Method and apparatus for energy efficient data exchanges

Abstract

This invention describes a method for energy efficient data transfer between a UE and one or more access devices comprising: determining a request for a data exchange; determining a second data part of the data exchange wherein the second data part is associated to a second set of quality-of-service requirements determining a second set of transmission parameters for the exchange of the second data part based on the second set of quality-of-service requirements, and performing the data exchange of the second data part.

Description

[0001] Method and apparatus for energy efficient data exchanges

[0002] FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This invention relates to a method, apparatus, and system for operating a wireless device such as a user equipment enabling energy efficient data exchanges in a wireless system such as a cellular system, a WiFi network or the like.

[0004] BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In conventional cellular networks, a primary station serves a plurality of secondary stations located within a cell served by this primary station. Wireless communication from the primary station towards each secondary station is done on downlink channels. Conversely, wireless communication from each secondary station towards the primary station is done on uplink channels. The wireless communication can include data traffic (sometimes referred to as User Data), and control information (also referred to sometimes as signalling). This control information typically comprises information to assist the primary station and / or the secondary station to exchange data traffic (e.g. resource allocation / requests, physical transmission parameters, information on the state of the respective stations).

[0006] In the context of cellular networks as standardized by 3GPP, the primary station is referred to a base station, or a gNodeB (or gNB) in 5G (NR) or an eNodeB (or eNB) in 4G (LTE). The eNB / gNB is part of the Radio Access Network (RAN), which interfaces to functions in the Core Network (CN). In the same context, the secondary station corresponds to a mobile station, or a User Equipment (UE) in 4G / 5G, which is a wireless client device or a specific role played by such device. The term "node" is also used to denote either a UE or a gNB / eNB.

[0007] Additionally, for example, in the case of PC5 interface or Sidelink communication, it is possible to have Direct communication between secondary stations, here UEs. It is then also possible for UEs to operate as Relays to allow for example out of coverage UEs to get an intermediate (or indirect) connection to the eNB or gNB (or in general, to the network). To be able to work as a relay, a UE may use PC5 discovery and communication messages to establish new connections with other UEs.

[0008] Next to cellular networks, other wireless networks exist, e.g., based on WiFi or LiFi (Light Fidelity).

[0009] Wireless networks such as cellular networks involve high energy consumption that increases the costs of operating a network and reduces the battery lifetime of wireless devices. This is a challenge that needs to be addressed in future generations of wireless systems, e.g., 6G. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An aim of the invention is to address above problems by providing a method, an apparatus and computer program for energy efficient data exchanges featured by the method, the apparatus and the computer program as defined in the appended claims.

[0011] Thus, in accordance with a first aspect of the invention, it is proposed a method for energy efficient data transfer between a communication device and one or more access devices in a communication network, the method comprising: the communication device determining a data exchange request; the communication device determining a second data part of the data exchange, wherein the second data part is associated to a second set of quality of service requirements; the communication device determining a second set of communication parameters for the data exchange of the second data part based on the second set of quality of service requirements, and the communication device performing the data exchange of the second data part.

[0012] In accordance with second aspect of the invention, it is proposed an apparatus for energy efficient data transfer with one or more access devices comprising: a communication unit, a controller, a memory comprising instructions causing the controller to: determine a request for a data exchange; determine a second data part of the data exchange wherein the second data part is associated to a second set of quality-of-service requirements determine a second set of transmission parameters for the data exchange of the second data part based on the second set of quality-of-service requirements, and cause the communication unit to perform the data exchange of the second data part.

[0013] In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, it is proposed a computer program for energy efficient data transfer, wherein the program comprises instructions executing the method of the first aspect.

[0014] In a variant of the various aspects, the second set of quality of service requirements comprises one or more of: a. a requirement of non-time sensitive data exchange; b. a buffering time of the second data part; c. a delivery time of the second data part. In a second variant, the determining of the second set of communication parameters comprises determining whether the data exchange request is non-time sensitive.

[0015] In a third variant, the determining of the second set of communication parameters comprises determining whether a data exchange energy consumption value does not exceed a threshold.

[0016] In a fourth variant, the data exchange energy consumption value comprises one or more of: an energy consumption of the communication device; an energy consumption of a first access device of the one or more access devices; and an energy consumption of a second access device of the one or more access devices.

[0017] In a fifth variant, the determining of the second set of communication parameters comprises determining whether an energy excess value exceeds a threshold.

[0018] In a fifth variant, the energy excess value comprises one or more of: an excess energy produced or available in the communication device, an excess energy produced by or available in a first access device; and an excess energy produced by or available in a second access device.

[0019] In a sixth variant, the second set of communication parameters are determined based on trajectory data and / or measurements and / or expected measurements, wherein the trajectory data comprises a trajectory of the communication device and / or an access device trajectory of one or more access devices, and / or a relative trajectory of the communication device relative to one or more of the access devices, and the measurements and / or expected measurements are radio link conditions measured and / or predicted by the communication device and / or the access device.

[0020] In another variant, the second set of communication parameters comprises a schedule of the data exchange for the second data part within an area determined by the trajectory data; and / or a schedule of the data exchange for the second data part determined by the measurements and / or expected measurements, and the schedule of the data exchange fulfills the second set of quality-of-service requirements.

