exactly the same opportunity (i.e., within the same PO). When a UE detects paging DCI (DCI1_0 with a P - RNTI - scrambled CRC), the UE needs to examine the payload of the PDSCH to check if its ID exists and thus whether the paging message is for it.

[0005] The payload of the PDSCH can potentially contain up to 32 IDs. Thus, up to 32 UEs can be paged at the same opportunity. Even if the 5G - S - TMSI ID of the UE is used in the opportunity - derivation formula, the ID that the UE looks for within the PDSCH may be of a different type. For example, when the UE is in the RRC_IDLE state, the UE looks for its 5G - S - TMSI (the paging message initiated by the CN). However, when the UE is in the RRC_INACTIVE state, since the RRC_INACTIVE state UE can be paged by the CN or the RAN, the UE needs to look for both the 5G - S - TMSI and the ID of the Inactive Radio Network Temporary Identifier (I - RNTI) assigned by the RAN.

[0006] The content of 3GPP Release 16 DL paging-related DCI format 1-0 (CRC scrambled by P-RNTI) used for scheduling paging-related PDSCH is described in 3GPP TS38.212 and includes the following: - Short message indicator (2 bits) - Short message (8 bits). This bit field is reserved if only paging scheduling information is transmitted. Bits 4 to 8 are reserved for future use. - Frequency domain resource allocation (variable bit length depending on bandwidth (BW)) - This bit field is reserved if only a short message is transmitted. - Time domain resource allocation (4 bits). This bit field is reserved if only a short message is transmitted. - Virtual resource block (VRB) - physical resource block (PRB) mapping (1 bit). This bit field is reserved if only a short message is transmitted. - Modulation and coding scheme (5 bits). This bit field is reserved if only a short message is transmitted. - Transport block (TB) scaling (2 bits). This bit field is reserved if only a short message is transmitted. - Reserved bits - 8 bits when operating in a cell sharing spectrum channel access, otherwise 6 bits Note that there are some reserved bits for future use.

[0007] In NR Release 15, multiple synchronization signals (i.e., synchronization signal blocks (SSBs)) are configured for each cell and can cover spatially different regions. The SSB is transmitted in the SSB burst mode. A typical SSB burst period is 20 ms. For example, when only one SSB is transmitted within a cell (assumed for simplicity throughout the remainder of this document), the same SSB is transmitted within the cell every 20 ms. Figure 1 shows the SSB transmission for different subcarrier spacings (SCS).

[0008] The paging signals (PDCCH and PDSCH) are defined to have a pseudo positional relationship with the SSB within the cell. That is, a UE that receives an SSB with a certain receiver configuration can rely on the same spatial RX configuration and timing / frequency (T / F) offset being valid for paging reception. In an NR UE, channel estimation is usually performed with the SSB before the PO to enable proper reception of the paging signal. The number of SSBs required for channel estimation before PO reception depends on the coverage level recognized by the UE, whether the reception is for PDCCH only or both PDCCH / PDSCH, the hardware architecture (such as the number of Rx chains), etc.

[0009] Each PO monitoring operation is associated with important processing in the UE. Specifically, the UE needs to wake up before the PO time, collect PDCCH samples, and perform tentative decoding to obtain the T / F synchronization for paging PDCCH reception. Depending on the signal-to-noise ratio (SINR), the UE may need to use multiple SSBs for loop convergence in preparation for the possibility of paging PDSCH reception, and the T / F synchronization overhead becomes very large compared to the PO monitoring (PDCCH reception of the PO) itself.

[0010] To potentially reduce that overhead, the PEI signal can be used to indicate to the UE whether paging signals (PDCCH / PDSCH) are expected at future POs. If there are no paging signals to be received and thus the PEI does not indicate the need to monitor the PO, the UE may skip the high-quality loop convergence operation and instead transition to a deep sleep state (low power consumption state). On the other hand, if the PEI indicates that paging PDCCH / PDSCH is expected, the UE monitors the PDCCH to check whether it is targeted for the reception of the PDSCH in preparation for the reception of the PDSCH.

[0011] In an exemplary implementation, the UE periodically decodes / searches for the PEI at a pre-set timing. If there is imminent data scheduled by the NW for the UE, the NW transmits the PEI (which may also be referred to as a wake-up signal (WUS)). Based on the PEI, the UE wakes up, prepares for reception (channel estimation), and knows that it has to receive potential messages at the designated timing. Figure 2 shows the PEI signal transmitted by the NW in addition to the existing paging-related transmissions. Specifically, Figure 2 shows transmitting the PEI at an extra opportunity before data scheduling.

[0012] However, there are also certain problems. For example, PEI transmission is an additional cost for the idle-mode NW / gNB in terms of resources that cannot be used for data transmission and the need to wake up from the sleep state to perform an additional transmission. Furthermore, some UEs may operate in traffic types that lead to a large number of PEI transmissions. Also, the NW may need to become active periodically just to transmit the PEI. Additionally, in the 3GPP discussion, the PEI is considered to have a one-to-one mapping, that is, one PEI for each PO. This means that the NW has to transmit one additional signal in the idle mode for each PO, increasing the NW overhead and power consumption.

[0013] Therefore, a setting method for restricting the number of PEI transmissions is required.

Summary of the Invention

[0014] Certain aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure may provide solutions to these problems or other problems. For example, certain embodiments provide a one-to-many PEI mapping that instructs a UE or UE group such that the PEI monitors paging in a number of consecutive POs. Further, or alternatively, certain embodiments enable the same PEI to target multiple UEs that potentially have different POs.

[0015] According to certain embodiments, a method by a wireless device includes receiving, from a network node, a PEI configuration including an indication of a mapping of a PEI to a plurality of paging opportunities. The wireless device receives the PEI from the network node. Based on the mapping of the PEI to the plurality of paging opportunities, the wireless device monitors a shared channel among the plurality of paging opportunities.

[0016] According to certain embodiments, a wireless device is adapted to receive, from a network node, a PEI configuration including an indication of a mapping of a PEI to a plurality of paging opportunities. The wireless device is configured to receive the PEI from the network node. Based on the mapping of the PEI to the plurality of paging opportunities, the wireless device is adapted to monitor a shared channel among the plurality of paging opportunities.

[0017] According to certain embodiments, a wireless device includes a memory storing instructions, and a processor operable to execute instructions to cause the wireless device to receive, from a network node, a PEI configuration including an indication of a mapping of a PEI to a plurality of paging opportunities. The processor is further operable to receive the PEI from the network node and to monitor a shared channel among the plurality of paging opportunities based on the mapping of the PEI to the plurality of paging opportunities.

[0018] According to certain embodiments, a method by a network node includes transmitting, to at least one wireless device, a PEI configuration including an indication of a mapping from a first PEI to a plurality of paging opportunities. Based on the mapping, the network node transmits the PEI to the at least one wireless device to trigger monitoring of a shared channel among the plurality of paging opportunities by the at least one wireless device.

[0019] According to certain embodiments, a network node is adapted to transmit, to at least one wireless device, a PEI configuration including an indication of a mapping from a first PEI to a plurality of paging opportunities. Based on the mapping, the network node is adapted to transmit the PEI to the at least one wireless device to trigger monitoring of a shared channel among the plurality of paging opportunities by the at least one wireless device.

[0020] According to certain embodiments, a network node includes a memory storing instructions and a processor operable to execute the instructions to transmit, to at least one wireless device, a PEI configuration including an indication of a mapping between a first PEI and a plurality of paging opportunities. Based on the mapping, the processor is adapted to transmit the PEI to the at least one wireless device to trigger monitoring of a shared channel among the plurality of paging opportunities by the at least one wireless device.

[0021] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. For example, one technical advantage is that certain embodiments improve the energy efficiency of the NW by reducing the overhead of the PEI, freeing resources for data transmission, or remaining in the sleep state for a longer time, where the UE is instructed to monitor multiple consecutive POs for each individual PEI transmission or multiple POs are associated with the same PEI. As another example, the technical advantage is that certain embodiments use NW implementation guidelines for selecting an appropriate one-to-many mapping configuration based on considerations of NW performance, UE performance, NW energy efficiency (EE), and UE EE to ensure the robustness of PEI transmission.

[0022] Other advantages will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Certain embodiments may have none, some, or all of the recited advantages.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] To more fully understand the disclosed embodiments and their features and advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0024]

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[0025] Here, some of the embodiments contemplated herein will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other embodiments are within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0026] In general, all terms used in this specification shall be construed in accordance with their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field, unless a different meaning is clearly given and / or is not implied from the context in which they are used. References to an element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc. shall all be construed broadly as referring to at least one instance of that element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of the methods disclosed herein need not be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless the step is explicitly described as following or preceding another step and / or unless it is implicitly described that the step must follow or precede another step. Any feature of any of the embodiments disclosed herein can be applied to other embodiments, where appropriate. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment can be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. Other objects, features, and advantages of the enclosed embodiments will become apparent from the following description.

[0027] In some embodiments, the more general term "network node" may be used and may correspond to any type of radio network node or any network node that communicates with a UE (directly or via another node) and / or with another network node. Examples of network nodes include NodeB, a master eNodeB (MeNB), a network node belonging to a master cell group (MCG) or a secondary cell group (SCG), a base station (BS), a multi-standard radio (MSR) radio node such as an MSR BS, an eNodeB (eNB), a gNodeB (gNB), a network controller, a radio network controller (RNC), a base station controller (BSC), a relay, a donor node that controls the relay, a base transceiver station (BTS), an access point (AP), a transmission point, a transmission node, a remote radio unit (RRU), a remote radio head (RRH), a node of a distributed antenna system (DAS), a core network node (e.g., a mobile switching center (MSC), a mobility management entity (MME), etc.), an operation and maintenance (O&M), an operation support system (OSS), a self-organizing network (SON), a positioning node (such as an evolved serving mobile location center (E-SMLC)), a minimization of drive tests (MDT), a test device (physical node or software), etc.

[0028] In some embodiments, the non-limiting terms "user equipment (UE)" or "wireless device" may be used and may refer to any type of wireless device that communicates with a network node and / or another UE in a cellular communication system or a mobile communication system. Examples of UEs include a target device, a device-to-device (D2D) UE, a machine type UE or a UE capable of machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet, a mobile terminal, a smartphone, a laptop embedded equipment (LEE), a laptop-mounted equipment (LME), a universal serial bus (USB) dongle, a UE category M1, a UE category M2, a proximity service UE (ProSe UE), a vehicle-to-vehicle UE (V2V UE), a vehicle-to-any UE (V2X UE), etc.

[0029] Furthermore, terms such as BS / gNB and UE should be regarded as non-limiting and do not particularly imply a specific hierarchical relationship between the two. Generally, gNB is regarded as device 1 and UE is regarded as device 2, and these two devices communicate with each other via some wireless channel. Furthermore, the transmitter or receiver may be either gNB or UE.

[0030] Note that throughout the document, the term idle / IDLE is used to refer to both the RRC_IDLE and RRC_INACTIVE states.

[0031] According to certain embodiments, the NW may provide the configuration of the PEI to the UEs within a cell, or to the UEs within a group of cells, for example, via a system information block (SIB) based on a paging configuration. Furthermore, according to certain embodiments, the NW may have the option to configure the PEI for one-to-one (i.e., one PEI per PO) or one-to-many (i.e., one PEI for multiple POs). However, the focus of the present disclosure is on the latter, i.e., where the PEI is configured to have a one-to-many mapping, and thus one PEI refers to multiple POs instead of the baseline one-to-one mapping between the PEI and the PO. According to certain embodiments, systems, methods, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for the NW to set the one-to-many option and be able to transmit the PEI associated with multiple POs.

