Paging occasions configuration of paging frames in enhanced paging

Abstract

Systems and methods for Paging Occasions (POs) configuration of Paging Frames (PFs) in enhanced paging are provided. In some embodiments, a method performed by a User Equipment (UE) includes: receiving (900) a first paging configuration and monitoring (902) POs according to procedures included in the configuration. The UE receives (904) a second paging configuration, where: PFs of the second configuration are different than PFs of the first paging configuration; and / or POs of the second have a different pattern than POs of the first. The UE monitors (906) POs according to the second paging configuration. In this way, a simple way to control the number of POs and their associated positions is provided without unduly increasing the UE / gNB implementation complexity while facilitating network energy savings and / or reduced impact on UE power savings. Some embodiments introduce a mechanism so that PFs can be configured non-uniformly, while mitigating the impact on reachability for devices that are camped.

Description

PAGING OCCASIONS CONFIGURATION OF PAGING FRAMES IN ENHANCED PAGINGRELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application serial number 63 / 557,571, filed February 25, 2024, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a method performed by a UE and a UE for handling different paging configurations. It further relates to a method performed by a network node and a network node for handling different paging configurations. It also relates to a computer readable medium comprising instructions for executing the method performed by the UE or by the network node.BACKGROUND

[0003] NW energy consumption

[0004] For a cell in New Radio (NR), typically, a Synchronization Signal Block (SSB) is transmitted periodically, and it may be used to aid User Eqipment's (UE’s) initial cell search, acquire frame / slot timing, initial time / frequency synchronization, measurements, and as Quasi Co-Location (QCL) reference for channels / signals, etc. With beamforming, SSBs must be transmitted in multiple beams, and this can lead to further increased network energy consumption.

[0005] When a network (NW) is in idle / very-low load scenario, the main contributors to network energy consumption may include SSB transmissions, System Information (SI) transmissions, monitoring for uplink (e.g., listening to Radio Access Channel (RACH) in RACH occasions) and transmission of paging messages.

[0006] In Idle / inactive mode, UEs monitor paging in periodic occasions indicated via higher layers and based on UE IDs.

[0007] The UE monitors one paging occasion (PO) per Discontinuous Reception (DRX) cycle. A PO is a set of Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasions and can consist of multiple time slots (e.g., subframe or OFDM symbol) where paging Downlink Control Information (DCI) can be sent (TS 38.213). One Paging Frame (PF) is one Radio Frame and may contain one or multiple PO(s) or starting point of a PO.

[0008] In multi-beam operations, the UE can assume that the same paging message is repeated in all transmitted beams and thus the selection of the beam(s) for the reception of the paging message is up to the UE implementation. The paging message is the same for both Radio Access Network (RAN) initiated paging and Core Network (CN)initiated paging.

[0009] The UE initiates the Radio Resource Control (RRC) Connection Resume procedure upon receiving RAN initiated paging. If the UE receives a CN initiated paging in RRC_INACTIVE state, the UE moves to RRC IDLE and informs NAS.

[0010] The PF and PO for paging are determined by the following formulae:System Frame Number (SFN) for the PF is determined by:(SFN + PF offset) mod T = (T div N)*(UE_ID mod N)Index (i s), indicating the index of the PO is determined by: i_s = floor (UE_ID / N) mod Ns

[0011] The following parameters are used for the calculation of PF and i s above:T: DRX cycle of the UE (T is determined by the shortest of the UE specific DRX value, if configured by RRC or upper layers, and a default DRX value broadcast in system information. If UE specific DRX is not configured by RRC or by upper layers, the default value is applied).N: number of total paging frames in TNs: number of paging occasions for a PFPF offset: offset used for PF determinationUE ID: 5G-S-TMSI mod 1024

[0012] Parameters Ns,firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO, nAndPagingFrameOffset, and the length of default DRX Cycle are signaled in System Information Block (SIB)l. The values of N and PF_offset are derived from the parameter nAndPagingFrameOffset as defined in TS 38.331.

[0013] If the UE has no 5G-S-Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (5G-S-TMSI), for instance when the UE has not yet registered onto the network, the UE shall use as default identity UE_ID = 0 in the PF and i s formulas above.

[0014] 5G-S-TMSI is a 48 bit long bit string as defined in TS 23.501. 5G-S-TMSI shall in the formulae above be interpreted as a binary number where the left most bit represents the most significant bit.

[0015] The paging configuration is carried in higher layer signaling and includes the following. defaultPagingCycle PagingCycle, nAndPagingFrameOffset CHOICE { oneT NULL, halfT INTEGER (0..1), quarterT INTEGER (0..3), oneEighthT INTEGER (0..7), oneSixteenthT INTEGER (0..15)}, ns ENUMERATED {four, two, one},

[0016] The PDCCH monitoring occasions for paging are determined according to pagingSearchSpace as specified in TS 38.213 and firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO if configured as specified in TS 38.331. Via this parameter, the NW can point out the position of various POs associated with a paging frame. More specifically the firstPDCCHMonitoringOccasionOfPO indicates the first PDCCH monitoring occasion for each of the POs.

[0017] When SearchSpaceld = 0 is configured for pagingSearchSpace, the PDCCH monitoring occasions for paging are the same as for RMSI as defined in clause 13 in TS 38.213 and Ns is either 1 or 2. For Ns = 1, there is only one PO which starts from the first PDCCH monitoring occasion for paging in the PF. For Ns = 2, PO is either in the first half frame (i_s = 0) or the second half frame (i_s = 1) of the PF.

[0018] When SearchSpaceld other than 0 is configured for pagingSearchSpace, the UE monitors the (i_s + l)thPO. A PO is a set of 'S' consecutive PDCCH monitoring occasions where 'S' is the number of actual transmitted SSBs determined according to ssh-PositionsInBurst in SIB1. The KthPDCCH monitoring occasion for paging in the PO corresponds to the Kthtransmitted SSB. The PDCCH monitoring occasions for paging which do not overlap with UL symbols are sequentially numbered from zero starting from the first PDCCH monitoring occasion in the PF. When firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO is present, the starting PDCCH monitoring occasion number of (i_s + 1)* PO is the (i_s + l)thvalue of the firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO parameter; otherwise, it is equal to i_s * S.NOTE 1 : A PO associated with a PF may start in the PF or after the PF.NOTE 2: When SearchSpaceld other than 0 is configured for pagingSearchSpace, the PDCCH monitoring occasions for a PO can span multiple radio frames and multiple periods of the paging search space.

[0019] Transmitting paging messages to different UEs in different slots / subframes / SFNs consumes energy at a gNB (e.g., to wake up from a sleep state just to transmit a paging message, etc.).