[0021] In another variant, the method further comprises the communication device determining a first data part associated to a first set of quality-of- service requirements; the communication device determining a first set of communication parameters for the data exchange of the first data part based on the first set of quality-of-service requirements; and the communication device performing the data exchange of the first data part and the second data part.

[0022] Optionally, the first set of communication parameters involves a first energy efficient data encoding and / or communication parameters; and / or the first data part is time sensitive and the second data part is non-time sensitive.

[0023] Optionally, the second data part includes a copy of the first data part and wherein the second set of communication parameters uses a second data encoding, the second data encoding being less energy efficient than the first energy efficient data encoding.

[0024] In a variant of these options, the first data part is exchanged through a first access device and the second data part is exchanged through a second access device.

[0025] Optionally, the communication is adapted to communication with the second access device, wherein the second access device is one of a smart repeater, a reflective intelligent surface, and a mobile access device.

[0026] In another variant, the method further comprises

[0027] - the communication device receiving a configuration for discontinuous reception and / or transmission; and

[0028] - the communication device receiving a set of conditions determining an activation and / or adaptation of the configuration for discontinuous reception and / or transmission, wherein the set of conditions determining the activation and / or adaptation of the configuration for discontinuous reception and / or transmission comprises one or more of:

[0029] - obtaining a measurement fulfilling a threshold condition; and / or

[0030] - determining the location of the communication device within a region.

[0031] In another variant, the communication device obtains a measurement by means of a first radio, and wherein the activation and / or adaptation of the configuration for discontinuous reception and / or transmission is applied to a second radio.

[0032] It shall be understood that a preferred embodiment of the invention can also be any combination of the dependent claims or above embodiments with the respective independent claim.

[0033] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

[0034] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] In the following drawings:

[0036] Fig. 1 schematically represents the overall cellular system including UEs, RAN, and core network; Fig. 2 provides a schematic representation of a UE and its components; and

[0037] Fig. 3 schematically represents different entities involved in a non-terrestrial network; Fig. 4 schematically represents a random-access procedure in a wireless network;

[0038] Fig. 5 schematically represents a signalling procedure by an access device; and

[0039] Fig. 6 schematically represents the periodic transmission of SSB bursts;

[0040] Fig. 7 schematically represents examples of wireless devices according to some embodiments;

[0041] Fig. 8 provides a schematic representation of a message flow according to several embodiments of the invention;

[0042] Fig. 9 provides a schematic representation of a communication scenario according to several embodiments of the invention;

[0043] Fig. 10 schematically illustrates a procedure for efficient data transfer according to several embodiments of the invention; and

[0044] Figs, lla-d schematically illustrate how the transmission / reception schedules may be adapted according to embodiments of the invention.

[0045] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0046] Embodiments of the present invention are now described based on a cellular communication network environment, such as 5G or 6G. However, the present invention may also be used in connection with other wireless technologies.

[0047] Throughout the present disclosure, the abbreviation "gNB" (5G terminology) or "BS" (base station) or the term "access device" is intended to mean a wireless access device such as a cellular base station or a WiFi access point or a ultrawide band (UWB) personal area network (PAN) coordinator. The gNB may consist of a centralized control plane unit (gNB-CU-CP), multiple centralized user plane units (gNB-CU-UPs) and / or multiple distributed units (gNB-DUs). The gNB is part of a radio access network (RAN), which provides an interface to functions in the core network (CN). The RAN is part of a wireless communication network. It implements a radio access technology (RAT). Conceptually, it resides between a communication device such as a mobile phone, a computer, or any remotely controlled machine and provides connection with its CN. The CN is the communication network's core part, which offers numerous services to customers who are interconnected via the RAN. More specifically, it directs communication streams over the communication network and possibly other networks.

[0048] Furthermore, the terms "base station" (BS) and "network" may be used as synonyms in this disclosure. This means for example that when it is written that the "network" performs a certain operation it may be performed by a CN function of a wireless communication network, or by one or more base stations that are part of such a wireless communication network, and vice versa. It can also mean that part of the functionality is performed by a CN function of the wireless communication network and part of the functionality by the base station.

[0049] It is further noted that throughout the present disclosure only those blocks, components and / or devices that are relevant are shown in the accompanying drawings. Other blocks have been omitted for reasons of brevity. Furthermore, blocks designated by same reference numbers are intended to have the same or at least a similar function, so that their function is not described again later.

[0050] A cellular system is a wireless communication system that consists of three main components: user equipment (UE), radio access network (RAN), and core network (CN). These components work together to provide voice and data services to mobile users over a large geographic area.

[0051] In conventional cellular networks, a primary station serves a plurality of secondary stations located within a cell served by this primary station. Wireless communication from the primary station towards each secondary station is done on downlink channels. Conversely, wireless communication from each secondary towards the primary station is done on uplink channels. The wireless communication can include data traffic (sometimes referred to User Data), and control information (also referred sometimes as signalling). This control information typically comprises information to assist the primary station and / or the secondary station to exchange data traffic (e.g. resource allocation / requests, physical transmission parameters, information on the state of the respective stations). In the context of cellular networks as standardized by 3GPP, the primary station is referred to a base station, or a gNodeB (or gNB) in 5G (NR) or an eNodeB (or eNB) in 4G (LTE). The eNB / gNB is part of the Radio Access Network RAN, which interfaces to functions in the Core Network (CN). In the same context, the secondary station corresponds to a mobile station, or a User Equipment (or a UE) in 4G / 5G, which is a wireless client device or a specific role played by such device. The term "node" is also used to denote either a UE or a gNB / eNB.