[0032] Furthermore, the systems, methods, and techniques disclosed herein are applicable to any type of PEI (e.g., DCI-based, or sequence-based, e.g., SSB- or tracking reference signal (TRS)-based) unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0033] A single PEI from the NW wakes up multiple POs for different UEs According to certain embodiments, multiple UEs monitoring different POs may be configured to monitor the same PEI. As a result, the PEI may need to be transmitted less frequently compared to the case where one PEI is transmitted per PO. From the NW side perspective, this can be regarded as a one-to-many mapping in that one PEI corresponds to multiple POs monitored by different UEs. However, from the UE's perspective, this can be regarded as a one-to-one PEI and there is no change in referring to one PO. In other words, in certain embodiments, the one-to-many configuration may be transparent to the UE.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows an exemplary scenario 20 for using a single PEI to wake up multiple UEs having different POs according to certain embodiments. More specifically, FIG. 3 depicts two UEs configured to have different POs. Each UE is configured to have a PEI search window (i.e., a potential PEI monitoring opportunity). In certain embodiments, the PEI search window may be defined by Pei-PO-OffsetStart and Pei-PO-OffsetStop. However, such start / stop offsets are merely exemplary and other options may be introduced to define the PEI search window.

[0035] According to certain embodiments, the UE monitors the PEI within the region of the PEI search window, and when a PEI indicating the presence of a paging message (e.g., for the UE) is detected, the UE wakes up for the corresponding PO and knows to monitor paging.

[0036] To enable two UEs with different PO positions to share the same PEI, the configuration can be implemented using individual configurations, reference POs, and / or UE groupings.

[0037] For example, when configured individually, the UE / PO related to PEI is configured with different start offsets and stop offsets. As a result, in certain embodiments, the PEI search windows partially or fully overlap. Therefore, individual PEI search window configurations corresponding to different POs are required.

[0038] As another example, when a reference PO is used, the UE / PO related to PEI, in addition to being configured with the PO, may also be configured with respective reference points in certain embodiments.

[0039] Examples of such reference points can include specific system frame numbers (SFNs), but as shown in FIG. 3, this reference point can also be used as the reference PO. With the setting of the PEI search window, the start offset and stop offset related to this reference PO are specified, and the UE needs to recognize that when the PEI is found, it should wake up to monitor the paging of its own PO after the reference PO or as soon as possible. Thus, in this approach, considering that the PEI search windows are the same, groups of POs can be associated with the same PEI, and therefore, the PEI received within the search window can be regarded as an instruction for multiple POs.

[0040] In another specific embodiment, the reference PO can be regarded as the starting point of PEI applicability, that is, the PEI configuration is applicable from the reference PO. Thus, in one approach, the PEI configuration can include one parameter that defines whether the PEI is applicable to one or more POs (if there are multiple POs, it means a plurality of consecutive POs). For example, the parameter can be configured as any integer within the range of, for example, 1,..., 10. For example, when the parameter shows a value of 3, it means that each PEI is associated with three consecutive POs. Therefore, in this scenario, if the UE knows the reference PO as the starting PO and also knows the one-to-many parameter, the UE can know how each received PEI is associated with different multiple POs. For example, the NW can send the first PEI and the second PEI. The first PEI is associated with the first three POs after or including the reference PO (assuming the one-to-many parameter is set to 3), and the second PEI is associated with the next three POs.

[0041] In a specific embodiment, the NW can configure N paging opportunities for each DRX cycle or reference duration (for example, 1 SFN cycle, 1.024 seconds, 1.28 seconds). The NW can configure the parameter M through the upper-layer configuration to indicate that one PEI is associated with M consecutive POs. For example, if N = 128 POs are set and M = 4, the first PEI is associated with PO0,1,2,3, and the second PEI is associated with PO4,5,6,7.

[0042] In a specific embodiment, it is possible to link the PEI to the reference PO and indicate the need to monitor the POs from the current reference PO to the next reference PO. This is equivalent to configuring the above integer to be equal to the number of POs between adjacent reference POs, but no explicit parameter is used.

[0043] Since the DRX periodicity may vary depending on the UE, the reference PO may set a DRX offset different from the UE's DRX period. When the DRX period of the reference PO (such as 256 ms) is shorter than the DRX period of the UE (such as 1.28 seconds), the UE can ignore the reference PO without a corresponding PO and use the reference PO closest to the set PO. Using the example of reference = 256 ms and DRX periodicity of 1.28 seconds, the UE has four reference POs for each PO, and the UE selects one of these reference POs to monitor.

[0044] Conversely, when the reference period is longer than the UE's DRX period and there is no reference PO corresponding to the UE's PO, in certain embodiments, the UE can continue to sleep without monitoring paging. In another embodiment, the UE may use its own set PO as a reference. In yet another embodiment, the UE may use the closest reference PO preceding its configured PO. In yet another embodiment, the UE may directly monitor the PO without waiting for the PEI.

[0045] As yet another example, when UE grouping is used to execute the configuration, according to certain embodiments, a group of UEs configured to use multiple POs (e.g., different UEs within the group are mapped to different POs) is configured with the same PEI configuration.

[0046] In certain embodiments, the PEI indication indicating the availability of paging applies to all relevant POs. For example, if UE1 is at PO1 and UE2 is at PO2, but both receive the same PEI and the PEI indicates the presence or absence of paging, both UEs need to monitor the paging of PO1 and PO2.

[0047] In another specific embodiment, when the PEI is DCI-based, the PEI payload may include a bit field (e.g., the pei-poMapping field) indicating which of the associated POs include paging. This bit field can be configured as part of the PEI configuration or can be pre-configured, for example, as part of a standardization specification. For example, as described above, a one-to-many PEI is configured via the one-to-many parameter of the PEI configuration. When the parameter is greater than 1, the UE can automatically assume that the potential bit field indicating the presence of paging has increased by, for example, 1 bit. In this case, each bit can be used, for example, to indicate which PO includes a paging message.

[0048] In a specific embodiment, the number K of POs to which the PEI is mapped may exceed the number L of bits in the bit field. In various embodiments, multiple POs may be adjacent / continuous or the sets may be interleaved (one set is included for every L-th PO with a set-specific offset).

[0049] In a specific embodiment, the PEI indicating the availability of paging is applied to all associated POs. For example, if UE1 is in PO1 and UE2 is in PO2, and both UEs receive the same PEI and the PEI indicates the presence or absence of paging, both UEs need to monitor paging in their respective POs. Specifically, UE1 monitors PO1 and UE2 monitors PO2.

[0050] In another embodiment, when the PEI is DCI-based, the PEI payload can include a bit field indicating which of the associated POs include paging and, optionally, for which sub-group of UEs within a particular PO paging is intended. The bit field can be set as part of the PEI configuration. Alternatively, the bit field can also be pre-configured as part of the standardization specification. For example, as described above, a one-to-many PEI is configured via the one-to-many parameter of the PEI configuration, and if the parameter is greater than 1, the UE can automatically assume that the potential bit field indicating the presence of paging has increased by 1 bit. For example, the DCI may include an M-bit bit field, which may be included one by one in each of the M POs associated with the PEI. In this case, each bit can be used to indicate which PO contains the paging message.

[0051] Figure 4 shows an exemplary DCI mapping 40 of a PEI in which one PEI is mapped to multiple POs, according to a particular embodiment. More specifically, Figure 4 shows an exemplary DCI in which the DCI of one PEI includes an indication for four paging opportunities (indicated by POs with indices n, n+1, n+2, n+3), and has one field for each paging opportunity. For each paging opportunity, the field size can be 1 or greater, depending on the number of sub-groups configured for the corresponding paging opportunity.

[0052] When the PEI is sequence-based, e.g., SSB-based or TRS-based, the first sequence can indicate that all related POs should be monitored for paging (or vice versa if the indication means lack of paging), the second sequence can indicate that the first related PO may include paging, and the third sequence can indicate that the second related PO may include paging. Combinations are also possible. For example, the fourth sequence indicates that the first and second POs may include paging, and the fifth sequence indicates that only the third related PO includes paging, etc. The sequences may differ in at least one detectable characteristic, e.g., different scrambling codes, sequence generators, time or frequency assignments, etc. Further, the sequences may be configured through upper layer signaling or may be pre-configured, for example, as part of a standardized document. FIG. 5 shows a high-level logical flow of an exemplary scenario where a network node signals a single PEI for multiple POs according to an embodiment. In step 50, the number of POs related to the PEI is determined. By using a large number of POs, the overhead of the PEI is limited, but the UE needs to wake up more frequently to monitor paging. In particular, when the PEI indication for paging is applicable to all and the PEI does not come with an individual level indication of paging, a large number of POs related to the PEI may also lead to throughput loss due to additional waiting time. For example, if the NW indicates that there is no paging for the next 10 POs and information arrives during that time, the NW needs to wait until the next DRX sends paging.

[0053] The number of consecutive paging references to be made can depend on various references: - In some embodiments, it is based on previous knowledge or measurements regarding the traffic of a particular UE. This includes traffic patterns, acceptable delays, etc. - If one PEI can only support a limited number of UEs and it is necessary to limit the number of simultaneous PEI transmissions, one-to-many mapping can be used to associate the same PO with multiple PEIs. - In another embodiment, the PEI is provided to a UE at the same opportunity as the PO associated with another UE. FIG. 6 shows a scenario 60 where a network node uses the PDCCH of the PO assigned to UE1 to transmit the PEI for the PO assigned to UE2. As a result, the network node is using an existing transmission to transmit the PEI for the UE. The network node only needs to additionally transmit the PEI when a UE is not paged at all for a certain PO (see the last cycle of the timeline in FIG. 6). In conventional or other techniques, the currently reserved bits of the paging DCI (DCI1-0 with CRC scrambled by P-RNTI) can be used. When one-to-many mapping is used, in some cases, additional PEI transmissions without simultaneous paging can be avoided. - To determine the number of POs, in another approach or together with the previous approach, the network node can consider the average paging rate of each PO and select the number of POs such that the overall paging rate of multiple POs is maintained below a threshold. For example, if the individual average paging rate of a PO is 10% and the network node wants to keep the overall paging rate of multiple POs associated with the same PEI below 50%, up to 6 POs can be associated with the same PEI. - The number of multiple POs mapped to the same PEI may further be based on the impact of false paging. Increasing the number of POs increases false paging. Generally, when the false paging rate of a single PO is above a threshold (e.g., 75% or more), the further increase by combining multiple POs may be negligible for the UE's EE. The network node can also consider that the effective increase in false paging is a combined effect of multiple POs and the resolution of the above-mentioned PEI bitmap. The number of POs mapped to one PEI and the selection of its pattern (continuous, interleaved, etc.) are jointly considered at the network node based on model-based estimates or measurements and reported EE performance, taking into account the PEI transmission resource overhead in the network node, the impact of PEI transmission on the EE of the NW, the impact of UE false paging on the EE of the UE, and the impact of PEI monitoring on the EE of the UE.

[0054] Returning to Figure 5, at step 52, the network node notifies the UE of the one-to-many PEI configuration. The network node can determine, at step 54, the POs to page the UE. At step 56, the network node transmits to the UE a PEI for one of the plurality of possible POs. Paging is transmitted to the UE within the PO at step 58. More detailed examples of the implementation of these steps will be described later with respect to at least Figures 22 and 24.

[0055] According to a particular embodiment, the network node can provide the PEI configuration using higher layer signaling such as, for example, SI broadcast. Thereby, the UE can receive the PEI configuration, monitor the PEI, and when it is indicated that there is a paging message, monitor the relevant POs. The PEI can be based on DCI (i.e., the indication of the PEI is transmitted via DCI) or on a sequence such as an RS (e.g., a sequence such as an SSB or a TRS).

[0056] The PEI configuration is transmitted as PEI-Config in the system information and is related to one or more BWPs.

[0057] In a particular embodiment, for example, as shown in Table 1, a field pei-OneToManyRelation is added to PEI-config. The added field describes the number of consecutive POs that the UE should monitor when receiving a PEI. If this field exists, there is a one-to-many relationship between the PEI and the PO. For example, one PEI indicating paging means that the UE has to receive PDCCH / PDSCH in n DRX cycles. This field can have predefined values such as 2, 4, or 8 consecutive DRX cycles, for example. If it does not exist, the default one-to-one relationship between the PEI and the PDCCH / PDSCH of the PO is valid. Thus, one PEI indicating paging means that the UE prepares to receive the PDCCH / PDSCH of one corresponding PO.