[0020] Paging frames in Rel-18 (and earlier releases) are uniformly distributed within a paging cycle, which can lead to increased gNB wakeups just to transmit paging messages, consuming energy on the network side. Being able to confine paging occasions in time can be beneficial and hence in Rel-19 is studying confinement of paging occasions in the time domain (see, e.g., 3GPP TSG RAN Meeting #102, RP-234065):3. Specify adaptation of common signal / channel transmissions. [RAN1 / 2 / 3 / 4]Adaptation of SSB in time domain, e.g., adapting periodicity• Adaptation of Physical Radio Access Channel (PRACH) in the time domain• Study adaptation of PRACH in the spatial domain, e.g., non-uniform PRACH resources per SSB, and specify if found beneficialThis study is to be done in 2Q’ 2024 only• Adaptation of paging occasions including confining the paging occasions in the time domainNote: there shall be no paging latency increase• Note: there shall be no negative impact to legacy UEs, unless significant benefits are shown

[0021] Improved systems and methods for parameter configuration are needed.SUMMARY

[0022] Systems and methods for Paging Occasions (POs) configuration of Paging Frames (PFs) in enhanced paging are provided. In some embodiments, a method performed by a User Equipment (UE) includes: receiving a first paging configuration and monitoring POs according to procedures included in the first paging configuration. The UE receives a second paging configuration, where: PFs of the second paging configuration are different than PFs of the first paging configuration; and / or POs of the second paging configuration have a different pattern than POs of the first paging configuration. The UE monitors POs according to procedures included in the second paging configuration. In this way, a simple way to control the number of POs and their associated positions associated to different PFs is provided without unduly increasing the UE / gNB implementation complexity while facilitating network energy savings and / or reduced impact on UE power savings. Some embodiments introduce a mechanism so that PFs can be configured non-uniformly, e.g., by placing them next to each other consecutive in time, while mitigating the impact on reachability for devices that are camped.

[0023] In some embodiments, a method performed by a network node includes: transmitting, to a UE, a first paging configuration; transmitting, to the UE, a second paging configuration, where: PFs of the second paging configuration are different than PFs of the first paging configuration; and / or POs of the second paging configuration have a different pattern than POs of the first paging configuration.

[0024] In some embodiments, the paging configuration is received by higher layer signaling.

[0025] In some embodiments, the second paging configuration provides more paging capacity in a single PF than allowed by legacy configurations.

[0026] In some embodiments, a first of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO is applicable to the PFs of the first paging configuration, and a second of the parameters are provided that are applicable to the second configured PFs.

[0027] In some embodiments, a default NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is configured which is applicable to all the PFs configured by the second paging configuration.

[0028] In some embodiments, for at least one PF, additional NS / firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO are configured.

[0029] In some embodiments, the method also includes transmitting / receiving an associated Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) occasion configuration that the UE can use to trigger random access to the network in case the UE is paged. In some embodiments, the PRACH occasion is indicated in the second paging configuration or explicitly as part of the system information broadcast. In some embodiments, the indication is provided with an offset with a reference to UEs second paging configuration.

[0030] In some embodiments, the configured PRACH occasion coincides with legacy PRACH occasion(s) or additional PRACH occasions configured by the network for UEs that support second paging configuration.

[0031] In some embodiments, the first configuration corresponds to a first set of POs in the PFs and the second configuration corresponds to a second set of POs in the PFs.

[0032] In some embodiments, a first set of POs are for legacy UE and a second set of POs are for Release- 19 UEs.

[0033] In some embodiments, one or more of the configuration parameters are overlapping with the first paging configuration.

[0034] In some embodiments, System Information Block Type 1 (SIB1) contains a secondary pcch- config field that provides the default second paging configuration information.

[0035] In some embodiments, the secondary pcch-config contains additional parameters compared to the default pcch-config, contain same parameters with different values, or contain delta information in relation to the first paging configuration.

[0036] In some embodiments, the secondary pcch-config info, or equivalent, is provided in another SIBn, n>l.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0038] Figure 1 illustrates when resources of certain frames are needed for other type of traffic a frame pattern can be defined avoiding Paging Frames (PFs), according to some embodiments of the current disclosure.

[0039] Figure 2 illustrates, in order to be able to provide the same paging capacity as in legacy, more Paging Occasions (POs) may be introduced associated with each PF, according to some embodiments of the current disclosure.

[0040] Figure 3 illustrates a first of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided by the network applicable to the PFs of the first (legacy) pagingconfiguration, and a second of the said parameters are provided that are applicable to the second configured PFs, according to some embodiments of the current disclosure.

[0041] Figure 4 illustrates a second paging configuration is accompanied by two sets of NS and firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO applicable to different PFs of the second configuration, according to some embodiments of the current disclosure.

[0042] Figure 5 illustrates a possible configuration where the top shows an example of a legacy setting while the bottom is an example of some embodiments of the current disclosure.

[0043] Figure 6 illustrates the same System Frame Number (SFN) of PFs are provided to Rel-19 UEs as well and the Ns is still 2 but the firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO for Rel-19 UEs is pointing at the other 2 POs left, according to some embodiments of the current disclosure.

[0044] Figure 7 illustrates the same SFN of PFs are provided to Rel-19 UEs as well and the Ns is 1, and the firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO for Rel-19 UEs is pointing at the other 1 PO, according to some embodiments of the current disclosur.;

[0045] Figure 8 illustrates the additional PFs for Rel-19 are configured by sets of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided by the network for the second paging configurations, according to some embodiments of the current disclosure.

[0046] Figure 9 illustrates a method performed by a UE, according to some embodiments of the current disclosure.

[0047] Figure 10 illustrates a method performed by a network node, according to some embodiments of the current disclosure.

[0048] Figure 11 shows an example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments;

[0049] Figure 12 shows a UE in accordance with some embodiments.

[0050] Figure 13 shows a network node in accordance with some embodiments.

[0051] Figure 14 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The embodiments set forth below represent information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure.

[0053] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0054] There currently exist certain challenge(s). Even though the Paging Occasions (POs) associated with each Paging Frame (PF) can be controlled via the parameters Ns and FirstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO per PO of the PF, the configuration is common across all the PFs. This may not have been an issue until now. Firstly, because there are only up to four POs occupying resources associated with a PF. Secondly, because in case resources of certain frames are needed for other type of traffic a frame pattern can be defined avoiding PFs as depicted in Figure 1.

[0055] Confining PFs in time as being discussed for Rel-19 implies that the PFs may end up back-to- back. Furthermore, in order to be able to provide the same paging capacity as in legacy, more POs may be introduced associated with each PF as depicted in Figure 2.

[0056] The problem however with introduction of condensed PFs in conjunction with more POs per PF is that it may not be desired for all consecutive frames to have exactly the same PO assignment as the resources in certain frames may be needed for other traffic.