[0052] Additionally, for example, in the case of PC5 interface or Sidelink communication, it is possible to have Direct communication between secondary stations, here UEs. It is then also possible for UEs to operate as Relays to allow for example out of coverage UEs to get an inter-mediate (or indirect) connection to the eNB or gNB. To be able to work as a relay, a UE may use discovery messages to establish new connections with other UEs. Certain UEs may communicate with each other by using device-to-device communication, also known as sidelink communication using the PC5 interface that may rely on physical sidelink (PS) broadcast channel, PS shared channel, PS control, etc. Furthermore, the role of a relay node has been introduced in 3GPP. This relay node is a wireless communication station that includes functionalities for relaying communication between a primary station, e.g. a gNB and a secondary station, e.g. a UE. This relay function for example allows to extend the coverage of a cell to an out-of-coverage (OoC) secondary station. This relay node may be a mobile station or could be a different type of device. In the specifications for 4G, the Proximity Services (ProSe) functions are defined inter alia in TS 23.303, and TS 24.334 to enable - amongst others -connectivity for the cellular User Equipment (UE) that is temporarily not in coverage of the cellular network base station (eNB) serving the cell. This particular function is called ProSe UE-to-network relay, or Relay UE for short. The Relay UE relays application and network traffic in two directions between the OoC UE and the eNB. The local communication between the Relay UE and the OoC UE is called device-to-device (D2D) communication or Sidelink (also known as PC5) communication in TS 23.303 and TS 24.334. Once the relaying relation is established, the OoC-UE is, e.g., IP-connected via the Relay UE and acts in a role of "Remote UE". This situation means the Remote UE has an indirect network connection to selected functions of the Core Network as opposed to a direct network connection to all Core Network functions that is the normal case. Furthermore, it has been introduced the role of a UE-to-UE relay node, i.e., a relay node re-laying the communication between two UE devices. The relay node relays the communications between UE devices. UEs may connect to the core network through a base station when in-coverage. In such relay scenarios, the relay devices may receive and store some information for some time before forwarding it towards the target device. This information that may be stored and forwarded may be discovery messages received from a source UE whereby the relay UE may release them at some point of time later. This information that may be stored and forwarded may be a SIB that may contain a timestamp.

[0053] User equipment (UE) is the device that a user uses to access the cellular system, such as a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, loT device, or a wearable device. A UE typically may contain the following components:

[0054] - A universal integrated circuit card (UICC), which stores the user's identification and authentication information, such as the subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) or credentials.

[0055] - A transceiver, which converts the digital signals from the processor into analog signals for transmission and reception over the air interface. The transceiver also performs modulation, demodulation, coding, decoding, and other signal processing functions.

[0056] - A processor, which controls the operation of the UE and executes the applications and services that the user requests. The processor also communicates with the RAN and the CN using various protocols. - A display, which shows the user the information and feedback from the UE, such as the signal strength, the battery level, the call status, the messages, the contacts, the menu, etc.

[0057] - A microphone and a speaker, which enable the user to make and receive voice calls, as well as use other audio features, such as voice mail, voice recognition, etc.

[0058] - A keyboard and / or a touch screen, which allow the user to enter and select commands, text, numbers, etc.

[0059] - A camera and / or a video recorder, which enable the user to capture and send images and videos, as well as use other multimedia features, such as video calling, video streaming, etc.

[0060] - A memory, which stores the data and programs that the user needs, such as the phone book, the messages, the photos, the videos, the applications, etc as well as a computer program to perform the operations of the RAN and CN protocols.

[0061] - A battery, which provides the power supply for the UE.

[0062] Fig. 2 provides a schematic representation of a UE 200 (equivalent to 106 or 135 in Fig. 1) and its components, e.g., UICC (201), processor (202), transceiver (203), memory (204), input devices (205) such as camera, microphone, etc and output devices (206) such as display, speaker, etc.

[0063] Fig. 7 schematically represents wireless devices, e.g., UEs that may include the capabilities of a UE and / or a STA. Fig. 7a) represents AR / VR glasses; Fig. 7b) represents a connected vehicle; and Fig. 7c) represents a mobile phone; Fig. 7d) represents a smart watch; and Fig. 7e) represents containers (each container may contain a wireless device for tracking purposes). In these devices, a reflective intelligent surface (RIS) may be embedded, e.g., by covering and / or under the whole a part of the UE surface. This may be used, e.g., to better deal with interferences or improve wireless sensing. The wireless devices, e.g., UEs, in Fig. 7 could be equivalent to wireless devices 106 or 135 in Fig. 1.

[0064] A UE access the cellular network via the radio access network, as described below. Certain UEs may communicate with each other by using device-to-device communication, also known as sidelink communication using the PC5 interface that may rely on physical sidelink (PS) broadcast channel, PS shared channel, PS control, etc.