[0058]

Table 1

[0059] In another particular embodiment, the set of POs to be monitored is non - consecutive. For example, the reception of a PEI instructs to monitor every nth PO in a sequence of m paging opportunities (i.e., a total of m / n POs are monitored). Alternatively, it can be set to monitor m paging for every nth PO (i.e., a total of m POs are monitored).

[0060] In another particular embodiment, the field pei-OneToManyRelation is added to PEI-config with a different interpretation (or using another field with a different name), as shown in Table 2. This carries information regarding the grouping of PEIs, as described above:

[0061]

Table 2

[0062] Alternatively, if the number of POs indicated by the PEI is not equal to the number of bits in the bitmap, in certain embodiments, two parameters can be provided separately. (The mapping principle in such cases has been described above).

[0063] It has no impact on the mapping between the UE and the PO. The UE uses the legacy PO, and the bits of the bitmap related to that PO determine the paging status.

[0064] In another embodiment, the PEI payload includes a bit indicating whether the PEI is a one-to-one PEI or a one-to-many PEI, or whether the PEI configuration includes such a bit, or whether the PEI configuration includes whether there are indicator bits within the PEI payload.

[0065] In another specific embodiment, the PEI configuration includes a bitmap format definition for indicating the individual POs or subsets of POs to which the PEI is applied. The bitmap format can specify the length of the bitmap and the relationship between the bits of the bitmap and the POs they represent (individual, continuous group, interleaved group, etc.).

[0066] In another specific embodiment, the PEI payload includes a pei-poMapping parameter that includes one or more bits indicating which PO the PEI refers to.

[0067] When multiple UEs share the same PEI, in certain embodiments, different UEs may interpret the PEI differently depending on the configuration of different PEI-Configs. For example, one UE may interpret the PEI as a one-to-one mapping, while another UE may interpret it as a one-to-many mapping, and the number of POs may be different.

[0068] In certain embodiments, the UE is configured with a PEI that references n POs, and if the PEI is not found, the UE knows that paging will not occur for any of these POs and can continue to sleep during this period. In another embodiment, the UE is already scheduled to monitor the next PEI window again. For example, the PEI references four consecutive POs, but the PEI is monitored only before the second PO, etc.

[0069] Figure 7 shows a corresponding high-level logic flow example of a scenario where a UE receives a single PEI for multiple POs according to an embodiment. For example, at step 70, the UE receives a one-to-many PEI configuration. At step 72, the UE receives a PEI transmission. At step 74, the UE monitors paging according to the one-to-many PEI configuration, and at step 76, the UE receives paging at the PO.

[0070] According to certain embodiments, different references may be used by the UE to apply a PEI configuration associated with multiple POs, i.e., a PEI configuration where one PEI references opportunities for multiple POs. As described above, a one-to-many PEI indication (e.g., 1xN) allows the UE to remain in an inactive state (e.g., DRX off or deep sleep) over multiple DRX cycles or POs if the received PEI indicates that there is no expectation of the UE receiving paging over N DRX cycles or POs. References to apply the one-to-many PEI indication may include: · Information related to whether the UE was paged over the previous duration T1; · For example, if the UE has been paged once, it is assumed that the same UE may be paged again at future POs. Therefore, there may be cases where it is advantageous for the UE not to directly apply the one-to-many PEI indication (the UE may skip the next PO and enter the deep sleep mode). The parameter T1 can be expressed in DRX cycles and / or POs and is set by the NW or predefined in the specification. · Information related to the UE switching its RRC state over a recent time period T2 · For example, if the UE last switched from the RRC_CONNECTED state to the RRC_IDLE / INACTIVE state at time T2, it can be assumed that the UE does not directly apply the one-to-many PEI configuration. Instead, the UE needs to monitor paging according to the conventional operation of monitoring the PO each time. The motivation for not directly applying the one-to-many PEI indication is that since the same UE is likely to be scheduled again, it is more advantageous for the UE to continue monitoring paging for each PO opportunity instead of monitoring the PO in a more relaxed manner because the same UE is likely to be scheduled again. The parameter T2 can be represented by a DRX cycle, a PO, and can be either configured by the NW or predefined in the specification. · Information related to whether the UE has performed a cell change · For example, the UE may not directly apply the one-to-many PEI configuration after a cell change (e.g., cell reselection, handover) (e.g., within a duration T3). The motivation is that the cell change may indicate that the UE is a high-mobility UE, which means that the UE may perform another cell change within a certain time, so the UE should avoid monitoring paging in a relaxed manner following the one-to-many PEI for at least a certain time T3. The value of T3 is set by the NW or predefined in the specification.

[0071] When the PEI refers to multiple POs, the impact of the missing PEI is greater. Therefore, according to certain embodiments, the one-to-many PEI may need to be more reliable than the one-to-one PEI. This can be achieved, for example, by using a lower coding rate (higher AL or smaller DCI size) for DCI-based PEI, using a more robust sequence for sequence-based PEI, or increasing the transmission PEI power in either case.

[0072] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a wireless network according to some embodiments. The subject matter described herein can be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, but the embodiments disclosed herein are described in relation to wireless networks such as the exemplary wireless network illustrated in FIG. 8. For simplicity, only network 106, network nodes 160 and 160b, and wireless device 110 are depicted in the wireless network of FIG. 8. In practice, a wireless network can further include any additional elements suitable for supporting communication between wireless devices or between a wireless device and another communication device (such as a landline phone, a service provider, or any other network node or end device). Among the illustrated components, network nodes 160 and wireless device 110 are depicted in additional detail. A wireless network can provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate access to and / or use of services provided by or via the wireless network.

[0073] A wireless network can be composed of and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunications, data, cellular, and / or wireless network, or other similar types of systems. In some embodiments, a wireless network can be configured to operate according to a particular standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, particular embodiments of a wireless network can implement communication standards such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) for mobile communications, the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards, wireless local area network (WLAN) standards such as the IEEE802.11 standard, and / or any other suitable wireless communication standards such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth®, Z-Wave, and / or the ZigBee standard.

[0074] Network 106 can be composed of one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WAN), local area networks (LAN), wireless local area networks (WLAN), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks that enable communication between devices.

[0075] Network node 160 and wireless device 110 are composed of various components that will be described in more detail below. These components cooperate to provide the functions of the network node and / or wireless device, such as providing a wireless connection in a wireless network. In different embodiments, the wireless network can be composed of any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relays, and / or any other components or systems that can facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, regardless of whether it is via a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0076] FIG. 9 shows an exemplary network node 160 according to a particular embodiment. As used herein, a network node refers to a device that is capable of communicating directly or indirectly with a wireless device and / or other network nodes or devices within a wireless network, and is configured, arranged, and / or operable to enable and / or provide wireless access to the wireless device and / or perform other functions (e.g., management) within the wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., wireless access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., wireless base stations, Node B, evolved Node B (eNB), and NR Node B (gNB)). Base stations may be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, put another way, their transmit power levels), and may also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may also be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls the relay. Also, a network node may include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as a central digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU) (which may also be referred to as a remote radio head (RRH)). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. A part of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as a node of a distributed antenna system (DAS). Further examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) devices such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), core network nodes (e.g., MSC, MME), O&M nodes, OSS nodes, SON nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., E-SMLC), and / or MDTs. As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node, as will be described in more detail below.However, more generally, a network node can represent any suitable device (or group of devices) that is capable of, and / or provides, enabling a wireless device to access a wireless network and / or providing some service to a wireless device accessing the wireless network, and can be configured, arranged, and / or operative.

[0077] In FIG. 9, network node 160 includes a processing circuit 170, a device-readable medium 180, an interface 190, an auxiliary device 184, a power source 186, a power circuit 187, and an antenna 162. The network node 160 illustrated in the exemplary wireless network of FIG. 9 may represent a device that includes the illustrated combination of hardware components, although other embodiments may comprise network nodes having different combinations of components. It should be understood that a network node is composed of any suitable combination of hardware and / or software necessary to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Further, the components of network node 160 are depicted as a single box placed within a larger box or as boxes nested within multiple boxes, but in reality, a network node may be composed of multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component (e.g., device-readable medium 180 may be composed of multiple separate hard drives as well as multiple RAM modules).

[0078] Similarly, network node 160 may be composed of a plurality of physically distinct components (e.g., a NodeB component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), and these components may each have their own respective components. In a particular scenario where network node 160 is composed of a plurality of distinct components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the distinct components may be shared among multiple network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, in some embodiments, each unique pair of NodeB and RNC may be considered a single distinct network node. In some embodiments, network node 160 may be configured to support a plurality of radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate device-readable media 180 for different RATs), and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 162 is shared by RATs). Network node 160 may also include, for example, multiple sets of various illustrated components for different radio technologies integrated into network node 160, such as GSM, WCDMA®, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technology. These radio technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or chip sets and other components within network node 160.

[0079] The processing circuit 170 is configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., a particular acquisition operation) described herein as being provided by a network node. These operations performed by the processing circuit 170 may include, for example, converting acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired information or the converted information with information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired information or the converted information, thereby processing the information acquired by the processing circuit 170 and making a determination as a result of the processing. According to a particular embodiment, the processing circuit 170 is configured to perform any of the steps and operations described below with respect to FIGS. 22 and 24.

[0080] The processing circuit 170 is composed of one or more combinations of a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or a combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic, and is operable to provide the functions of the network node 160, either alone or in combination with other network node 160 components such as the device-readable medium 180. For example, the processing circuit 170 can execute instructions stored in the device-readable medium 180 or in the memory within the processing circuit 170. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or advantages discussed herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 170 may include a system-on-chip (SOC).

[0081] In some embodiments, processing circuitry 170 can include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174. In some embodiments, radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174 may be on separate chips (or chip sets), substrates, or units such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuitry 172 and baseband processing circuitry 174 may be on the same chip or chip set, substrate, or unit.

[0082] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by processing circuitry 170 executing instructions stored on a device-readable medium 180 or memory within processing circuitry 170. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 170 without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those embodiments, whether or not executing instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium, processing circuitry 170 can be configured to perform the described functionality. The advantages provided by such functionality are not limited to processing circuitry 170 alone or to other components of network node 160, but are enjoyed by network node 160 as a whole and / or by end users and the wireless network generally.

[0083] The device-readable medium 180 can comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including but not limited to persistent storage devices, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disks), removable storage media (e.g., flash drives, compact discs (CDs) or digital video discs (DVDs)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that can store information, data, and / or instructions used by the processing circuit 170. The device-readable medium 180 can store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, code, tables, etc., applications, and / or other instructions that can be executed by the processing circuit 170 and utilized by the network node 160. The device-readable medium 180 can be used to store any calculations performed by the processing circuit 170 and / or any data received via the interface 190. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 170 and the device-readable medium 180 are considered to be integrated.

[0084] Interface 190 is used in the wired or wireless communication of signals and / or data between network node 160, network 106, and / or wireless device 110. As shown, interface 190 includes, for example, ports / terminals 194 for transmitting and receiving data to / from network 106 via a wired connection. Interface 190 also includes a radio front-end circuit 192 that is coupled to antenna 162 or, in some embodiments, is part of antenna 162. The radio front-end circuit 192 is composed of a filter 198 and an amplifier 196. The radio front-end circuit 192 may be connected to antenna 162 and processing circuit 170. The radio front-end circuit may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 162 and processing circuit 170. The radio front-end circuit 192 may receive digital data to be transmitted to other network nodes or wireless devices via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit 192 can use a combination of filter 198 and / or amplifier 196 to convert the digital data into a wireless signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The wireless signal is then transmitted via antenna 162. Similarly, when receiving data, antenna 162 can collect a wireless signal that is converted into digital data by radio front-end circuit 192. The digital data is passed to processing circuit 170. In other embodiments, the interface may be composed of different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0085] In certain alternative embodiments, network node 160 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 192. Instead, processing circuit 170 may constitute the radio front-end circuit and may be connected to antenna 162 without a separate radio front-end circuit 192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or part of RF transceiver circuit 172 may be regarded as part of interface 190. In yet other embodiments, interface 190 may include one or more ports or terminals 194, radio front-end circuit 192, and RF transceiver circuit 172 as part of a wireless unit (not shown), and interface 190 may communicate with baseband processing circuit 174, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0086] Antenna 162 can include one or more antennas, or an antenna array, configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 162 may be coupled to radio front-end circuit 192 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 162 may be composed of, for example, one or more omnidirectional antennas, sector antennas, or panel antennas operable to transmit and receive wireless signals between 2 GHz and 66 GHz. Omnidirectional antennas are used to transmit and receive wireless signals in any direction, sector antennas are used to transmit and receive wireless signals from devices within a specific area, and panel antennas may be line-of-sight antennas used to transmit and receive wireless signals relatively linearly. In certain embodiments, the use of multiple antennas may be referred to as MIMO. In a particular embodiment, antenna 162 may be separate from network node 160 and may be connectable to network node 160 via an interface or port.