[0057] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. Introducing the possibility for non-uniform control of the number of POs and the position of POs associated with the PFs. In one aspect, multiple PO numbers (Ns) and position patterns are defined and assigned to different PFs. As such enabling a non-uniform configuration of PFs, e.g., putting PFs in a (hyper) system frame together by placing them next to each other consecutive in time instead of evenly while at least maintaining legacy paging capacity. Introducing more than one PO pattern associated to a frame. A paging frame, or a group of paging frames are associated with different patterns. Introducing means for the network to be able to configure PFs non-uniformly while maintaining paging capacity. Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s). A simple way to control the number of POs and their associated positions associated to different paging frames without unduly increasing the UE / gNB implementation complexity while facilitating network energy savings and / or reduced impact on UE power savings. The proposed solution introduces a mechanism so that PFs can be configured non-uniformly. e.g., by placing them next to each other consecutive in time, while mitigating the impact on reachability for devices that are camped. The teachings of certain embodiments may improve the data rate, latency, and / or power consumption.

[0058] The invention introduces more than one single Paging Occasion (PO) pattern associated with the configured Paging Frames (PFs). Higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC broadcast / dedicated signaling) is used for providing said paging configuration. The NW may support both a first legacy paging configuration and the second new paging configuration described below. A UE may indicate a capability to support paging monitoring according to the second newly introduced paging configuration (e.g., an enhanced paging configuration). UEs that support the second configuration, when second paging configuration is indicated for a cell (e.g., in SI, RRC, etc.)then monitor POs according to the procedures including the second paging configuration. The information that a UE supports the second configuration may be provided in the “paging information container”, which is exchanged between AMF (or any CN node) and gNB(s) (or any RAN node) transparently from the AMF (or CN) standpoint. The informationin the container informs the receiving RAN node whether the UE can be paged using the second configuration.

[0059] According to the second paging configuration the parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO, may be different between the different paging frames compared to the legacy way of configuring these parameters wherein one setting is applicable to all PFs. As described herein, it may be desirable to provide more paging capacity in a single PF than allowed by legacy configurations, but it may not be desired for all consecutive frames to have exactly the same PO assignment as the resources in certain frames may be needed for other traffic.

[0060] In one embodiment, a first of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided by the NW applicable to the PFs of the first (legacy) paging configuration, and a second of the said parameters are provided that are applicable to the second configured PFs. This is exemplified in Figure 3.

[0061] In one embodiment, more than a single set of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided by the NW for the second paging configuration where the different set of Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to different PFs of the second paging configuration. This is exemplified below in which both a first (legacy) configuration and a second (new) paging configuration is provided. The second paging configuration is accompanied by two sets of NS and firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO applicable to different PFs of the second configuration. Details are shown in Figure 4.

[0062] In one embodiment, a set of second configured PFs are defined each configured with its own NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO. As such the UE then knows that for those specific POs, the specified NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable.

[0063] In one embodiment, each of the second set of NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are identified by a number / index. Then among a set of second configured PFs NS / firstPDCCPI- MonitoringOccasionOfPO configuration identifier (index) is configured.

[0064] In one embodiment, a default NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is configured which is applicable to all the PFs configured by the second paging configuration. However, for specific PFs (exceptions), additional NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are configured. In a subembodiment, the default NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO can be the legacy configuration.

[0065] In one embodiment, the aforementioned specific PFs (exceptions) are identified by absolute frame numbers (e.g., SFN=6) to which the non-default NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is applicable.

[0066] In another embodiment, the specific PFs (exceptions) are identified by frames that follow a specific pattern. For example, the PFs that a specific NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to are the ones where SFN of the PF mod 4 = 1 (i.e., every 4thPF starting from SFN=1) or alike.

[0067] In one embodiment, the configuration of NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is applicable to all frames until a specific frame number, and after that another set of NS / firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable for the remaining. In a sub-embodiment, more than one level can be defined where different NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to different series / levels.

[0068] In a dependent embodiment, a UE configured with the second paging configuration may also be configured with an associated PRACH occasion that it can use to trigger random access to the network in case it is paged. This PRACH occasion may be indicated in the second paging configuration or explicitly as part of the system information broadcast. The indication may be provided with an offset with a reference to UEs second paging configuration, e.g., PO / PF, or with an absolute value, e.g., system frame number. The configured PRACH occasion may coincide with legacy PRACH occasion(s) or additional PRACH occasions configured by the network for UEs that support second paging configuration. Figure 5 illustrates one possible such configuration where the one on the top shows an example of a legacy setting while the one below is an example of the proposed method above.

[0069] Note that with such flexible configuration it is possible to compress the PRACH occasions, i.e., RAI, RA2, and RA3, following the compressed paging frames to create longer sleep opportunities for the gNB, as well as spreading out the new PRACH occasions to align some of them with the legacy PRACH occasions, such as the case for RAI and RA3 in the new configuration shown above.

[0070] In one embodiment, a first and a second of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided by the NW applicable to the same PFs of paging configuration. The first configuration corresponds to a first set of POs in the PFs and the second configuration corresponds to a second set of POs in the PFs. The first set of POs are for legacy UE and the second POs are for Rel-19 UEs. For example, when configuring legacy UEs, Ns = 2 and the firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO correspond to these 2 POs. However, the same SFN of PFs are provided to Rel-19 UEs as well and the Ns is still 2 but the firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO for Rel-19 UEs is pointing at the other 2 POs left. This is exemplified in Figure 6.

[0071] In a further embodiment, more than a single set of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided by the NW for the second paging configuration where the different set of Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to different legacy PFs of the second paging configuration. For example, when configuring legacy UEs, Ns = 2 and the firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO correspond to these 2 POs in the first legacy PF. However, the same SFN of PFs are provided to Rel-19 UEs as well and the Ns is still 2 but the firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO for Rel-19 UEs is pointing at the other 2 POs in the first legacy PF. In the second legacy PF, when configuring legacy UEs, Ns = 2 and the firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO correspond to these 2 POs. The same SFN of PFs are provided to Rel-19 UEs as well and the Ns is 1, and the firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO for Rel-19 UEs is pointing at the other 1 PO. This is exemplified in Figure 7.

[0072] In a further embodiment, a first and a second of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided by the NW applicable to the same legacy PFs of the paging configuration. In addition, more than a single set of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided by the NW for the second paging configuration where the different set of Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to different PFs of the second paging configuration. For example, when configuring legacy UEs, Ns = 2 and the firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO correspond to these 2 POs in the first legacy PF. However, the same SFN of PFs are provided to Rel-19 UEs as well and the Ns is still 2 but the firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO for Rel-19 UEs is pointing at the other 2 POs in the first legacy PF. Then the additional PFs for Rel-19 are configured by sets of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided by the NW for the second paging configurations. This is exemplified in Figure 8.

[0073] In legacy cells, SIB1 contains the default pcch-config information. In one embodiment, SIB1 may additionally contain a secondary pcch-config field that provides the default second paging configuration info. The secondary pcch-config may contain additional parameters compared to the default pcch-config, contain same parameters with different values, or contain delta information in relation to the first configuration. Alternatively, the secondary pcch-config info, or equivalent, may be provided in another SIBn, n>l.

[0074] In one embodiment, UEs that, before transitioning to idle / inactive, have been configured to use the second paging configuration, may use the secondary pcch-config to obtain the secondary paging configuration when camping on a cell, or in a paging area, other than where they last were connected.