[0065] A UE may receive a configuration by means of different procedures:

[0066] Downlink control information (DCI) is a type of control information that is sent from the BS to the UE on the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). DCI contains various parameters that instruct the UE how / when to decode and transmit data on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) and the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), such as the resource allocation, the modulation and coding scheme. The UE needs to monitor the PDCCH in each subframe to detect and decode the DCI that is addressed to it. Uplink control information (UCI) is a type of control information that is sent from the UE to the BS on the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) or the physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH). UCI contains various feedback signals that inform the BS about the status and quality of the downlink transmission, such as the HARQ. acknowledgments (ACKs), the channel state information (CSI ), and the scheduling requests (SRs). The UE needs to encode and transmit the UCI according to the configuration and timing indicated by the BS.

[0067] Sidelink control information (SCI) is a type of control information that is sent from the UE to another UE on the physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH) in device-to-device (D2D) communication scenarios. The main functions of SCI include resource allocation, synchronization, channel quality reporting.

[0068] Medium access control (MAC) control element (MAC CE) is a type of control information that is sent from the BS to the UE or vice versa on the MAC layer. MAC CE contains various commands or indications that regulate the MAC layer functions, such as the buffer status report (BSR), the timing advance command (TAC), the discontinuous reception (DRX) command, etc. The UE needs to process the MAC CE according to the MAC protocol and the configuration provided by the BS.

[0069] Radio resource control (RRC) command is a type of control information that is exchanged between the BS and the UE on the RRC layer. RRC Command contains various messages that modify / configure RRC parameters and / or initiate, modify, or release the RRC connection or the radio bearers between the UE and the BS, such as the RRC connection setup, the RRC connection reconfiguration, the RRC connection release, the security mode command, the mobility from E-UTRA command, the handover from E-UTRA preparation request, etc. The UE needs to respond to the RRC Command according to the RRC protocol and the configuration provided by the BS.

[0070] Non-access stratum (NAS) messages are used for signalling between UE and core network (CN) on the non-access stratum (NAS) layer. NAS messages enable functionality such as registration, session establishment, security, and mobility management. The UE needs to respond to the NAS Command according to the NAS protocol and the configuration provided by the CN.

[0071] UE parameter update (UPU) is a procedure between the UE and the home network that enables the home network to update configuration parameters in mobile phones and / or USIM using tthe UDM control plane procedure (TS 23.502). The UE can receive Parameters Update Data from the UDM after the UE has registered in the 5G network.

[0072] Steering of Roaming (SoR) enables the home network to guide the user equipment (UE) when registering on a visited network. For detailed information about the interfaces and registration in the 5G System, refer to 3GPP TS.23.501 (Release 15)

[0017] and 3GPP TS 24.501 (Release 15)

[0018] , The 5G CP-SOR is activated during or after registration to update the UE's "Operator Controlled PLMN Selector with Access Technology" list via secure NAS messages, as directed by the home PLMN based on specific operator policies, such as preferred networks or UE location.

[0073] UE configuration update (UCU) is used to update configuration parameters as per TS 23.502 that may include Access and Mobility Management related parameters decided and provided by the AMF, UE Policy provided by the PCF. When AMF wants to change the UE configuration for access and mobility management related parameters the AMF initiates the procedure defined in clause 4.2.4.2. When the PCF wants to change or provide new UE Policies in the UE, the PCF initiates the procedure defined in clause 4.2.4.3. If the UE Configuration Update procedure requires the UE to initiate a Registration procedure, the AMF indicates this to the UE explicitly. The procedure in clause 4.2.4.2 may be triggered also when the AAA Server that performed Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization for an S-NSSAI revokes the authorization.

[0074] Radio access network (RAN) is the part of the cellular system that connects the UEs to the CN via the air interface. The RAN consists of base stations (BSs). A base station (BS) is a fixed or mobile transceiver that covers a certain geographic area, called a cell. In 5G, a BS is also called a gNB (next generation node B). A BS can serve multiple UEs simultaneously within its cell, by using different frequencies, time slots, codes, or beams. A BS also performs functions such as power control, handover control, channel allocation, interference management, etc. A base station can be divided into two units: a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). The CU performs the higher layer functions, such as RLC, PDCP, RRC, etc. The DU performs the lower layer functions, such as PHY and MAC. The CU and the DU can be co-located or separated, depending on the network architecture and deployment. In cellular systems, a base station may be denoted, based on context, as a cell, or gNB.

[0075] The cell may also refer to the coverage area of a base station. A BS may have different coverage areas such as a macro cell (e.g. several kilometres wide), a pico cell (e.g., for a given location such as a stadium) or a femto cell for a small location (e.g., a home or part of it).

[0076] A base station may communicate with the core network. Since there can be base stations for different cellular systems, different interfaces are required. For instance, a base station, eNB, in a 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) system (also known as Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)) may interface with the 4G CN known as EPC through the corresponding interface. For instance, a base station, gNB, in a 5G system (i.e., 5G New Radio or Next Generation RAN) may communicate with the 5GC through a different interface. 4G and 5G base stations may communicate with each other directly or through their corresponding core networks.

[0077] The main protocols used between the UEs and the RAN are: - The physical layer (PHY), which defines the characteristics of the air interface, such as the frequency bands, the modulation schemes, the coding rates, the frame structure, the synchronization, etc.

[0078] - The medium access control (MAC) layer, which regulates the access of the UEs to the shared radio channel, by using techniques such as orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), time division duplex (TDD), frequency division duplex (FDD), etc.