[0087] Antenna 162, interface 190, and / or processing circuit 170 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain acquisition operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, antenna 162, interface 190, and / or processing circuit 170 may be configured to perform any transmission operations described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0088] Power circuit 187 is composed of a power management circuit or coupled to a power management circuit and is configured to supply power to the components of network node 160 for performing the functions described herein. Power circuit 187 can receive power from power source 186. Power source 186 and / or power circuit 187 may be configured to supply power to various components of network node 160 in forms suitable for their respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required for their respective components). Power source 186 may be included in or external to power circuit 187 and / or network node 160. For example, network node 160 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., an outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuit 187. As a further example, power source 186 can be composed of a power source in the form of a battery or a battery pack connected to or built into power circuit 187. The battery can provide backup power in case the external power source fails. Other types of power sources such as photovoltaic devices can also be used.

[0089] An alternative embodiment of network node 160 can include additional components other than those shown in FIG. 9 that serve to provide certain aspects of the functionality of a network node, including any of the functionality described herein and / or functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, network node 160 can include a user interface device that enables input of information to network node 160 and enables output of information from network node 160. Thereby, a user can perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other management functions of network node 160.

[0090] FIG. 10 shows an exemplary wireless device 110. According to a particular embodiment. As used herein, a wireless device refers to a device that can wirelessly communicate with a network node and / or another wireless device, and is configured, arranged, and / or operable. Unless otherwise specified, in this specification, the term wireless device may be used interchangeably with user equipment (UE). Communicating wirelessly may include transmitting and / or receiving a wireless signal using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared rays, and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information via air. In some embodiments, the wireless device may be configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, the wireless device may be designed to transmit information to the network at a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the network. Examples of wireless devices include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cellular phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, notebook computers, notebook computer embedded equipment (LEE), notebook computer mounted equipment (LME), smart devices, wireless CPE. In-vehicle wireless terminal devices, etc. The wireless device can support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-anywhere (V2X), in which case it may be called a D2D communication device. As yet another specific example, in the Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, the wireless device may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurement and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurement to another wireless device and / or network node. In this case, the wireless device is a machine-to-machine (M2M) device and may be called an MTC device in the context of 3GPP.As a specific example, the wireless device may be a UE implementing the 3GPP narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Specific examples of such machines or devices include sensors, measurement devices such as power meters, industrial machines, or household or personal electrical appliances (such as refrigerators, TVs), and personal wearables (such as watches, fitness trackers). In other scenarios, the wireless device may represent a vehicle or other device capable of monitoring and / or reporting its operating state or other functions related to its operation. A wireless device as described above may represent an endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Further, a wireless device as described above may be movable, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or a mobile terminal.

[0091] As shown, the wireless device 110 includes an antenna 111, an interface 114, a processing circuit 120, a device-readable medium 130, a user interface device 132, an auxiliary device 134, a power source 136, and a power circuit 137. The wireless device 110 may include one or more sets of one or more of the illustrated components for different wireless technologies supported by the wireless device 110, such as, by way of example only, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technology. These wireless technologies may be integrated on the same chip or different chip sets as other components within the wireless device 110.

[0092] Antenna 111 can include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals and is connected to interface 114. In certain alternative embodiments, antenna 111 may be separate from wireless device 110 and may be connectable to wireless device 110 via an interface or port. Antenna 111, interface 114, and / or processing circuit 120 may be configured to perform any of the receive or transmit operations described herein as being performed by a wireless device. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a network node and / or another wireless device. In some embodiments, the wireless front-end circuitry and / or antenna 111 may be regarded as an interface.

[0093] As shown, interface 114 is composed of a radio frequency front-end circuit 112 and an antenna 111. The radio frequency front-end circuit 112 is composed of one or more filters 118 and an amplifier 116. The radio frequency front-end circuit 112 is connected to the antenna 111 and the processing circuit 120, and is configured to adjust signals communicated between the antenna 111 and the processing circuit 120. The radio frequency front-end circuit 112 may be coupled to the antenna 111 or may be a part of the antenna 111. In some embodiments, the wireless device 110 may not include a separate radio frequency front-end circuit 112. Rather, the processing circuit 120 may constitute a radio frequency front-end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 111. Similarly, in some embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuit 122 may be regarded as part of the interface 114. The radio frequency front-end circuit 112 can receive digital data transmitted to other network nodes or wireless devices via a wireless connection. The radio frequency front-end circuit 112 can use a combination of filters 118 and / or amplifiers 116 to convert the digital data into a wireless signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters. The wireless signal is then transmitted via the antenna 111. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 111 can collect a wireless signal that is converted into digital data by the radio frequency front-end circuit 112. The digital data is passed to the processing circuit 120. In other embodiments, the interface may be composed of different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0094] The processing circuit 120 may include one or more combinations of a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a central processing unit, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or a combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic, which can operate alone or in combination with other components of the wireless device 110, such as the device-readable medium 130, to provide the functionality of the wireless device 110. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or advantages discussed herein. For example, the processing circuit 120 can execute instructions stored in the device-readable medium 130 or in the memory within the processing circuit 120 to provide the functionality disclosed herein. According to certain embodiments, the processing circuit 120 is configured to perform any of the steps and operations described below with respect to FIGS. 19 and 21.

[0095] As shown, processing circuit 120 includes one or more of RF transceiver circuit 122, baseband processing circuit 124, and application processing circuit 126. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may be composed of different components and / or different combinations of components. In certain embodiments, the processing circuit 120 of wireless device 110 may be composed of a system-on-a-chip (SOC). In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuit 122, baseband processing circuit 124, and application processing circuit 126 may be on separate chips or a chipset. In an alternative embodiment, some or all of baseband processing circuit 124 and application processing circuit 126 may be combined on one chip or a chipset, and RF transceiver circuit 122 may be on a separate chip or a chipset. In yet another alternative embodiment, some or all of RF transceiver circuit 122 and baseband processing circuit 124 may be on the same chip or a chipset, and application processing circuit 126 may be on another chip or a chipset. In still other alternative embodiments, some or all of RF transceiver circuit 122, baseband processing circuit 124, and application processing circuit 126 may be combined on the same chip or a chipset. In some embodiments, RF transceiver circuit 122 may be part of interface 114. RF transceiver circuit 122 can adjust the RF signals of processing circuit 120.

[0096] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being performed by a wireless device may be provided by processing circuitry 120 executing instructions stored on a device-readable medium 130, which in certain embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by processing circuitry 120 without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether or not executing instructions stored on a device-readable medium, processing circuitry 120 may be configured to perform the described functionality. The advantages provided by such functionality are not limited to processing circuitry 120 alone or to other components of wireless device 110, but are enjoyed by wireless device 110 as a whole and / or by end users and wireless networks in general.

[0097] Processing circuitry 120 may be configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., certain acquisition operations) described herein as being performed by a wireless device. These operations performed by processing circuitry 120 may include, for example, converting acquired information to other information, comparing the acquired or converted information to information stored by wireless device 110, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information and making a determination as a result of the processing, thereby processing the information acquired by processing circuitry 120.

[0098] The device-readable medium 130 may be operative to store an application including one or more of a computer program, software, logic, rules, code, tables, etc., and / or other instructions executable by the processing circuitry 120. The device-readable medium 130 may include a computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), a mass storage medium (e.g., a hard disk), a removable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that can store information, data, and / or instructions used by the processing circuitry 120. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 120 and the device-readable medium 130 may be considered to be integrated.

[0099] The user interface device 132 may provide components that enable a human user to interact with the wireless device 110. Such interactions may be in many forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface device 132 may be operable to generate output to the user and enable the user to provide input to the wireless device 110. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface device 132 installed in the wireless device 110. For example, if the wireless device 110 is a smartphone, the interaction may be through a touch screen, and if the wireless device 110 is a smart meter, the interaction may be through a screen that provides usage (e.g., the number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an audible alarm (e.g., when smoke is detected). The user interface device 132 can include an input interface, devices and circuits, as well as an output interface, devices and circuits. The user interface device 132 is configured to enable input of information to the wireless device 110 and is connected to the processing circuit 120 so that the processing circuit 120 can process the input information. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a microphone, proximity sensor or other sensors, keys / buttons, touch display, one or more cameras, USB port, or other input circuits. The user interface device 132 is also configured to enable output of information from the wireless device 110 and enable the processing circuit 120 to output information from the wireless device 110. The user interface device 132 may include, for example, a speaker, display, vibration circuit, USB port, headphone interface, or other output circuits. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuits of the user interface device 132, the wireless device 110 can communicate with the end user and / or the wireless network and be enabled to receive the benefits of the functionality described herein.

[0100] The auxiliary device 134 is operable to provide more specialized functions that are not generally executable by a wireless device. This can consist of special sensors for performing measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication such as wired communication, and the like. The inclusion and type of components of the auxiliary device 134 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0101] The power source 136 may, in some embodiments, be in the form of a battery or a battery pack. The wireless device 110 may further include a power circuit 137 for supplying power from the power source 136 to various parts of the wireless device 110 that require power to perform any of the functions described or shown herein. The power circuit 137 may, in certain embodiments, constitute a power management circuit. The power circuit 137 may alternatively or additionally be operable to receive power from an external power source, in which case the wireless device 110 may be connectable to an external power source (such as an outlet) via an interface such as an input circuit or a power cable. The power circuit 137 may also, in certain embodiments, be operable to supply power from an external power source to the power source 136. This may be, for example, for charging the power source 136. The power circuit 137 can perform any formatting, conversion, or other alteration to the power from the power source 136 to make it suitable power for each component of the wireless device 110 to which power is supplied.

[0102] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a UE according to various aspects described herein. As used herein, a user equipment or UE does not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user, but that may not be, or initially may not be, associated with a particular human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler control device). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user, but that may be associated with a user or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter). UE 200 may be any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including an NB-IoT UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an extended MTC (eMTC) UE. As shown in FIG. 11, UE 200 is an example of a wireless device configured to communicate according to one or more communication standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as the 3GPP's GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards. As noted above, the terms wireless device and UE may be used interchangeably. Thus, FIG. 11 shows a UE, but the components described herein are equally applicable to a wireless device, and vice versa.

[0103] In FIG. 11, the UE 200 includes a processing circuit 201 operably coupled to an input / output interface 205, a radio frequency (RF) interface 209, a network connection interface 211, a memory 215 including a random access memory (RAM) 217, a read-only memory (ROM) 219, and a storage medium 221, a communication subsystem 231, a power supply 233, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 221 includes an operating system 223, an application program 225, and data 227. In other embodiments, the storage medium 221 can include other similar types of information. A particular UE may utilize all of the components shown in FIG. 11 or only a subset of the components. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. Further, a particular UE may include multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0104] In FIG. 11, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to process computer instructions and data. The processing circuit 201 may implement any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored as a machine-readable computer program in memory, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.); programmable logic with suitable firmware; one or more stored programs, a general-purpose processor such as a microprocessor or a digital signal processor (DSP) with suitable software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 201 may include two central processing units (CPUs). The data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0105] In the described embodiment, the input / output interface 205 may be configured to provide a communication interface to an input device, an output device, or an input / output device. The UE 200 may be configured to use an output device via the input / output interface 205. The output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to and output from the UE 200. The output device may be a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. The UE 200 may be configured to use an input device via the input / output interface 205 to enable a user to capture information into the UE 200. The input device may include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive touch sensor or a resistive film touch sensor for sensing input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope, an inclination sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, another sensor of the same kind, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device may be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and an optical sensor.