[0075] In one embodiment, the second paging configuration may be determined based on the first paging configuration with additional one or more extension parameter(s) that are used to override corresponding parameter(s) from the first paging configuration.

[0076] In another embodiment, the second paging configuration may alternatively be a standalone configuration, separate and independent of the first paging configuration, indicated via higher layer signaling. However, despite being a standalone configuration, one or more of the configuration parameters may be overlapping with the first (legacy) configuration. The second paging configuration may be UE- / UE-group- specific (e.g., specific to a certain type of UEs such as RedCap UEs, or alike).

[0077] Figure 9 illustrates a method performed by a UE including: receiving (step 900) a first paging configuration; monitoring (step 902) POs according to procedures included in the first paging configuration; receiving (step 904) a second paging configuration, where one or more of: PFs of the second paging configuration are different than PFs of the first paging configuration; and POs of the second paging configuration have a different pattern than POs of the first paging configuration; and monitoring (step 906) POs according to procedures included in the second paging configuration. In some embodiments, the UE optionally receives (step 908) an associated PRACH occasion configuration that the UE can use to trigger random access to the network in case the UE is paged.

[0078] Figure 10 illustrates a method performed by a network node including: transmitting (step 1000), to a UE, a first paging configuration; transmitting (step 1002), to the UE, a second paging configuration, where one or more of: PFs of the second paging configuration are different than PFs of the first paging configuration; and POs of the second paging configuration have a different pattern than POs of the first paging configuration. In some embodiments, the network node optionally transmits (step 1004) an associated PRACH occasion configuration that the UE can use to trigger random access to the network in case the UE is paged.

[0079] Figure 11 shows an example of a communication system 1100 in accordance with some embodiments. In the example, the communication system 1100 includes a telecommunication network 1102 that includes an access network 1104, such as a Radio Access Network (RAN), and a core network 1106, which includes one or more core network nodes 1108. The access network 1104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 1110A and 1110B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 1110), or any other similar Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP Access Points (APs). Moreover, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a network node is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which a radio portion and a baseband portion are supplied and integrated by a single vendor. Thus, it will be understood that network nodes include disaggregated implementations or portions thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the telecommunication network 1102 includes one or more Open-RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunication network 1102 that supports an ORAN specification (e.g., a specification published by the O-RAN Alliance, or any similar organization) and may operate alone or together with other nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any node in the telecommunication network 1102, including one or more network nodes 1110 and / or core network nodes 1108.

[0080] Examples of an ORAN network node include an Open Radio Unit (O-RU), an Open Distributed Unit (O-DU), an Open Central Unit (O-CU), including an O-CU Control Plane (O-CU-CP) or an O-CU User Plane (O-CU-UP), a RAN intelligent controller (near-real time or non-real time) hosting software or software plug-ins, such as a near-real time control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real time control application (e.g., rApp), or any combination thereof (the adjective “open” designating support of an ORAN specification). The network node may support a specification by, for example, supporting an interface defined by the ORAN specification, such as an Al, Fl, Wl, El, E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaul user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Moreover, an ORAN access node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface defined by the O-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies. The network nodes 1110 facilitate direct or indirect connection of User Equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 1112A, 1112B, 1112C, and1112D (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 1112) to the core network 1106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0081] Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system 1100 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 1100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0082] The UEs 1112 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes 1110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 1110 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 1112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 1102 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunication network 1102.

[0083] In the depicted example, the core network 1106 connects the network nodes 1110 to one or more hosts, such as host 1116. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The core network 1106 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 1108) that are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 1108. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De-Concealing Function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0084] The host 1116 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 1104 and / or the telecommunication network 1102, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 1116 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more service. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0085] As a whole, the communication system 1100 of Figure 11 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system 1100 may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Uong Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable Second, Third, Fourth, or Fifth Generation (2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G) standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., Sixth Generation (6G)); Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802. 11 standards (WiFi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0086] In some examples, the telecommunication network 1102 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunication network 1102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 1102. For example, the telecommunication network 1102 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) / massive Internet of Things (loT) services to yet further UEs.

[0087] In some examples, the UEs 1112 are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 1104 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 1104. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi-Radio Access Technology (RAT) or multi-standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of WiFi, New Radio (NR), and LTE, i.e. being configured for MultiRadio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC), such as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial RAN (E-UTRAN) NR - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0088] In the example, a hub 1114 communicates with the access network 1104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 1112C and / or 1112D) and network nodes (e.g., network node 1110B). In some examples, the hub 1114 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 1114 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 1106 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 1114 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes 1110, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 1114. As another example, the hub 1114 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 1114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a Virtual Reality (VR) headset, display, loudspeaker or other mediadelivery device, the hub 1114 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 1114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 1114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0089] The hub 1114 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 1110B. The hub 1114 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 1114 and UEs (e.g., UE 1112C and / or 1112D), and between the hub 1114 and the core network 1106. In other examples, the hub 1114 is connected to the core network 1106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 1114 may be configured to connect to a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) service provider over the access network 1104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 1110 while still connected via the hub 1114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 1114 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from the UEs from / to the network node 1110B. In other embodiments, the hub 1114 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and the network node 1110B, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0090] Figure 12 shows a UE 1200 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), wireless camera, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, Laptop Embedded Equipment (LEE), Laptop Mounted Equipment (LME), smart device, wireless Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), vehicle, vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3GPP, including a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB- loT) UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0091] A UE may support Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), Vehicle-to- Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I), or Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0092] The UE 1200 includes processing circuitry 1202 that is operatively coupled via a bus 1204 to an input / output interface 1206, a power source 1208, memory 1210, a communication interface 1212, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 12. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0093] The processing circuitry 1202 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory 1210. The processing circuitry 1202 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or Digital Signal Processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 1202 may include multiple Central Processing Units (CPUs).

[0094] In the example, the input / output interface 1206 may be configured to provide an interface or interfaces to an input device, output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE 1200. Examples of an input device 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 smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0095] In some embodiments, the power source 1208 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used. The power source 1208 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 1208 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 1200 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 1208. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 1208 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 1200 to which power is supplied.

[0096] The memory 1210 may be or be configured to include memory such as Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Programmable ROM (PROM), Erasable PROM(EPROM), Electrically EPROM (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 1210 includes one or more application programs 1214, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 1216. The memory 1210 may store, for use by the UE 1200, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0097] The memory 1210 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, High Density Digital Versatile Disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, Holographic Digital Data Storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM), Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as a tamper resistant module in the form of a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) including one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), such as a Universal SIM (USIM) and / or Internet Protocol Multimedia Services Identity Module (ISIM), other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as a ‘SIM card. The memory 1210 may allow the UE 1200 to access instructions, application programs, and the like stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 1210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0098] The processing circuitry 1202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 1212. The communication interface 1212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 1222. The communication interface 1212 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 1218 and / or a receiver 1220 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 1218 and receiver 1220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., the antenna 1222) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0099] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 1212 may include cellular communication, WiFi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, NFC, location-based communication such as the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, NR, UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol / Intemet Protocol(TCP / IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Quick User Datagram Protocol Internet Connection (QUIC), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0100] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 1212, via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another UE. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0101] As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0102] A UE, when in the form of an loT device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, city wearable technology, extended industrial application, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an loT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a television, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for Augmented Reality (AR) or VR, a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or itemtracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an loT device comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence of the intended application of the loT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE 1200 shown in Figure 12.