[0079] - The radio link control (RLC) layer, which provides reliable data transmission over the radio channel, by using techniques such as segmentation, reassembly, error detection, error correction, retransmission, etc.

[0080] - The packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer, which compresses and decompresses the headers of the data packets, encrypts and decrypts the data, and performs data integrity protection.

[0081] - The radio resource control (RRC) layer, which establishes, maintains, and releases the radio bearers between the UEs and the RAN, as well as exchanges the signaling messages for functions such as connection setup, handover, measurement reporting, security activation, etc.

[0082] A transmission / reception communication unit or transceiver may be used by BS and UE to transmit / receive data. Control data may be required for a physical broadcast channel, physical downlink control channel, etc. Data may be for the physical downlink shared channel.

[0083] Data may be encoded by the UE and / or BS to obtain data symbols and / or control symbols that may be exchanged over the wireless interface. The conversion from digital data into analog symbols may be done by the transmission / reception communication unit

[0084] A medium access control control-element (MAC-CE) is a MAC layer communication element that is used to control the communication between wireless devices. A MAC-CE may be exchanged in a shared channel, e.g., the physical downlink / uplink / sidelink shared channel.

[0085] The communication between a UE and a base station or the communication between UEs (when sidelink is used) may involve the exchange of reference signals. Reference signals may include primary synchronization signal (PSS), a secondary synchronization signal (SSS), a physical broadcast channel demodulation reference signal (DMRS), a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS). Core network (CN) is the part of the cellular system that connects the RAN to other networks, such as the Internet, or other cellular systems. The CN consists of two main (control / user) domains. The control domain is responsible for providing signalling and control functions for the UEs, such as authentication, authorization, mobility management, session management, etc. The control plane consists of several network functions (NFs), such as the access and mobility management function (AMF), the session management function (SMF), the unified data management (UDM), the 2024P00462WQ

[0086] 12 policy control function (PCF), the network exposure function (NEF), and the authentication server function (AUSF). The access and mobility management function (AMF) is a NF that handles the registration, deregistration, connection management, and mobility management for the UEs. The session management function (SMF) is a NF that handles the establishment, modification, and release of the sessions for the UEs. The SMF also communicates with the user plane devices to perform functions such as IP address allocation, tunneling, QoS, etc. The unified data management (UDM) is a NF that stores and manages the user data, such as the SUPI, the service profile, the subscription status, etc. The policy control function (PCF) is a NF that provides the policy rules and charging information for the UEs, such as the access type, the service level, the data rate, the quota, etc. The network exposure function (NEF) is a NF that exposes the network capabilities and services to external applications and devices, such as the IMS, the Internet of Things (loT), etc. The authentication server function (AUSF) is a NF that performs the primary authentication with the by using credentials and the SUPI. The user domain is responsible for providing data and multimedia services to the UEs, by using packets and IP addresses. The user plane consists of two main functions: the user plane function (UPF) and the data network (DN). The user plane function (UPF) is a device that forwards the data packets between the UEs and the DNs, as well as performs functions such as tunneling, firewall, QoS, charging, etc. The data network (DN) is a network that provides access to the services and applications that the UEs request, such as the Internet, the IMS, etc.

[0087] A residential gateway (RG) is a device that connects a home network to an external network, such as the Internet or a cellular system. An RG typically provides functions such as routing, switching, firewall, NAT, DHCP, DNS, VPN, etc. An RG can also support various types of interfaces, such as Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB, etc. A cellular-capable RG is an RG that has a cellular interface, such as a UICC slot, a cellular modem, or an antenna, that enables it to access the cellular system as a backup or an alternative to the wired or wireless broadband connection. A cellular-capable RG can provide benefits such as: (1) Enhanced reliability, by switching to the cellular connection in case of a failure or a degradation of the broadband connection; (2) Increased bandwidth, by aggregating the cellular connection and the broadband connection to achieve higher data rates or QoS.

[0088] A multi-SIM subscription is a subscription that allows a user to have multiple SIMs (or eSIMs) that are linked to the same account and service profile. A user can use the multi-SIM subscription to access the cellular system from different devices, such as a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, or a wearable device, without having to switch the SIM card or the device.

[0089] Overall system: Fig. 1 provides an overall description of a wireless system wherein devices 100, 102, and 128 can play the role of UEs. Device 102 is part of a cellular-capable RG providing connectivity to a home network 129 e.g., by means of a local area network and / or wireless local area network. Device 102 is served by base station 104.

[0090] The RAN 127 comprises base station 103 and serves UE 128. UE 128 may also be a UE to Network relay given access to remote UE 136 that is out of coverage of base station 103. UEs 134 and 136 also communicate with each other via a UE-to-UE relay 135. UE to UE communication via relays is enabled by means of sidelink communication / PC5 interface.

[0091] Within the RAN, the range of base station 103 is extended via smart repeater 137 and reflective intelligent surface (RIS) 138. Smart repeater 137 and RIS 138 give access to UE 142.

[0092] The RAN 143 includes base station 104 tand serves as wireless access infrastructure for the home network. Base station 104 also serves a mobile access device and / or UE as a UAV 139. UAV 139 may provide connectivity to remote UE 136.