[0106] In FIG. 11, the RF interface 209 may be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as transmitters, receivers, antennas, etc. The network connection interface 211 may be configured to provide a communication interface to the network 243a. The network 243a may include wired and / or wireless networks such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another network of the same type, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 243a may constitute a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 211 may be configured to include receivers and transmitter interfaces used to communicate with one or more other devices via a communication network according to one or more communication protocols such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc. The network connection interface 211 may implement receiver and transmitter functions suitable for a communication network link (e.g., optical, electrical, etc.). The functions of the transmitter and receiver may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or may be implemented separately.

[0107] RAM 217 may be configured to interface with the processing circuit 201 via the bus 202 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during the execution of software programs such as an operating system, application programs, and device drivers. The ROM 219 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to the processing circuit 201. For example, the ROM 219 may be configured to store invariant low-level system code or data for basic system functions such as basic input / output (I / O), startup, or reception of key inputs from a keyboard stored in non-volatile memory. The storage medium 221 may be configured to include memory such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, or flash drive. In one example, the storage medium 221 may be configured to include an operating system 223, a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine, or other applications such as application programs 225, and data files 227. The storage medium 221 may be configured to store any of a variety of operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by the UE 200.

[0108] The storage medium 221 can be configured to include a number of physical drive units such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppy disk drive, a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard disk drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, an internal hard disk drive, a Blu-Ray optical disc drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an SDRAM of an external micro DIMM, a smart card memory such as a subscriber ID module or a removable user ID (SIM / RUIM) module, other memories, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 221 can enable the UE200 to access computer-executable instructions, application programs, etc. stored in a temporary memory medium or a non-temporary memory medium, offload data, or upload data. A manufactured product such as one that utilizes a communication system can be embodied in the storage medium 221 that can constitute a device-readable medium.

[0109] In FIG. 11, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to communicate with the network 243b using the communication subsystem 231. The network 243a and the network 243b may be the same network or networks, or they may be different networks or networks. The communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with the network 243b. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers for communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another wireless device, UE, or base station, etc., of a radio access network (RAN) according to one or more communication protocols such as IEEE802.2, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc. Each transceiver may include a transmitter 233 and / or a receiver 235 to respectively implement a transmitter function or a receiver function suitable for a RAN link (e.g., frequency allocation, etc.). Further, the transmitter 233 and the receiver 235 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or they may be implemented separately.

[0110] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication functions of the communication subsystem 231 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, short-range communication, location-based communication such as the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) for determining location, other similar communication functions, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 231 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. The network 243b may include wired and / or wireless networks such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, other similar networks, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 243b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a short-range wireless network. The power supply 213 may be configured to supply AC or DC power to the components of the UE 200.

[0111] The features, advantages, and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of the UE 200 or may be divided and implemented in a plurality of components of the UE 200. Further, the features, advantages, and / or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software, or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 231 may be configured to include any of the components described herein. Further, the processing circuit 201 may be configured to communicate with any of such components via the bus 202. In another example, any of such components may be represented by program instructions stored in a memory that execute the corresponding functions described herein when executed by the processing circuit 201. In another embodiment, the functions of any of such components may be divided between the processing circuit 201 and the communication subsystem 231. In another example, the non-computation-intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware, and the computation-intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0112] FIG. 12 is a schematic block diagram showing a virtualization environment 300 in which functions implemented by some embodiments can be virtualized. As used herein, virtualization means creating a virtual version of a device or apparatus, which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices, and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized radio access node) or a device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, or any other type of communication device) or its components, where at least a portion of the function is implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., via one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers running on one or more physical processing nodes within one or more networks).

[0113] In some embodiments, some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines hosted by one or more of the hardware nodes 330 in one or more virtual environments 300. Further, in embodiments where the virtual node is not a radio access node or does not require a wireless connection (e.g., a core network node), the network node may be fully virtualized.

[0114] The function may be implemented by one or more applications 320 (alternatively, may be referred to as software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) that operate to implement some of the features, functions, and / or advantages of the embodiments disclosed herein. The application 320 is executed in a virtualization environment 300 that provides the hardware 330 consisting of a processing circuit 360 and a memory 390. The memory 390 includes instructions 395 executable by the processing circuit 360, whereby the application 320 operates to provide one or more of the features, advantages, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0115] The virtualized environment 300 is composed of a general-purpose or special-purpose network hardware device 330 that includes a set of one or more processors or processing circuits 360, which may be a commercially available (COTS) processor, a dedicated application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any other type of processing circuit that includes digital or analog hardware components or application-specific processors. Each hardware device may include a memory 390-1, which may be non-persistent memory for temporarily storing instructions 395 or software executed by the processing circuit 360. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 370, also known as network interface cards, that include a physical network interface 380. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory, persistent, machine-readable storage medium 390-2 that stores therein software 395 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuit 360. The software 395 may include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 350 (also referred to as hypervisors), software for executing virtual machines 340, and software that enables the execution of the functions, features, and / or advantages described in some embodiments herein.

[0116] The virtual machine 340 is composed of virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be executed by a corresponding virtualization layer 350 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of instances of the virtual appliance 320 may be implemented on one or more of the virtual machines 340, and the implementation may be performed in different ways.

[0117] During operation, the processing circuit 360 executes software 395 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 350. The virtualization layer 350 can present a virtual operating platform that appears to the virtual machine 340 as a network hardware.

[0118] As shown in FIG. 12, the hardware 330 may be a stand-alone network node with general-purpose or specific components. The hardware 330 may constitute an antenna 3225 and may implement some functions through virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 330 may be part of a larger class of hardware (such as within a data center or customer premise equipment (CPE)) where many hardware nodes operate together and are managed through a management and orchestration (MANO) 3100 that particularly oversees the life cycle management of the application 320.

[0119] The virtualization of hardware is sometimes referred to as network function virtualization (NFV) depending on the context. NFV is used to integrate many types of network equipment into industry-standard high-capacity server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage.

[0120] In the context of NFV, the virtual machine 340 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that executes programs as if they were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine 340 and the part of the hardware 330 that executes that virtual machine (the hardware dedicated to that virtual machine and / or the hardware shared by that virtual machine with other virtual machines 340) form individual virtual network elements (VNE).

[0121] Still in the context of NFV, the virtual network function (VNF) is responsible for processing specific network functions executed on one or more virtual machines 340 on the hardware networking infrastructure 330 and corresponds to the application 320 in FIG. 12.

[0122] In some embodiments, one or more wireless units 3200, each including one or more transmitters 3220 and one or more receivers 3210, may be coupled to one or more antennas 3225. The wireless unit 3200 may communicate directly with the hardware node 330 via one or more suitable network interfaces and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node having wireless capabilities such as a wireless access node or a base station.

[0123] In some embodiments, the use of a control system 3230 that can alternatively be used for communication between the hardware node 330 and the wireless unit 3200 may affect some signaling.

[0124] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a telecommunication network connected to a host computer via an intermediate network according to some embodiments.

[0125] Referring to FIG. 13, according to an embodiment, a communication system includes a telecommunications network 410 such as a 3GPP type cellular network consisting of an access network 411 such as a radio access network and a core network 414. The access network 411 is composed of a plurality of base stations 412a, 412b, 412c such as NB, eNB, gNB, or other types of radio access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 413a, 413b, 413c. Each base station 412a, 412b, 412c can be connected to the core network 414 via a wired or wireless connection 415. A first UE 491 located in the coverage area 413c is configured to wirelessly connect to the corresponding base station 412c or be paged by the corresponding base station 412c. A second UE 492 in the coverage area 413a can be wirelessly connected to the corresponding base station 412a. Although a plurality of UEs 491, 492 are illustrated in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where only one UE is within the coverage area or where only one UE is connected to the corresponding base station 412.

[0126] The telecommunications network 410 is itself connected to a host computer 430, which can be embodied in hardware and / or software as a stand-alone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or a processing resource within a server farm. The host computer 430 may be under the ownership or management of a service provider and may be operated by or on behalf of a service provider. The connections 421 and 422 between the telecommunications network 410 and the host computer 430 may extend directly from the core network 414 to the host computer 430 or may pass through an optional intermediate network 420. The intermediate network 420 may be one of a public, private, or hosted network, or a combination of two or more, and if there is an intermediate network 420, it may be a backbone network or the Internet, and in particular, the intermediate network 420 may be composed of two or more sub-networks (not shown).

[0127] The communication system of FIG. 13 enables connectivity between the connected UEs 491, 492 and the host computer 430. This connectivity can be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 450. The host computer 430 and the connected UEs 491, 492 are configured to communicate data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 450, using the access network 411, the core network 414, any intermediate network 420, and possibly additional infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection 450 can be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 450 passes do not know the routing of the uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 412 may not be informed about, or need to know, the past routing of the incoming downlink communication having data transmitted (e.g., delivered) from the host computer 430 to the connected UE 491. Similarly, the base station 412 does not need to recognize the future routing of the outgoing uplink communication transmitted from the UE 491 towards the host computer 430.

[0128] FIG. 14 shows a host computer communicating with a user equipment via a base station through a partial wireless connection, according to some embodiments.

[0129] Next, an exemplary implementation according to an embodiment of the UE, base station, and host computer described in the previous paragraph will be described with reference to FIG. 14. In communication system 500, host computer 510 comprises hardware 515 including a communication interface 516 configured to establish and maintain a wired or wireless connection with an interface of different communication devices of communication system 500. Host computer 510 further comprises a processing circuit 518 that can have storage and / or processing capabilities. In particular, processing circuit 518 can be composed of one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. Host computer 510 further comprises software 511 stored in or accessible by host computer 510 and executable by processing circuit 518. Software 511 includes host application 512. Host application 512 can be operable to provide services to remote users such as UE 530 connected via OTT connection 550 terminating at UE 530 and host computer 510. When providing services to remote users, host application 512 can provide user data transmitted using OTT connection 550.

[0130] The communication system 500 further includes a base station 520 provided within a telecommunication system and comprising hardware 525 that enables communication with a host computer 510 and a UE 530. The hardware 525 may include a communication interface 526 for establishing and maintaining a wired or wireless connection with an interface of different communication devices of the communication system 500, and a wireless interface 527 for establishing and maintaining at least a wireless connection 570 with a UE 530 located within a coverage area (not shown in FIG. 14) provided by the base station 520. The communication interface 526 may be configured to facilitate a connection 560 to the host computer 510. The connection 560 may be direct, may pass through a core network (not shown in FIG. 14) of the telecommunication system, or may pass through one or more intermediate networks outside the telecommunication system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware 525 of the base station 520 further includes a processing circuit 528 that may be composed of one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The base station 520 further has software 521 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0131] The communication system 500 further includes the UE 530 already mentioned. Its hardware 535 may include a radio interface 537 configured to establish and maintain a radio connection 570 with a base station providing the coverage area where the UE 530 is currently located. The hardware 535 of the UE 530 may further include a processing circuit 538 composed of one or more programmable processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The UE 530 further includes software 531, which is stored in or accessible by the UE 530 and executable by the processing circuit 538. The software 531 includes a client application 532. The client application 532 may be operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via the UE 530 with the support of the host computer 510. In the host computer 510, the running host application 512 can communicate with the running client application 532 via an OTT connection 550 that terminates at the UE 530 and the host computer 510. When providing services to the user, the client application 532 can receive request data from the host application 512 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 550 can transfer both request data and user data. The client application 532 can interact with the user to generate the user data to be provided.

[0132] Note that the host computer 510, base station 520, and UE 530 illustrated in FIG. 14 may be similar or identical to one of the host computer 430, base stations 412a, 412b, 412c in FIG. 13, and one of the UEs 491, 492, respectively. That is, the internal operations of these entities may be as shown in FIG. 14, and independently, the surrounding network topology may be the same as that in FIG. 13.