[0103] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship, an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0104] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone’s speed. The first and / or the second UE can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE might comprise the sensor and the actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0105] Figure 13 shows a network node 1300 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or equipment in a telecommunication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, APs (e.g., radio APs), Base Stations (BSs) (e.g., radio BSs, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), NR Node Bs (gNBs)), and 0-RAN nodes or components of an 0-RAN node (e.g., O-RU, O-DU, O-CU).

[0106] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g., in an 0-RAN access node), and / or Remote Radio Units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such RRUs may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a Distributed Antenna System (DAS).

[0107] Other examples of network nodes include multiple Transmission Point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, Multi-Standard Radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as Radio Network Controllers (RNCs) or BS Controllers (BSCs), Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, Multi-Cell / Multicast Coordination Entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0108] The network node 1300 includes processing circuitry 1302, memory 1304, a communication interface 1306, and a power source 1308. The network node 1300 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which the network node 1300 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, thenetwork node 1300 may be configured to support multiple RATs. In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 1304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 1310 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 1300 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 1300, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within the network node 1300.

[0109] The processing circuitry 1302 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, CPU, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 1300 components, such as the memory 1304, to provide network node 1300 functionality.

[0110] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1302 includes a System on a Chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1302 includes one or more of Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 1312 and baseband processing circuitry 1314. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 1312 and the baseband processing circuitry 1314 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 1312 and the baseband processing circuitry 1314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.[oni] The memory 1304 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, RAM, ROM, mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD), or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable, and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 1302. The memory 1304 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 1302 and utilized by the network node 1300. The memory 1304 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 1302 and / or any data received via the communication interface 1306. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 1302 and the memory 1304 are integrated.

[0112] The communication interface 1306 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between a network node, access network, and / or UE. As illustrated, the communication interface 1306 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 1316 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 1306 also includes radio front-end circuitry 1318 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 1310. The radiofront-end circuitry 1318 comprises filters 1320 and amplifiers 1322. The radio front-end circuitry 1318 may be connected to the antenna 1310 and the processing circuitry 1302. The radio front-end circuitry 1318 may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 1310 and the processing circuitry 1302. The radio front-end circuitry 1318 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 1318 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of the filters 1320 and / or the amplifiers 1322. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 1310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 1310 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 1318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 1302. In other embodiments, the communication interface 1306 may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0113] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 1300 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 1318; instead, the processing circuitry 1302 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 1310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 1312 is part of the communication interface 1306. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 1306 includes the one or more ports or terminals 1316, the radio front-end circuitry 1318, and the RF transceiver circuitry 1312 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 1306 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 1314, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0114] The antenna 1310 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 1310 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 1318 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 1310 is separate from the network node 1300 and connectable to the network node 1300 through an interface or port.

[0115] The antenna 1310, the communication interface 1306, and / or the processing circuitry 1302 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node 1300. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 1310, the communication interface 1306, and / or the processing circuitry 1302 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node 1300. Any information, data, and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0116] The power source 1308 provides power to the various components of the network node 1300 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 1308 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 1300 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 1300 may be connectable to an externalpower source (e.g., the power grid or an electricity outlet) via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source 1308. As a further example, the power source 1308 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

[0117] Embodiments of the network node 1300 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 13 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 1300 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 1300 and to allow output of information from the network node 1300. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 1300. In some embodiments providing a core network node, such as core network node 108 of FIG. 11, some components, such as the radio front-end circuitry 1318 and the RF transceiver circuitry 1312 may be omitted.

[0118] Figure 14 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 1400 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices, and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more Virtual Machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtualization environments 1400 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as a network node, a UE, a core network node, or a host. Further, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualization environment 1400 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O- Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface. Virtualization may facilitate distributed implementations of a network node, a UE, a core network node, or a host.

[0119] Applications 1402 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment 1400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0120] Hardware 1404 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, an input / output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 1406 (also referred to as hypervisors or VirtualMachine Monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 1408A and 1408B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 1408), and / or perform any of the functions, features, and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 1406 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 1408.

[0121] The VMs 1408 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking, or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 1406. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 1402 may be implemented on one or more of VMs 1408, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as Network Function Virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers and customer premise equipment.

[0122] In the context of NFV, a VM 1408 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs 1408, and that part of the hardware 1404 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs 1408 on top of the hardware 1404 and corresponds to the application 1402.

[0123] The hardware 1404 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. The hardware 1404 may implement some functions via virtualization.Alternatively, the hardware 1404 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 1410, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of the applications 1402. In some embodiments, the hardware 1404 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system 1412 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0124] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or moreoperations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non- computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0125] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored on in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and / or by end users and a wireless network generally.

[0126] Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the embodiments of the present disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein.

[0127] EMBODIMENTS

[0128] Group A Embodiments

[0129] Embodiment 1 : A method performed by a user equipment, the method comprising one or more of: indicating a capability to support paging monitoring according to a paging configuration (e.g., an enhanced paging configuration); receiving a paging configuration; when a paging configuration is indicated for a cell (e.g. in SI, RRC, etc.), monitoring POs according to the procedures included in the paging configuration; receiving a second paging configuration; when a second paging configuration is indicated for a cell (e.g. in SI, RRC, etc.), monitoring POs according to the procedures included in the second paging configuration.

[0130] Embodiment 2: The method of the previous embodiment wherein the paging configuration is received from a network node.

[0131] Embodiment 3 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the paging configuration is received by Higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC broadcast / dedicated signaling, etc.).

[0132] Embodiment 4: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the information that a UE supports the second configuration is provided in a “paging information container”.

[0133] Embodiment 5 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the “paging information container” is exchanged between AMF (or any CN node) and gNB(s) (or any RAN node) transparently from the AMF (or CN) standpoint.

[0134] Embodiment 6: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the information in the container informs the receiving RAN node whether the UE can be paged using the second configuration.

[0135] Embodiment 7 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the paging configuration comprises parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO, that are different between the different paging frames compared to legacy way of configuring these parameters wherein one setting is applicable to all PFs.

[0136] Embodiment 8: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the second paging configuration provides more paging capacity in a single PF than allowed by legacy configurations.

[0137] Embodiment 9: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein not all consecutive frames have exactly the same PO assignment.

[0138] Embodiment 10: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein a first of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is applicable to the PFs of the first (e.g., legacy) paging configuration, and a second of the said parameters are provided that are applicable to the second configured PFs.