[0093] Furthermore, a satellite gateway 141 is shown that connects to satellite 140 and may provide connectivity services to remote UE 136 or UE 100.

[0094] In Fig. 1, the 5G core network 133 may include one or more an AMF 121, SMF 123, UPF 122, AUSF 124, UDM 125, PCF 131, NEF 132 and allows the connection to a data network 130.

[0095] In Fig. 1, a second core network 142, e.g., a legacy core network as a 4G core network, is also shown that may interface with the 5G core network 133, interface with base stations denoted eNB in 4G, and provide a connection to the data network 130. The legacy 4G core network is denoted EPC and may include one or more mobility management entities (MME), a serving gateway, a multimedia broadcast multicast service gateway, a broadcast multicast service center, a packet data network gateway, etc. The mobility management entity may handle the signalling between UE and the 4G CN and may interact with the home subscriber server (HSS) in charge of the storage and management of subscriber data and secrets. The MME may provide connection management, similar to the AMF in 5G. The serving gateway may be used to exchange user internet protocol messages whereby the serving gateway may interact with the packet data network gateway that is connected to IP services. Multiple protocols in 4G and 5G have similar features. For example, the 5G network registration and 4G attach registration message are initially sent by the UE to establish a connection between the UE and the CN, which involves sending an initial request from the UE with its identity and capabilities, receiving an authentication request from the CN with a challenge, sending an authentication response from the UE with a response, receiving an authentication result from the CN with an indication of success or failure, and sending a security mode command from the CN with the selected security algorithms. As a result of this connection establishment procedure, NAS and AS keys are derived from the K_AMF (5G) and K_ASME (4G) where K_AMF is managed by the AMF and K_ASME is managed by the MME. A UE may connect to a serving network or serving Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN). A UE may have a subscription with a home PLMN, and during the registration procedure, the (AM F of the) serving PLMN may forward the registration request to the (AUSF of the) home PLMN that may perform an initial authentication procedure between home PLMN and UE. If the authentication procedure is successful, keys are derived and the home PLMN may share derived credentials with the serving PLMN, including K_SEAF, that may be used to derive K_AMF, from which NAS keys and AS keys are derived. The registration request sent by the UE includes an identifier that can be used by the home PLMN to identify the UE. To prevent privacy vulnerabilities, the long-term subscriber's identifier known as Subscriber Permanent Identifier (SUPI) may not be exchanged in the clear, but instead, either a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) or a pseudonym known as GUTI are exchanged with the AMF of the serving PLMN. The AMF of the PLMN may then forward the SUCI to the home PLMN so that the home PLMN decrypts / verifies it.

[0096] Satellite access: Fig. 1 depicts satellite 140 providing access to one or more UEs. Satellite access can be performed by means of non-terrestrial devices at different altitudes such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) or Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit (GEO) satellites. Other types of non-terrestrial devices may include high-altitude platform station (HAPS) or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) that may comprise a base station. Fig. 3 illustrates different elements including a GEO satellite 302, a MEO satellite 303, a LEO satellites 304 and 304', a UAV 305, all of them potential non-terrestrial mobile access devices giving coverage to wireless device (e.g., a UE) 301. GEO satellite 302 remains static over a given earth position while MEO and LEO satellites move. MEO satellites 303 have a slower moving vector 306 in relation to the earth compared with LEO satellites 304 / 304' that have a faster moving vector 307 / 307'. A non-terrestrial gateway 308 is included that provides connectivity to the mobile access device via a feeder link 310. A mobile access device provides service to the wireless device via a service link 311. Two mobile access devices in the same orbit may communicate with each other via an intra-orbit-satellite link 312 while two mobile access devices in different orbits may communicate with each other via an inter-orbit-satellite link 313. Fig. 3 finally also includes a terrestrial access device 309 that may also provide connectivity to wireless device 301. The terrestrial access device 309, the wireless device 301, and non-terrestrial gateway are on the earth surface 314. In Fig. 3, a non-terrestrial access device (e.g., satellite) may correspond to, e.g., satellite 140 in Fig. 1. In Fig. 3, wireless device 301 may correspond to wireless device 106 or 135 in Fig. 1.

[0097] Non-terrestrial devices such as satellites distribute system information in specific SIBs, in particular, SIB31 in 4G and SIB19 in 5G. S19 information element as defined in TS 38.331 18.2.0. 2024P00462WC

[0098] 16 2024P00462WQ

[0099] 17

[0100] A UE in a cellular system performs an initial random-access procedure to connect an access device. The 5G random access procedure is illustrated by means of Fig. 4 wherein 401 represents a user equipment (e.g., wireless device 106 or 135 in Fig. 1) and 402 represents an access device (e.g., access device 104 in Fig. 1). The access device distributes signals 402. Signals 402 can be distributed periodically or on demand. Signals 402 may comprise the Master Information Block (MIB) transmitted together with / in the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) and the synchronization signals.