[0133] In FIG. 14, the OTT connection 550 is abstractly depicted to illustrate the communication between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 via the base station 520, without explicitly referring to the intermediary devices and the exact routing of messages through these devices. The network infrastructure can determine a routing that is configured to hide from the UE 530, or from the service provider operating the host computer 510, or from both. While the OTT connection 550 is active, the network infrastructure can further determine to dynamically change the routing (e.g., based on load distribution considerations or network reconfiguration).

[0134] The wireless connection 570 between the UE 530 and the base station 520 complies with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT services provided to the UE 530 using the OTT connection 550 that forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments improve the data rate, latency, and / or power consumption, thereby providing advantages such as reduced user latency, relaxed file size limitations, improved responsiveness, and / or extended battery life.

[0135] Measurement procedures may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors that one or more embodiments improve. Optionally, there may further be network functions for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 between the host computer 510 and the UE 530 in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or the network functions for reconfiguring the OTT connection 550 may be implemented in the software 511 and hardware 515 of the host computer 510, or the software 531 and hardware 535 of the UE 530, or both. In an embodiment, a sensor (not shown) may be deployed within or associated with a communication device through which the OTT connection 550 passes, and the sensor may participate in the measurement procedure by providing values of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or by providing values of other physical quantities that the software 511, 531 can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection 550 may include message format, retransmission settings, priority routing, etc.; the reconfiguration need not affect the base station 520 and may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 520. Such procedures and functionality are known in the art and may be implemented. In certain embodiments, the measurement can include unique UE signaling that facilitates measurement of the host computer 510, such as throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurement can be performed in such a way that the software 511 and 531 cause messages, particularly empty messages or "dummy" messages, to be transmitted using the OTT connection 550 while monitoring propagation time, errors, etc.

[0136] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be the ones described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only the drawing reference to FIG. 15 is included in this section. In step 610, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step 611 (which may be optional) of step 610, the host computer provides user data by executing a host application. In step 620, the host computer starts a transmission to transmit the user data to the UE. In step 630 (which may be optional), the base station transmits the user data carried in the transmission started by the host computer to the UE according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure. In step 640 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0137] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be the ones described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only the drawing reference to FIG. 16 is included in this section. In step 710 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides user data by executing a host application. In step 720, the host computer starts a transmission to transmit the user data to the UE. This transmission can be via the base station according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure. In step 730 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0138] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be the ones described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. For simplicity of the present disclosure, only the drawing reference to FIG. 17 is included in this section. In step 810 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Further, or alternatively, in step 820, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 821 (which may be optional) of step 820, the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 811 (which may be optional) of step 810, the UE executes a client application that provides user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. When providing user data, the executed client application can further consider user input received from the user. Regardless of the specific way in which the user data is provided, the UE starts transmitting the user data to the host computer in sub-step 830 (which may be optional). In step 840 of the method, the host computer receives the user data transmitted from the UE according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure.

[0139] FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a method implemented in a communication system according to an embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be the ones described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. For the sake of simplicity of the present disclosure, only the drawing reference to FIG. 18 is included in this section. In step 910 (which may be optional), according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout the present disclosure, the base station receives user data from the UE. In step 920 (which may be optional), the base station starts transmitting the received user data to the host computer. In step 930 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0140] FIG. 19 shows a method 1000 by a wireless device 110 according to a particular embodiment. In step 1002, the wireless device 110 receives a first PEI from the network node 160, and the first PEI is mapped to a first plurality of POs. In step 1004, based on the first PEI, the wireless device 110 monitors a shared channel among the first plurality of POs.

[0141] In various particular embodiments, the method may include any one or more of the steps or features of the embodiments of Group A and Group C described below.

[0142] In a particular embodiment, any one or more of method 1000 and the steps described herein may be executed by the processing circuit 120 or another component of the wireless device 110, which is described in more detail above with respect to FIG. 10.

[0143] FIG. 20 shows a schematic block diagram of a virtual device 1100 in a wireless network (e.g., the wireless network shown in FIG. 8). The device may be implemented in a wireless device or a network node (e.g., the wireless device 110 or network node 160 shown in FIG. 8). The device 1100 is operable to execute the exemplary method described with reference to FIG. 19, and optionally any other process or method disclosed herein. It should also be understood that the method of FIG. 19 is not necessarily executed solely by the device 1100. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0144] The virtual device 1100 may be composed of a processing circuit including one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, and other digital hardware that may include a digital signal processor (DSP), special-purpose digital logic, etc. The processing circuit may be configured to execute program code stored in a memory, which includes one or more types of memory such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. The program code stored in the memory includes, in some embodiments, program instructions for executing one or more electrical communication and / or data communication protocols, as well as instructions for implementing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit may be used to cause the receiving module 1110, the monitoring module 1120, and any other suitable unit of the device 1100 to perform corresponding functions in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0145] According to a particular embodiment, the receiving module 1110 can perform certain receiving functions of the device 1100. For example, the receiving module 1110 may receive a first paging early indicator (PEI) from a network node, and the first PEI is mapped to a first plurality of paging opportunities.

[0146] According to certain embodiments, the monitoring module 1120 may perform a part of the monitoring functions of the device 1100. For example, based on the first PEI, the monitoring module 1120 may monitor the shared channel during the first plurality of paging opportunities.

[0147] Optionally, in certain embodiments, the virtual device may further include one or more modules for performing any of the steps or providing any of the features in the embodiments of Group A and / or Group C described below.

[0148] The term unit may have its conventional meaning in the field of electronics, electrical and / or electronic devices, and may include, for example, electrical and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing respective tasks, procedures, calculations, outputs, and / or display functions, etc., similar to those described herein.

[0149] FIG. 21 shows a method 1200 by a wireless device 1100 according to certain embodiments. In step 1202, the wireless device 110, which may include a UE such as UE200, receives a PEI configuration from the network node 160, including an indication of the mapping between the PEI and a plurality of paging opportunities. In step 1204, the wireless device 110 receives the PEI from the network node 160. Based on the mapping of the PEI to a plurality of POs, the wireless device 110 monitors the shared channel during the plurality of paging opportunities.

[0150] In certain embodiments, the wireless device 110 determines that the PEI is mapped to a plurality of POs based on the PEI configuration including the mapping.

[0151] In certain embodiments, the first plurality of POs are composed of several consecutive POs.

[0152] In certain embodiments, the PEI is received on a control channel, and the wireless device 110 monitors the control channel during the PEI search window.

[0153] In further particular embodiments, the PEI search window is defined by an offset start and an offset stop, and the wireless device 110 measures the offset start and the offset stop from a first reference point to determine the PEI search window.

[0154] In further particular embodiments, the first reference point is composed of a system frame number.

[0155] In further particular embodiments, the PEI search window is determined based on at least one reference PO and / or measured from at least one reference PO.

[0156] In certain embodiments, the PEI configuration is received as DCI, and the DCI includes a bit field indicating a subset of a plurality of POs including paging.

[0157] In further particular embodiments, the bit field is composed of a plurality of bits, and each of the plurality of bits indicates one of the respective plurality of POs.

[0158] In certain embodiments, the bit field is composed of a plurality of bits, and each of the plurality of bits indicates a subset of the plurality of POs.

[0159] In certain embodiments, the wireless device 110 is one of a plurality of wireless devices 110 associated with a group of wireless devices 110, and the DCI includes a bit field indicating the group of wireless devices 110. Each of the plurality of wireless devices 110 associated with the group of wireless devices 110 is configured to monitor a shared channel among the plurality of POs based on the mapping of the PEI and the plurality of POs.

[0160] In certain embodiments, the PEI configuration is received as SI.

[0161] In certain embodiments, in response to receiving the PEI, wireless device 110 monitors every nth paging opportunity in a sequence of m paging opportunities.

[0162] In certain embodiments, method 1200 and any one or more of the steps described herein may be performed by processing circuit 120 or another component of wireless device 110, which is described in more detail above with respect to FIG. 10.

[0163] FIG. 22 shows method 1300 by network node 160 according to certain embodiments. In step 1302, network node 160 maps a first PEI to a first plurality of POs. Based on the mapping, in step 1204, the network node transmits the first PEI to at least one wireless device 110 to trigger monitoring of a shared channel among the first plurality of POs by at least one wireless device 110.

[0164] In various specific embodiments, the method can include any one or more of the steps or features of the Group B and / or Group C embodiments described below.

[0165] In certain embodiments, method 1300 and any one or more of the steps described herein may be performed by processing circuit 170 or another component of network node 160, which is described in more detail above with respect to FIG. 9.

[0166] FIG. 23 is a schematic block diagram of a virtual device 1400 in a wireless network (e.g., the wireless network shown in FIG. 8). This device may be implemented in a wireless device or a network node (e.g., the wireless device 110 or network node 160 shown in FIG. 8). The device 1400 is operable to execute the exemplary method described with reference to FIG. 22, and optionally any other process or method disclosed herein. It should also be understood that the method of FIG. 22 is not necessarily executed solely by the device 1400. At least some of the operations of this method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0167] The virtual device 1400 may be composed of a processing circuit including one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, and other digital hardware that may include a digital signal processor (DSP), special-purpose digital logic, etc. The processing circuit may be configured to execute program code stored in a memory, which includes one or more types of memory such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices. The program code stored in the memory may, in some embodiments, include program instructions for executing one or more electrical communication and / or data communication protocols, as well as instructions for implementing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit may be used to cause the mapping module 1410, the transmission module 1420, and any other suitable unit of the device 1400 to perform corresponding functions according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0168] According to a particular embodiment, the mapping module 1410 may execute a part of the mapping function of the device 1400. For example, the mapping module 1410 may map the first PEI to the first plurality of POs.

[0169] According to certain embodiments, the transmission module 1420 may perform certain functions of the transmission function of the apparatus 1400. For example, based on the mapping, the transmission module 1420 may transmit a first PEI to at least one wireless device 1100 to trigger monitoring of a shared channel among a first plurality of POs by the at least one wireless device 1100.

[0170] Optionally, in certain embodiments, the virtual apparatus may further include one or more modules for performing any of the steps or providing any of the features in the Group B and / or Group C embodiments described below.

[0171] The term unit may have its conventional meaning in the fields of electronics, electrical, and / or electronic devices, and may include, for example, an electrical circuit and / or an electronic circuit, a device, a module, a processor, a memory, a logic solid state and / or discrete device, a computer program or instructions for performing respective tasks, procedures, calculations, outputs, and / or display functions, etc., similar to those described herein.

[0172] FIG. 24 shows another method 1500 by a network node 160 according to certain embodiments. In step 1502, the network node 160 transmits a PEI configuration including an indication of the mapping of the first PEI and a plurality of POs to at least one wireless device 110. Based on the mapping, the network node 160 transmits the PEI to at least one wireless device 110 to trigger monitoring of a shared channel among the plurality of POs by the at least one wireless device 110.

[0173] In certain embodiments, the at least one wireless device 110 includes a plurality of wireless devices, and the PEI triggers monitoring of a shared channel by the plurality of wireless devices 110 in the plurality of POs.

[0174] In certain embodiments, at least one wireless device 110 comprises a first wireless device and a second wireless device. The PEI triggers the first wireless device to monitor a shared channel in a plurality of paging opportunities, and the PEI triggers the second wireless device to monitor the shared channel in a plurality of paging opportunities.

[0175] In certain embodiments, at least one wireless device 110 consists of a first wireless device and a second wireless device, and a plurality of POs consists of a first PO and a second PO. The PEI triggers the first wireless device to monitor a shared channel in the first PO, and the PEI triggers the second wireless device to monitor the shared channel in the second PO.

[0176] In certain embodiments, the first plurality of POs consists of several consecutive POs.

[0177] In certain embodiments, the network node 160 determines the mapping of the PEI to a plurality of POs based on at least one of the performance of the network, the performance of at least one wireless device 110, the energy efficiency of the network, and the energy efficiency of the user equipment.