[0139] Embodiment 11 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein more than a single set of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided for the second paging configuration where the different set of Ns and / or firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to different PFs of the second paging configuration.

[0140] Embodiment 12: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein both a first (legacy) configuration and a second (new) paging configuration is provided.

[0141] Embodiment 13: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein a set of second configured PFs are defined each configured with its own NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO.

[0142] Embodiment 14: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the UE then knows that forthose specific POs, the specified NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable.

[0143] Embodiment 15: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein each of the second set of NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are identified by a number / index.

[0144] Embodiment 16: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein, among a set of second configured PFs a NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO configuration identifier (index) is configured.

[0145] Embodiment 17: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein a default NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is configured which is applicable to all the PFs configured by the second paging configuration.

[0146] Embodiment 18: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein for specific PFs(exceptions), additional NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are configured.

[0147] Embodiment 19: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the defaultNS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO can be the legacy configuration.

[0148] Embodiment 20: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the specific PFs(exceptions) are identified by absolute frame numbers (e.g., SFN=6) to which the non-default NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is applicable.

[0149] Embodiment 21 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the specific PFs(exceptions) are identified by frames that follow a specific pattern.

[0150] Embodiment 22: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the configuration of NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is applicable to all frames until a specific frame number, and after that another set ofNS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable for the remaining.

[0151] Embodiment 23 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein more than one level can be defined where different NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to different series / levels.

[0152] Embodiment 24: The method of any of the previous embodiments further comprising: receiving an associated PRACH occasion configuration that it can use to trigger random access to the network in case it is paged.

[0153] Embodiment 25 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the PRACH occasion is indicated in the second paging configuration or explicitly as part of the system information broadcast.

[0154] Embodiment 26: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the indication is provided with an offset with a reference to UEs second paging configuration, e.g., PO / PF, or with an absolute value, e.g., system frame number.

[0155] Embodiment 27 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the configuredPRACH occasion coincides with legacy PRACH occasion(s) or additional PRACH occasions configured by the network for UEs that support second paging configuration.

[0156] Embodiment 28: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein a first and a second of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided applicable to the same PFs of paging configuration.

[0157] Embodiment 29: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein first configuration is corresponding to a first set of POs in the PFs and the second configuration is corresponding to a second set of POs in the PFs.

[0158] Embodiment 30: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein first set of POs are for legacy UE and the second POs are for Rel-19 UEs.

[0159] Embodiment 31 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein more than a single set of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided for the second paging configuration where the different set of Ns and / or firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to different legacy PFs of the second paging configuration.

[0160] Embodiment 32: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein a first and a second of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided applicable to the same legacy PFs of paging configuration.

[0161] Embodiment 33: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein more than a single set of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided for the second paging configuration where the different set of Ns and / or firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to different PFs of the second paging configuration.

[0162] Embodiment 34: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein SIB1 contains a secondary pcch-config field that provides the default second paging configuration info.

[0163] Embodiment 35: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the secondary pcch-config may contain additional parameters compared to the default pcch-config, contain same parameters with different values, or contain delta information in relation to the first configuration.

[0164] Embodiment 36: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the secondary pcch-config info, or equivalent, may be provided in another SIBn, n>Embodiment 1 :

[0165] Embodiment 37: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein UEs that, before transitioning to idle / inactive, have been configured to use the second paging configuration, can use the secondary pcch-config to obtain the secondary paging configuration when camping on a cell, or in a paging area, other than where they last were connected.

[0166] Embodiment 38: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the second paging configuration is determined based on the first paging configuration with additional one or more extension parameter(s) that are used to override corresponding parameter(s) from the first paging configuration.

[0167] Embodiment 39: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the second paging configuration is a standalone configuration, separate and independent of the first paging configuration, indicated via higher layer signaling.

[0168] Embodiment 40: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein one or more of the configuration parameters are overlapping with the first (legacy) configuration.

[0169] Embodiment 41 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the second paging configuration may be UE- / UE-group- specific (e.g. specific to a certain type of UEs such as RedCap UEs, or alike).

[0170] Group B Embodiments

[0171] Embodiment 42: A method performed by a network node, the method comprising: receiving, from a UE, an indication of a capability to support paging monitoring according to a pagingconfiguration (e.g., an enhanced paging configuration); transmitting a paging configuration; when a paging configuration is indicated for a cell (e.g. in SI, RRC, etc.), the UE monitors POs according to the procedures included in the paging configuration; transmitting a second paging configuration; when a second paging configuration is indicated for a cell (e.g. in SI, RRC, etc.), the UE monitors POs according to the procedures included in the second paging configuration.

[0172] Embodiment 43 : The method of the previous embodiment wherein the paging configuration is transmitted to the UE.

[0173] Embodiment 44: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the paging configuration is transmitted by Higher layer signaling (e.g., RRC broadcast / dedicated signaling, etc.).

[0174] Embodiment 45 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the information that a UE supports the second configuration is provided in a “paging information container”.

[0175] Embodiment 46: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the “paging information container” is exchanged between AMF (or any CN node) and gNB(s) (or any RAN node) transparently from AMF (or CN) standpoint.

[0176] Embodiment 47 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the information in the container informs the receiving RAN node whether the UE can be paged using the second configuration.

[0177] Embodiment 48: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the paging configuration comprises parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO, that are different between the different paging frames compared to legacy way of configuring these parameters wherein one setting is applicable to all PFs.

[0178] Embodiment 49: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the second paging configuration provides more paging capacity in a single PF than allowed by legacy configurations.

[0179] Embodiment 50: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein not all consecutive frames to have exactly the same PO assignment.

[0180] Embodiment 51 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein a first of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is applicable to the PFs of the first (e.g., legacy) paging configuration, and a second of the said parameters are provided that are applicable to the second configured PFs.

[0181] Embodiment 52: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein more than a single set of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided for the second paging configuration where the different set of Ns and / or firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to different PFs of the second paging configuration.

[0182] Embodiment 53: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein both a first (legacy) configuration and a second (new) paging configuration is provided.

[0183] Embodiment 54: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein a set of second configured PFs are defined each configured with its own NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO.

[0184] Embodiment 55: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the UE then knows that forthose specific POs, the specified NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable.

[0185] Embodiment 56: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein each of the second set of NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are identified by a number / index.

[0186] Embodiment 57: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein, among a set of second configured PFs a NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO configuration identifier (index) is configured.

[0187] Embodiment 58: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein a default NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is configured which is applicable to all the PFs configured by the second paging configuration.

[0188] Embodiment 59: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein for specific PFs (exceptions), additional NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are configured.

[0189] Embodiment 60: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the default NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO can be the legacy configuration.

[0190] Embodiment 61 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the specific PFs(exceptions) are identified by absolute frame numbers (e.g., SFN=6) to which the non-default NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is applicable.

[0191] Embodiment 62: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the specific PFs (exceptions) are identified by frames that follow a specific pattern.