[0101] The MIB comprises:

[0102] MIB ::= SEQUENCE { systemFrameNumber BIT STRING (SIZE (6)), subCarrierSpacingCommon ENUMERATED {scsl5or60, scs30orl20}, ssb-SubcarrierOffset INTEGER (0..15), dmrs-TypeA-Position ENUMERATED {pos2, pos3}, pdcch-ConfigSIBl INTEGER (0..255), cellBarred ENUMERATED {barred, notBarred}, intraFreqReselection ENUMERATED {allowed, notAllowed}, spare BIT STRING (SIZE (1))

[0103] }

[0104] MIB and PBCH are transmitted as part of a Synchronization Signal Block, and the access device may transmit multiple SSBs through different beams, allowing the user equipment to determine the preferred beam, and once the preferred beam is obtained, retrieve the MIB, and use the information in the MIB to attempt to retrieve System Information Block 1 (SIB1) that may also be distributed periodically. The UE can the use the information in SIB1 to perform the random-access procedure selecting a preamble to indicate its intention to access the cell by means of message 404, e.g., preamble transmission. This message may use a random-access radio network temporary identifier (RA-RNTI). Upon reception of message 404, access device 402 replies with message 405, e.g., a random access response. This message may include a time advance field to adapt the transmission timing, a value matching the preamble used by wireless device 401, and a grant (communication resources) for the wireless device. The access device also assigns a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI). Prior to this message 405, the access device may send a PDCCH DCI message assigning resources (a communication grant). This message may be addressed using the RA-RNTL Upon reception of message 405, wireless device uses the initial grant received in the previous message and the RA-RNTI to transmit a subsequent message 406, e.g, an RRCSetupRequest or PHY layer. This message may include a Contention Resolution Identifier (CRI). This message may be sent in the PUSCH. As a response, access device replies with message 407, e.g., RRCSetup, that includes / repeats the received CRI confirming that the access device has identified the access device. This message includes a Cell RNTI (C-RNTI). Next, wireless device replies with message 408, e.g., an RRCSetupComplete that includes the RegistrationRequest message, and UE capabilities.

[0105] MIB and PBCH are transmitted as part of a Synchronization Signal Block, and the access device may transmit multiple SSBs through different beams. Multiple SSBs transmitted through multiple beams form an SSB burst. The multiple SSBs in an SSB burst are transmitted sequentially in the first part of a frame. SSB bursts are transmitted periodically, typically every 20 ms, or more.

[0106] Fig. 5 schematically illustrates an access device 500 (e.g., access device 104 in Fig. 1) transmitting four beams, each of them transmitting an SSB, namely 501, 502, 503, and 504. A wireless device 505 can measure the signal strength, i.e., RSRP (Reference Signal Received Power), of the beams. This is illustrated by means of the graph in Fig. 5 where 501', 502', 503', and 504' represent the RSRP of beams 501, 502, 503, and 504, respectively, as measured by wireless device 505. Wireless device 505 (e.g., wireless device 106 or 135 in Fig. 1) can use this information to determine which one of the beams is the preferred beam for further communication, e.g., to perform the random access procedure.

[0107] Preamble: A preamble transmitted during random access is a carefully chosen signal. In a typical cell (e.g., in LTE), there are 64 possible preambles. A wireless device learns about these preambles from the access device, which broadcasts configuration details, e.g., in. SIB (or first message). This includes parameters like the root sequence index and zeroCorrelationZoneConfig, which define the set of preambles available in that cell. The wireless device may perform contentionbased or contention-free random access. In Contention-Based Random Access, the wireless device (UE) randomly picks one of the 64 preamble indices. This randomness can lead to multiple wireless devices choosing the same preamble, causing a potential collision (resolved later in the procedure). In Contention-Free Random Access, the access device assigns a specific preamble index to the wireless device, typically for scenarios like handovers, where the network needs to ensure a dedicated signal. For this explanation, we'll focus on the contention-based case, as it's more common. So, the wireless device starts by selecting a preamble index— say, number 42 out of the 64 options— based on a random choice in the contention-based scenario. Once the wireless device has a preamble index, it needs to generate the actual signal. The preamble is based on a Zadoff-Chu sequence, a complexvalued mathematical sequence used in LTE (and similarly in 5G). These sequences have two key properties: (1) Constant Amplitude: Ensures uniform signal strength; and (2) Zero Autocorrelation for Non-Zero Lags. In LTE, the sequence length is 839 (denoted as N_ZC=839) for the standard preamble format. Each cell uses one or more root sequences, identified by a root index (e.g., u). The root sequence is the base Zadoff-Chu sequence. From a single root sequence, multiple preambles can be generated by applying cyclic shifts. A cyclic shift is like sliding the sequence in time by a certain number of steps. The size of the shift, N_CS, is determined by the zeroCorrelationZoneConfig parameter, e.g., from a SIB. It ensures preambles are distinct and detectable. A number of preambles, e.g., 64 preambles, indices are mapped to combinations of root sequences and cyclic shifts. For example, if N_CS allows 10 shifts per root sequence, one root sequence provides 10 preambles. To reach 64, the cell uses multiple root sequences (e.g., 7 roots might cover all 64). The UE calculates which root sequence and shift correspond to its chosen index (e.g., index 42 might be the 2nd shift of the 5th root sequence). Mathematically, for a root Zadoff-Chu sequence X_u(n), the preamble with shift v is: X_u((n+v*N_CS) mod N_ZC) where n=0,l,...,N_ZC-l. V represents the number times a cyclic shift increment (N_CS). In general, v = 0, 1, 2,..., floor(N_ZC, N_CS) - 1. The preamble is transmitted in a Random Access Channel (RACH) opportunity, e.g., a specific time-frequency resource allocated for random access. The raw Zadoff-Chu sequence is not sent alone. It is packaged into a specific format, like LTE's Format 0, which lasts 1 millisecond and includes: (1) A cyclic prefix (to handle timing misalignment); (2) The Zadoff-Chu sequence itself; (3) A guard time (to prevent overlap with other signals). This structure ensures the signal survives real-world issues like multipath fading. Further, The UE calculates the transmission power (power control) based on (1) estimated path loss from downlink signals and (2) Preamble initial received target power indicated by the access device. If the access device does not respond (e.g., due to a collision or weak signal), the wireless device increases the power and retransmits in a later RACH slot, up to a maximum number of attempts. The wireless device modulates the preamble onto the uplink waveform and transmits it in the chosen RACH opportunity. The wireless device listens for these signals, detects the preamble, and responds to proceed with the connection process.