[0178] In certain embodiments, the PEI is transmitted on the shared channel, and the network node configures at least one wireless device 110 to monitor the control channel during the PEI search window.

[0179] In a further particular embodiment, the search window is defined by an offset start and an offset stop, and the network node 160 configures at least one wireless device 110 to measure the offset start and the offset stop from a first reference point.

[0180] In a further particular embodiment, the first reference point consists of a system frame number.

[0181] In certain embodiments, network node 160 configures at least one wireless device 110 using at least one reference PO and configures at least one wireless device to determine a PEI search window based on the at least one reference PO.

[0182] In certain embodiments, the PEI is transmitted to at least a first wireless device and a second wireless device on a shared channel, and network node 160 configures the first wireless device to monitor the shared channel during a first PEI search window and configures the second wireless device to monitor the shared channel during a second PEI search window.

[0183] In further particular embodiments, the first PEI search window is defined by a first offset start and a first offset stop, and the second PEI search window is defined by a second offset start and a second offset stop. The first PEI search window at least partially overlaps with the second PEI search window.

[0184] In further particular embodiments, the first offset start and the first offset stop are measured from a first reference point associated with the first wireless device, and the second offset start and the second offset stop are measured from a second reference point associated with the second wireless device.

[0185] In even more particular embodiments, the first reference point consists of a first system frame number, and the second reference point consists of a second system frame number.

[0186] In certain embodiments, the PEI configuration is transmitted as DCI, and the DCI includes a bit field indicating a subset of a plurality of POs including paging.

[0187] In certain embodiments, the bit field is composed of a plurality of bits, and each of the plurality of bits indicates one of the plurality of POs.

[0188] In further specific embodiments, the bitfield is composed of a plurality of bits, and each of the plurality of bits indicates a subset of a plurality of POs.

[0189] In further specific embodiments, at least one wireless device includes a plurality of wireless devices, the DCI includes a bitfield indicating a subset of the plurality of wireless devices, and each wireless device within the subset of wireless devices is configured to monitor a shared channel among the plurality of POs based on a mapping to a plurality of paging opportunities of the PEI.

[0190] In certain embodiments, the PEI configuration is transmitted as SI.

[0191] In certain embodiments, network node 160 determines the number of a plurality of POs mapped to the PEI, and the number of the plurality of POs is determined based on at least one of traffic measurement values, traffic patterns, acceptable delays, the number of wireless devices configured with the PEI, the average paging rate of each paging opportunity among the plurality of paging opportunities, and the impact of false paging.

[0192] In certain embodiments, network node 160 configures at least one wireless device 110 to monitor at every nth paging opportunity in a sequence of m paging opportunities in response to receiving the PEI.

[0193] In certain embodiments, method 1300 and any one or more of the steps described herein may be performed by processing circuit 170 or another component of network node 160, which is described in more detail above with respect to FIG. 9.

[0194] Exemplary embodiments Exemplary embodiments of Group A Example Embodiment A1. A method by a wireless device, comprising: receiving, from a network node, a first paging early indicator (PEI), wherein the first PEI is mapped to a first plurality of paging opportunities; and monitoring a shared channel during the first plurality of paging opportunities based on the first PEI. Example Embodiment A2. The method according to Example Embodiment A1, further comprising determining that the first PEI is mapped to the plurality of paging opportunities. Example Embodiment A3. The method according to Example Embodiment A1 or A2, wherein the first plurality of paging opportunities includes a plurality of consecutive paging opportunities. Example Embodiment A4. The method according to any one of Example Embodiments A1 to A3, further comprising receiving, from the network node, an indication of the mapping from the first PEI to the first plurality of paging opportunities. Example Embodiment A5. The method according to Example Embodiment A4, wherein the indication of the mapping is received as a PEI configuration. Example Embodiment A6. The method according to any one of Example Embodiments A1 to A5, wherein the mapping from the first PEI to the first plurality of paging opportunities is based on at least one of network performance, performance of the at least one wireless device, network energy efficiency, and user equipment energy efficiency. Example Embodiment A7. The method according to Example Embodiment A6, further comprising transmitting, to the network node, information related to at least one of the network performance, the performance of the at least one wireless device, the network energy efficiency, and the user equipment energy efficiency. Example Embodiment A8. The method according to any one of Example Embodiments A1 to A7, wherein the first PEI is received on a control channel. Example Embodiment A9. The method according to any one of Example Embodiments A1 to A8, wherein the control channel is monitored during a PEI search window. Exemplary Embodiment A10. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment A9, wherein the PEI search window is defined by an offset start and an offset stop. Exemplary Embodiment A11. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment A10, further comprising measuring the offset start and the offset stop from a first reference point to determine the PEI search window. Exemplary Embodiment A12. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment A11, wherein the first reference point includes a system frame number. Exemplary Embodiment A13. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment A9, wherein the PEI search window is determined based on and / or measured from at least one reference paging opportunity. Exemplary Embodiment A14. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments A1 to A13, further comprising receiving a second PEI, wherein the second PEI is mapped to a second plurality of paging opportunities, and monitoring the shared channel during the second plurality of paging opportunities based on the second PEI. Exemplary Embodiment A15. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments A1 to A14, wherein the first PEI is received as downlink control information (DCI), and the DCI includes a bit field indicating a subset of the first plurality of paging opportunities including paging. Exemplary Embodiment A16. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment A15, wherein the bit field includes a plurality of bits, and each of the plurality of bits indicates one of the first plurality of paging opportunities. Exemplary Embodiment A17. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment A15, wherein the bit field includes a plurality of bits, and each of the plurality of bits indicates a subset of the first plurality of paging opportunities. Exemplary Embodiment A18. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment A15, wherein the at least one wireless device is one of a plurality of wireless devices associated with a wireless device group, and the DCI includes a bit field indicating the wireless device group. Exemplary Embodiment A19. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment A15, wherein the number of the first plurality of paging opportunities is determined based on at least one of traffic measurement, traffic pattern, acceptable delay, the number of wireless devices configured with the PEI, the average paging rate of each paging opportunity in the first plurality of paging opportunities, and the impact of false paging. Exemplary Embodiment A20. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments A1 to A19, wherein the first plurality of paging opportunities are a plurality of consecutive paging opportunities. Exemplary Embodiment A21. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments A1 to A19, wherein the first plurality of paging opportunities are pattern-based. Exemplary Embodiment A22. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments A1 to A19, wherein the first plurality of paging opportunities are not a plurality of consecutive paging opportunities. Exemplary Embodiment A23. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments A1 to A22, wherein monitoring the first plurality of paging opportunities includes monitoring every nth paging opportunity in a sequence of m paging opportunities in response to receiving the first PEI. Exemplary Embodiment A24. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments A1 to A23, further comprising receiving paging in the first plurality of paging opportunities. Exemplary Embodiment A25. A wireless device comprising a processing circuit configured to execute the method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments A1 to A24. Exemplary Embodiment A26. A computer program comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer, execute the method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments A1 to A24. An exemplary embodiment A27. A computer program product including a computer program, the computer program including instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the method according to any one of exemplary embodiments A1 to A24. An exemplary embodiment A28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method according to any one of exemplary embodiments A1 to A24.

[0195] Exemplary embodiments of Group B An exemplary embodiment B1. A method by a network node, comprising mapping a first paging early indicator (PEI) to a first plurality of paging opportunities, and transmitting the first PEI to the at least one wireless device to trigger monitoring of a shared channel during the first plurality of paging opportunities by the at least one wireless device based on the mapping. An exemplary embodiment B2. The method according to exemplary embodiment B1, wherein the at least one wireless device includes a plurality of wireless devices, and the first PEI triggers monitoring by the plurality of wireless devices in the first plurality of paging opportunities. An exemplary embodiment B3. The method according to exemplary embodiment B1 or B2, wherein the at least one wireless device includes a first wireless device and a second wireless device, and the first PEI triggers monitoring by the first wireless device in the first plurality of paging opportunities and triggers monitoring by the second wireless device in the first plurality of paging opportunities. Exemplary Embodiment B4. The at least one wireless device includes a first wireless device and a second wireless device, the plurality of first paging opportunities includes a first paging opportunity and a second paging opportunity, and the first PEI triggers monitoring by the first wireless device in the first paging opportunity and triggers monitoring by the second wireless device in the second paging opportunity, the method according to Exemplary Embodiment B1 or B2. Exemplary Embodiment B5. The plurality of first paging opportunities includes a plurality of consecutive paging opportunities, the method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B4. Exemplary Embodiment B6. The method further includes transmitting an instruction for the mapping to the at least one wireless device, the method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B5. Exemplary Embodiment B7. The instruction for the mapping is transmitted as a PEI configuration, the method according to Exemplary Embodiment B6. Exemplary Embodiment B8. The mapping from the first PEI to the plurality of first paging opportunities is determined based on at least one of network performance, performance of the at least one wireless device, network energy efficiency, and user equipment energy efficiency, the method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B7. Exemplary Embodiment B9. The first PEI is transmitted on a control channel, and the method further includes configuring the at least one wireless device to monitor the control channel during a PEI search window, the method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B8. Exemplary Embodiment B10. The search window is defined by an offset start and an offset stop, the method according to Exemplary Embodiment B9. Exemplary Embodiment B11. The method further includes configuring the at least one wireless device to measure the offset start and the offset stop from a first reference point, the method according to Exemplary Embodiment B10. Exemplary Embodiment B12. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment B11, wherein the first reference point includes a system frame number. Exemplary Embodiment B13. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment B9, further comprising configuring the at least one wireless device to have at least one reference paging opportunity and configuring the wireless to determine the PEI search window based on the at least one reference paging opportunity. Exemplary Embodiment B14. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B13, further comprising mapping a second paging early indicator (PEI) to a second plurality of paging opportunities and transmitting the second PEI to the at least one wireless device to trigger monitoring of a shared channel during the second plurality of paging opportunities by the at least one wireless device based on the mapping. Exemplary Embodiment B15. The first PEI is transmitted on a control channel to at least a first wireless device and a second wireless device, and the method further comprises configuring the first wireless device to monitor the control channel during a first PEI search window and configuring the second wireless device to monitor the control channel during a second PEI search window, the method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B14. Exemplary Embodiment B16. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment B15, wherein the first PEI search window is defined by a first offset start and a first offset stop, the second PEI search window is defined by a second offset start and a second offset stop, and the first PEI search window at least partially overlaps with the second PEI search window. Exemplary Embodiment B17. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment B16, wherein the first offset start and the first offset stop are measured from a first reference point associated with the first wireless device, and the second offset start and the second offset stop are measured from a second reference point associated with the second wireless device. Exemplary Embodiment B18. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment B17, wherein the first reference point includes a first system frame number, and the second reference point includes a second system frame number. Exemplary Embodiment B19. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B18, wherein the first PEI is transmitted on a control channel to at least the first wireless device and the second wireless device, and the method further includes configuring the first wireless device and the second wireless device to monitor the control channel during a PEI search window. Exemplary Embodiment B20. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment B19, wherein the PEI search window is defined by an offset start and an offset stop. Exemplary Embodiment B21. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment B20, wherein the offset start and the offset stop are measured from a reference point, and the method further includes configuring the first wireless device and the second wireless device using the reference point. Exemplary Embodiment B22. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment B21, wherein the reference point includes a system frame number. Exemplary Embodiment B23. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B22, wherein the first PEI is transmitted as downlink control information (DCI), and the DCI includes a bit field indicating a subset of the first plurality of paging opportunities including paging. Exemplary Embodiment B24. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment B23, wherein the bit field includes a plurality of bits, and each of the plurality of bits indicates one of the first plurality of paging opportunities. Exemplary Embodiment B25. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment B23, wherein the bit field includes a plurality of bits, and each of the plurality of bits indicates a subset of the first plurality of paging opportunities. Exemplary Embodiment B26. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B22, wherein the at least one wireless device includes a plurality of wireless devices, and the DCI includes a bit field indicating a subset of the plurality of wireless devices. Exemplary Embodiment B27. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B26, further comprising determining the number of the first plurality of paging opportunities mapped to the first PEI. Exemplary Embodiment B28. The method according to Exemplary Embodiment B27, wherein the number of the first plurality of paging opportunities is determined based on at least one of traffic measurement, traffic pattern, acceptable delay, the number of wireless devices configured with the PEI, the average paging rate of each paging opportunity in the first plurality of paging opportunities, and the impact of false paging. Exemplary Embodiment B29. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B28, wherein the first plurality of paging opportunities are a plurality of consecutive paging opportunities. Exemplary Embodiment B30. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B28, wherein the first plurality of paging opportunities are pattern-based. Exemplary Embodiment B31. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B28, wherein the first plurality of paging opportunities are not a plurality of consecutive paging opportunities. Exemplary Embodiment B32. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B28, further comprising configuring the at least one wireless device to monitor every nth paging opportunity in a sequence of m paging opportunities in response to receiving the PEI. Exemplary Embodiment B33. The method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B32, further comprising transmitting paging at the first plurality of paging opportunities to the at least one wireless device. Exemplary Embodiment B34. A network node including a processing circuit configured to execute the method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B33. Exemplary Embodiment B35. A computer program including instructions that, when executed by a computer, execute the method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B33. Exemplary Embodiment B36. A computer program product including a computer program, the computer program including instructions that, when executed by a computer, execute the method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B33. Exemplary Embodiment B37. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, execute the method according to any one of Exemplary Embodiments B1 to B33.