[0192] Embodiment 63 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the configuration of NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is applicable to all frames until a specific frame number, and after that another set ofNS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable for the remaining.

[0193] Embodiment 64: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein more than one level can be defined where different NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to different series / levels.

[0194] Embodiment 65: The method of any of the previous embodiments further comprising: receiving an associated PRACH occasion configuration that it can use to trigger random access to the network in case it is paged.

[0195] Embodiment 66: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the PRACH occasion is indicated in the second paging configuration or explicitly as part of the system information broadcast.

[0196] Embodiment 67 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the indication is provided with an offset with a reference to UEs second paging configuration, e.g., PO / PF, or with an absolute value, e.g., system frame number.

[0197] Embodiment 68: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the configured PRACH occasion coincides with legacy PRACH occasion(s) or additional PRACH occasions configured by the network for UEs that support second paging configuration.

[0198] Embodiment 69: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein a first and a second of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided applicable to the same PFs of the paging configuration.

[0199] Embodiment 70: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the first configuration is corresponding to a first set of POs in the PFs and the second configuration is corresponding to a second set of POs in the PFs.

[0200] Embodiment 71 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the first set ofPOs are for legacy UE and the second POs are for Rel-19 UEs.

[0201] Embodiment 72: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein more than a single set of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided for the second paging configuration where the different set of Ns and / or firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to different legacy PFs of the second paging configuration.

[0202] Embodiment 73: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein a first and a second of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided applicable to the same legacy PFs of paging configuration.

[0203] Embodiment 74: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein more than a single set of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are provided for the second paging configuration where the different set of Ns and / or firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO are applicable to different PFs of the second paging configuration.

[0204] Embodiment 75: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein SIB1 contains a secondary pcch-config field that provides the default second paging configuration info.

[0205] Embodiment 76: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the secondary pcch-config may contain additional parameters compared to the default pcch-config, contain same parameters with different values, or contain delta information in relation to the first configuration.

[0206] Embodiment 77: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the secondary pcch-config info, or equivalent, may be provided in another SIBn, n>Embodiment 1 :

[0207] Embodiment 78: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein UEs that, before transitioning to idle / inactive, have been configured to use the second paging configuration, can use the secondary pcch-config to obtain the secondary paging configuration when camping on a cell, or in a paging area, other than where they last were connected.

[0208] Embodiment 79: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the second paging configuration is determined based on the first paging configuration with additional one or more extension parameter(s) that are used to override corresponding parameter(s) from the first paging configuration.

[0209] Embodiment 80: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the second paging configuration is a standalone configuration, separate and independent of the first paging configuration, indicated via higher layer signaling.

[0210] Embodiment 81 : The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein one or more of the configuration parameters are overlapping with the first (legacy) configuration.

[0211] Embodiment 82: The method of any of the previous embodiments wherein the second paging configuration may be UE- / UE-group- specific (e.g. specific to a certain type of UEs such as RedCap UEs, or alike).

[0212] Group C Embodiments

[0213] Embodiment 83: A user equipment, comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0214] Embodiment 84: A network node, the network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments; power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0215] Embodiment 85: A user equipment (UE), the UE comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; radio front-end circuitry connected to the antenna and to processing circuitry, and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuitry; the processing circuitry being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to supply power to the UE.ABBREVIATIONSAt least some of the following abbreviations may be used in this disclosure. If there is an inconsistency between abbreviations, preference should be given to how it is used above. If listed multiple times below, the first listing should be preferred over any subsequent listing(s).3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project5th Generation6G 6thGenerationABS Almost Blank SubframeARQ Automatic Repeat RequestAWGN Additive White Gaussian NoiseBCCH Broadcast Control ChannelBCH Broadcast ChannelCA Carrier AggregationCC Carrier ComponentCCCH SDU Common Control Channel SDUCDMA Code Division Multiplex AccessCGI Cell Global IdentityCIR Channel Impulse ResponseCP Cyclic PrefixCPICH Common Pilot ChannelCQI Channel Quality InformationC-RNTI Cell RNTICSI Channel State InformationDCCH Dedicated Control ChannelDCI Downlink Control InformationDL DownlinkDM DemodulationDMRS Demodulation Reference SignalDRX Discontinuous ReceptionDTX Discontinuous TransmissionDTCH Dedicated Traffic ChannelDUT Device Under TestE-CID Enhanced Cell-ID (positioning method)Ec / No Received energy per chip divided by the power density in the band eMBMS Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast ServicesECGI Evolved CGI eNB E-UTRAN NodeB ePDCCH Enhanced Physical Downlink Control ChannelE-SMLC Evolved Serving Mobile Location CenterE-UTRAN Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access NetworkFDD Frequency Division DuplexFFS For Further Study gNB Base station in NRGNSS Global Navigation Satellite SystemHARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat RequestHO HandoverHSPA High Speed Packet AccessHRPD High Rate Packet DataLOS Line of SightLP-WUS Low-Power Wakeup SignalLPP LTE Positioning ProtocolLTE Long-Term EvolutionMAC Medium Access ControlMAC Message Authentication CodeMBSFN Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service Single Frequency NetworkMBSFN ABS MBSFN Almost Blank SubframeMDT Minimization of Drive TestsMIB Master Information BlockMME Mobility Management EntityMO Monitoring OccasionMSC Mobile Switching CenterNPDCCH Narrowband Physical Downlink Control ChannelNR New RadioOCNG OFDMA Channel Noise GeneratorOFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division MultiplexingOFDMA Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple AccessOSS Operations Support SystemOTDOA Observed Time Difference of ArrivalO&M Operation and MaintenancePBCH Physical Broadcast ChannelP-CCPCH Primary Common Control Physical ChannelPCell Primary CellPCFICH Physical Control Format Indicator ChannelPDCCH Physical Downlink Control ChannelPDCP Packet Data Convergence ProtocolPDP Power Delay ProfdePDSCH Physical Downlink Shared ChannelPEI Paging Early IndicatorPF Paging FramePFG Paging Frame GroupPGW Packet GatewayPHICH Physical Hybrid-ARQ Indicator ChannelPLMN Public Land Mobile NetworkPMI Precoding Matrix IndicatorPO Paging OccasionPRACH Physical Random Access ChannelPRS Positioning Reference SignalPSS Primary Synchronization SignalPUCCH Physical Uplink Control ChannelPUSCH Physical Uplink Shared ChannelRACH Random Access ChannelQAM Quadrature Amplitude ModulationRAN Radio Access NetworkRAT Radio Access TechnologyRLC Radio Link ControlRLM Radio Link MonitoringRNC Radio Network ControllerRNTI Radio Network Temporary IdentifierRRC Radio Resource ControlRRM Radio Resource ManagementRS Reference SignalRSCP Received Signal Code PowerRSRP Reference Symbol Received Power OR Reference Signal Received PowerRSRQ Reference Signal Received Quality OR Reference Symbol Received QualityRSSI Received Signal Strength IndicatorRSTD Reference Signal Time DifferenceS-TMSI S-Temporary Mobile Subscriber IdentitySCH Synchronization ChannelSCell Secondary CellSDAP Service Data Adaptation ProtocolSDU Service Data UnitSFN System Frame NumberSGW Serving GatewaySI System InformationSIB System Information BlockSNR Signal to Noise RatioSON Self-Organizing Network ss Synchronization SignalSSB Synchronization Signal Block sss Secondary Synchronization SignalTDD Time Division DuplexTDOA Time Difference of ArrivalTOA Time of ArrivalTRS Tracking Reference SignalTSS Tertiary Synchronization SignalTTI Transmission Time IntervalUE User EquipmentUL UplinkUMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications SystemUSIM Universal Subscriber Identity ModuleUTDOA Uplink Time Difference of ArrivalWCDMA Wideband CDMAWLAN Wireless Eocal Area Network

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method performed by a User Equipment, UE, the method comprising: receiving (900) a first paging configuration; monitoring (902) Paging Occasions, POs, according to procedures included in the first paging configuration; receiving (904) a second paging configuration, where one or more ofPaging Frames, PFs, of the second paging configuration are different than PFs of the first paging configuration; andPOs of the second paging configuration have a different pattern than POs of the first paging configuration; and monitoring (906) POs according to procedures included in the second paging configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the paging configuration is received by higher layer signaling.

3. The method of any of the previous claims wherein the second paging configuration provides more paging capacity in a single PF than allowed by legacy configurations.

4. The method of any of the previous claims wherein a first of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is applicable to the PFs of the first paging configuration, and a second of the parameters are provided that are applicable to the second configured PFs.

5. The method of any of the previous claims wherein a default NS / firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO is configured which is applicable to all the PFs configured by the second paging configuration.

6. The method of any of the previous claims wherein for at least one PF, additional NS / firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO are configured.

7. The method of any of the previous claims further comprising: receiving (908) an associated Physical Random Access Channel, PRACH, occasion configuration that the UE can use to trigger random access to the network in case the UE is paged.

8. The method of the previous claim wherein the PRACH occasion is indicated in the second paging configuration or explicitly as part of the system information broadcast.

9. The method of any of the previous claims wherein the indication is provided with an offset with a reference to UEs second paging configuration.

10. The method of any of the previous claims wherein the configured PRACH occasion coincides with legacy PRACH occasion(s) or additional PRACH occasions configured by the network for UEs that support the second paging configuration.

11. The method of any of the previous claims wherein the first configuration corresponds to a first set of POs in the PFs and the second configuration corresponds to a second set of POs in the PFs.

12. The method of any of the previous claims wherein a first set of POs are for legacy UE and a second set of POs are for Release- 19 UEs.

13. The method of any of the previous claims wherein one or more of the configuration parameters are overlapping with the first paging configuration.

14. The method of any of the previous claims wherein System Information Block Type 1, SIB1, contains a secondary pcch-config field that provides the default second paging configuration information.

15. The method of the previous claim wherein the secondary pcch-config contains additional parameters compared to the default pcch-config, contains the same parameters with different values, or contains delta information in relation to the first paging configuration.

16. The method of any of the previous claims wherein the secondary pcch-config info, or equivalent, is provided in another SIBn, n>l.

17. A method performed by a network node, the method comprising: transmitting (1000), to a User Equipment, UE, a first paging configuration; transmitting (1002), to the UE, a second paging configuration, where one or more ofPaging Frames, PFs, of the second paging configuration are different than PFs of the first paging configuration; andPOs of the second paging configuration have a different pattern than POs of the first paging configuration.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the second paging configuration is transmitted by higher layer signaling.

19. The method of any of the previous claims 17-18 wherein the second paging configuration provides more paging capacity in a single PF than allowed by legacy configurations.

20. The method of any of the previous claims 17-19 wherein a first of the configuration parameters Ns and / or firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO is applicable to the PFs of the first paging configuration, and a second of the parameters are provided that are applicable to the second configured PFs.

21. The method of any of the previous claims 17-20 wherein a default NS / firstPDCCH- MonitoringOccasionOfPO is configured which is applicable to all the PFs configured by the second paging configuration.

22. The method of any of the previous claims 17-21 wherein for at least one PF, additional NS / firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPO are configured.

23. The method of any of the previous claims 17-22, further comprising: transmitting (1004) an associated Physical Random Access Channel, PRACH, occasion configuration that the UE can use to trigger random access to the network in case the UE is paged.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the PRACH occasion is indicated in the second paging configuration or explicitly as part of the system information broadcast.

25. The method of any of the previous claims 23-24 wherein the indication is provided with an offset with a reference to UEs second paging configuration.

26. The method of any of the previous claims 23-25 wherein the configured PRACH occasion coincides with legacy PRACH occasion(s) or additional PRACH occasions configured by the network for UEs that support second paging configuration.

27. The method of any of the previous claims 17-26 wherein the first configuration corresponds to a first set of POs in the PFs and the second configuration corresponds to a second set of POs in the PFs.

28. The method of any of the previous claims 17-27 wherein a first set of POs are for legacy UE and a second set of POs are for Release-19 UEs.

29. The method of any of the previous claims 17-28 wherein one or more of the configuration parameters are overlapping with the first paging configuration.

30. The method of any of the previous claims 17-29 wherein System Information Block Type 1, SIB1, contains a secondary pcch-config field that provides the default second paging configuration information.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the secondary pcch-config contains additional parameters compared to the default pcch-config, contain same parameters with different values, or contain delta information in relation to the first paging configuration.

32. The method of any of the previous claims 30-31 wherein the secondary pcch-config info, or equivalent, is provided in another SIBn, n>l.

33. A User Equipment, UE, (1200) comprising processing circuitry (1202) and memory (1210), the memory (1210) comprising instructions to cause the UE (1200) to: receive (900) a first paging configuration; monitor (902) Paging Occasions, POs, according to procedures included in the first paging configuration; receive (904) a second paging configuration, where one or more of:Paging Frames, PFs, of the second paging configuration are different than PFs of the first paging configuration; andPOs of the second paging configuration have a different pattern than POs of the first paging configuration; and monitor (906) POs according to procedures included in the second paging configuration.

34. The UE (1200) of claim 33 further comprising instructions to cause the UE (1200) to: implement any of the features of claims 2-16.

35. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out the method according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

36. A network node (1300) comprising processing circuitry (1302) and memory (1304), the memory (1304) comprising instructions to cause the network node (1300) to: transmit (1000), to a User Equipment, UE, (1200) a first paging configuration; transmit (1002), to the UE, a second paging configuration, where one or more of:Paging Frames, PFs, of the second paging configuration are different than PFs of the first paging configuration; andPOs of the second paging configuration have a different pattern than POs of the first paging configuration.

37. The network node (1300) of claim 36 further comprising instructions to cause the network node (1300) to: implement any of the features of claims 18-32.

38. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed on at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to carry out the method according to any one of claims 17 to 32.

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