[0196] Exemplary Embodiments of Group C Exemplary Embodiment C1. A wireless device having a processing circuit configured to execute any one of the steps of any one of the exemplary embodiments of Group A, and a power supply circuit configured to supply power to the wireless device. Exemplary Embodiment C2. A network node having a processing circuit configured to execute any one of the steps of any one of the exemplary embodiments of Group B, and a power supply circuit configured to supply power to the wireless device. Exemplary Embodiment C3. A wireless device, comprising: an antenna configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; a radio front-end circuit connected to the antenna and the processing circuit and configured to adjust signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuit; the processing circuit configured to execute any of the steps of the exemplary embodiments of Group A; an input interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to enable input of information to the wireless device to be processed by the processing circuit; an output interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to output information from the wireless device processed by the processing circuit; and a battery connected to the processing circuit and configured to supply power to the wireless device. Exemplary Embodiment C4. A communication system including a host computer comprising: a processing circuit configured to provide user data; and a communication interface configured to transfer the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a wireless device, wherein the cellular network comprises a network node having a wireless interface and a processing circuit, and the processing circuit of the network node is configured to execute any of the steps of the exemplary embodiments of Group B. Exemplary Embodiment C5. The communication system of the preceding embodiment, further comprising the network node. Exemplary Embodiment C6. The communication system of the preceding two embodiments, further comprising the wireless device, wherein the wireless device is configured to communicate with the network node. Exemplary Embodiment C7. The communication system of the preceding three embodiments, wherein the processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data, and the wireless device comprises a processing circuit configured to execute a client application associated with the host application. Exemplary Embodiment C8. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node, and a wireless device, the method including, in the host computer, providing user data; and in the host computer, initiating a transmission to convey the user data to the wireless device via a cellular network including the network node, wherein the network node executes any of the steps of the exemplary embodiments of Group B. Exemplary Embodiment C9. The method of the preceding embodiment, further including, in the network node, transmitting the user data. Exemplary Embodiment C10. The user data is provided in the host computer by executing a host application, and the method further includes, in the wireless device, executing a client application associated with the host application, the method of the two preceding embodiments. Exemplary Embodiment C11. A wireless device configured to communicate with a network node, the wireless device including a wireless interface and a processing circuit configured to execute any of the three preceding embodiments. Exemplary Embodiment C12. A communication system including a host computer including a processing circuit configured to provide user data and a communication interface configured to transfer the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a wireless device, the wireless device including a wireless interface and a processing circuit, and components of the wireless device being configured to execute any of the steps of the exemplary embodiments of Group A. Exemplary Embodiment C13. The communication system of the preceding embodiment, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the wireless device. Exemplary Embodiment C14. The processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data, and the processing circuit of the wireless device is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application. The communication system of the preceding two embodiments. Exemplary Embodiment C15. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node, and a wireless device, the method including: providing user data in the host computer; and in the host computer, starting a transmission to convey the user data to the wireless device via a cellular network including the network node. The wireless device executes any step of the exemplary embodiments of Group A. Exemplary Embodiment C16. The method of the preceding embodiment, further including receiving the user data in the wireless device from the network node. Exemplary Embodiment C17. A communication interface configured to receive user data from a transmission from a wireless device to a network node, the wireless device including a wireless interface and a processing circuit, and the processing circuit of the wireless device being configured to execute any step of the exemplary embodiments of Group A. A communication system including a host computer including the communication interface. Exemplary Embodiment C18. The communication system of the preceding embodiment, further including the wireless device. Exemplary Embodiment C19. The communication system of the preceding two embodiments, further including the network node, the network node including a wireless interface configured to communicate with the wireless device, and a communication interface configured to transfer the user data conveyed by a transmission from the wireless device to the network node to the host computer. Exemplary Embodiment C20. The processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, and the processing circuit of the wireless device is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data in the communication system of the preceding three embodiments. Exemplary Embodiment C21. The processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing request data, and the processing circuit of the wireless device is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data in response to the request data in the communication system of the preceding four embodiments. Exemplary Embodiment C22. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node, and a wireless device, the method including, in the host computer, receiving user data transmitted from the wireless device to the network node, wherein the wireless device executes any step of the exemplary embodiments of Group A. Exemplary Embodiment C23. The method of the preceding embodiment, further including, in the wireless device, providing the user data to the network node. Exemplary Embodiment C24. The method of the preceding two embodiments, further including, in the wireless device, executing a client application, thereby providing the user data to be transmitted, and, in the host computer, executing a host application associated with the client application. Exemplary Embodiment C25. In the wireless device, further including executing a client application and receiving input data for the client application in the wireless device, the input data is provided and transmitted in the host computer by executing a host application associated with the client application, and the user data to be transmitted is provided by the client application in response to the input data, the method of the preceding three embodiments. Exemplary Embodiment C26. A communication system including a host computer including a communication interface configured to receive user data from a transmission from a wireless device at a network node, the network node includes a wireless interface and a processing circuit, and the processing circuit of the network node is configured to execute any step of the exemplary embodiments of Group B. Exemplary Embodiment C27. The communication system of the preceding embodiment, further including the network node. Exemplary Embodiment C28. The communication system of the preceding two embodiments, further including the wireless device, and the wireless device is configured to communicate with the network node. Exemplary Embodiment C29. The processing circuit of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, and the wireless device is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data received by the host computer, the communication system of the preceding three embodiments. Exemplary Embodiment C30. A method implemented in a communication system including a host computer, a network node, and a wireless device, the method including receiving, in the host computer, user data from a transmission received by the network node from the wireless device from a base station, wherein the wireless device executes any step of the exemplary embodiments of Group A. Exemplary Embodiment C31. The method according to the preceding embodiment, further comprising receiving, at the network node, the user data from the wireless device. Exemplary Embodiment C32. The method according to the two preceding embodiments, further comprising starting, at the network node, transmission of the received user data to the host computer. Exemplary Embodiment C33. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the network node includes a base station. Exemplary Embodiment C34. The method according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the wireless device includes a user equipment (UE).

[0197] Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, modifications, additions, or omissions can be made to the systems and devices described herein. The components of the systems and devices may be integrated or separated. Further, the operations of the systems and devices may be performed by more components, fewer components, or other components. Further, the operations of the systems and devices may be performed using any suitable logic consisting of software, hardware, and / or other logic. As used herein, "each" refers to each member of a set or each member of a subset of a set.

[0198] Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, modifications, additions, or omissions can be made to the methods described herein. The methods may include more, fewer, or other steps. Further, the steps may be performed in any suitable order.

[0199] Although the present disclosure has been described with respect to specific embodiments, changes and permutations of the embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of the embodiments does not limit the present disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A method (1200) by a wireless device (110), the method comprising: Receiving (1202) from a network node (160) a PEI configuration including an indication of a mapping from one paging early indicator (PEI) to a plurality of paging opportunities, wherein the plurality of paging opportunities are monitored by a plurality of wireless devices including the wireless device, said receiving; Monitoring a control channel during a PEI search window; Receiving (1204) the PEI on the control channel during the PEI search window from the network node; Monitoring a shared channel for paging in one of the plurality of paging opportunities if the received PEI indicates that paging is intended for the wireless device based on the mapping from the PEI to the plurality of paging opportunities (1206); Including, The PEI search window is defined by an offset start and an offset stop, The method further includes measuring the offset start and the offset stop from a first reference point to determine the PEI search window.

2. Further comprising determining that the PEI is mapped to the plurality of paging opportunities based on the PEI configuration including the indication of the mapping. The method according to claim 1.

3. The plurality of paging opportunities include a plurality of consecutive paging opportunities. The method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The PEI search window is determined based on and / or measured from at least one reference paging opportunity. The method according to claim 1.

5. The PEI configuration is received as system information (SI). The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A method (1500) by a network node (160), the method comprising: Transmitting (1502) to at least one wireless device (110) a PEI configuration including an indication of a mapping from one paging early indicator (PEI) to a plurality of paging opportunities, wherein the plurality of paging opportunities are monitored by a plurality of wireless devices including the at least one wireless device, said transmitting; Configure the at least one wireless device to monitor a control channel during a PEI search window; Transmit the PEI to the at least one wireless device on the control channel during the PEI search window to trigger monitoring of a shared channel for paging in one of the plurality of paging opportunities by the at least one wireless device (1504), wherein the paging is intended for the at least one wireless device, the transmitting (1504); comprising; The PEI search window is defined by an offset start and an offset stop; The method further comprises configuring the at least one wireless device to measure the offset start and the offset stop from a first reference point. **Claim 7** The PEI triggers monitoring of the shared channel by the plurality of wireless devices in the plurality of paging opportunities The method according to claim 6. **Claim 8** The at least one wireless device includes a first wireless device and a second wireless device; The PEI triggers monitoring of the shared channel by the first wireless device in the plurality of paging opportunities; The PEI triggers monitoring of the shared channel by the second wireless device in the plurality of paging opportunities The method according to claim 6 or 7. **Claim 9** The at least one wireless device includes a first wireless device and a second wireless device; The plurality of paging opportunities includes a first paging opportunity and a second paging opportunity; The PEI triggers monitoring of the shared channel by the first wireless device in the first paging opportunity; The PEI triggers monitoring of the shared channel by the second wireless device in the second paging opportunity The method according to claim 6 or 7. **Claim 10** The plurality of paging opportunities includes a plurality of consecutive paging opportunities The method according to any one of claims 6 to 9. **Claim 11** further comprising determining the mapping from the PEI to the plurality of paging opportunities based on at least one of network performance, performance of the at least one wireless device, network energy efficiency, and user equipment energy efficiency The method according to any one of claims 6 to 10.

12. further comprising configuring the at least one wireless device at at least one reference paging opportunity and configuring the at least one wireless device to determine the PEI search window based on the at least one reference paging opportunity The method according to claim 6.

13. The PEI is transmitted on the shared channel to at least a first wireless device and a second wireless device. The method comprises: configuring the first wireless device to monitor the shared channel during a first PEI search window; configuring the second wireless device to monitor the shared channel during a second PEI search window; further comprising The method according to any one of claims 6 to 12.

14. The first PEI search window is defined by a first offset start and a first offset stop. The second PEI search window is defined by a second offset start and a second offset stop. The first PEI search window at least partially overlaps with the second PEI search window. The method according to claim 13.

15. The first offset start and the first offset stop are measured from a first reference point associated with the first wireless device. The second offset start and the second offset stop are measured from a second reference point associated with the second wireless device. The method according to claim 14.

16. The PEI configuration is transmitted as system information (SI). The method according to any one of claims 6 to 15.

17. A wireless device (110) adapted to perform any of the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

18. A network node (160) adapted to perform any of the steps of the method according to any one of claims 6 to 16.

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