[0108] Fig. 6 further schematically illustrates SSB bursts transmitted periodically. In this case, each SSB burst comprises four SSBs transmitted in the first part / half of every second frame. In this figure, frames are denoted as f, f+1, f+2, f+3,...A frame has a typical duration of 10 ms. Resource grid: in a cellular network, such as a 5G network, the resource grid is a structured framework used to allocate and manage communication resources efficiently. It is characterized by a time-frequency matrix where each element, known as a resource element, is defined by its position in both time and frequency domains. The vertical axis represents frequency, segmented into subcarriers, which are spaced at intervals. The subcarrier spacing can vary depending on the deployment scenario, with common spacings being 15 kHz, 30 kHz, 60 kHz, 120 kHz, 240 kHz, and 480 kHz (corresponding to mu equal to 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively). The horizontal axis of the grid represents time and is divided into frames, subframes, and slots, each frame has a duration of 10 ms and each subframe has a duration of 1 millisecond. Within these subframes, the time is further divided into slots. For mu, there are 2Amu symbols per subframe. Each slot typically spans 14 OFDM symbols. Each resource element in the grid, defined by the intersection of a time symbol and a frequency subcarrier, can carry a small portion of data, control information, or reference signals. These resource elements are grouped into larger units called Resource Blocks (RBs), which span 12 subcarriers in frequency and one slot in time. The allocation of these RBs is dynamically managed.

[0109] Reflective intelligent surfaces (RIS): may be used as part of the wireless infrastructure or as part of the wireless devices. RIS, often referred to as metasurfaces, are advanced materials engineered with sub-wavelength structures that can manipulate electromagnetic waves in a controlled manner. These surfaces consist of an array of unit cells, each capable of adjusting its electromagnetic response through electronic control, thus enabling dynamic alteration of the wavefront of the incident signal. The wireless device can utilize the RIS to fine-tune the reflection properties of the wireless sensing signal, such as phase, amplitude, and polarization. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the RIS can enhance signal strength, directivity, and overall signal quality. For instance, the RIS can focus the reflected signal towards the transmitter, significantly improving signal reception. This capability is particularly advantageous in urban environments where obstacles and interference are prevalent. Technical details of the RIS involve the implementation of tunable elements, such as varactor diodes or microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), in each unit cell. These elements allow real-time reconfiguration of the surface's electromagnetic properties in response to control signals from the wireless device. The control signals can be generated based on real-time analysis of the received signal's quality and contextual parameters, ensuring optimal reflection under varying conditions. The RIS can operate in various frequency bands, including sub-6 GHz and millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequencies, making it versatile for different wireless applications. Additionally, the RIS can incorporate sensing capabilities to monitor the environment and further refine the reflection parameters. For example, integrated sensors can detect changes in temperature, 2024P00462WQ

[0110] 21 humidity, or the presence of obstacles, and adjust the reflection properties accordingly to maintain high signal quality.

[0111] Quality of Service: a wireless system may be used to transport data belonging to different types of applications such as Machine Type Communication (MTC), Critical Machine Type Communication (CMTC), Enhanced Mobile Broadband (EMB), or Fixed Wireless Access (FWA). MTC (e.g., smart meters, tracking,...) requires low bandwidth and non-latency critical, CMTC (e.g., industrial applications) has strict throughput, latency, and availability needs, EMB (VR / AR, 4K UDH, ...) and FWA (e.g., in the home) require high data rate, with low latency, and low end-to-end response time. In wireless network such as 5G the Quality of Service has to accommodate different applications such as EMB, MTC, ultra-reliable low latency communications. QoS is influenced by the entities involved in the communication, UE, RAN, UPF, and DN. Data exchanges between UE and DN are mapped to QoS flows, and each QoS flow is mapped to a 5G QoS Identifier (5QI) in TS 23.501 (Table 5.7.4-1) that describes resource types, priority, packet delay budget, packet error rate, maximum data burst volume. Network is configured to configure RAN and core network interfaces to achieve the requirements of a 5QI. QoS is applied to a data stream from the wireless physical layer to the core network. Between RAN and UPF, QoS is applied in terms of a QoS flow. QoS in the RAN is managed by means of Data Radio Bearers (DRB). A QoS flow on core network side is created by means of a PDU session establishment accept. The mapping between a QoS flow and a DRM is done by means of SDAP configuration in an RRC message (RRCSetup or RRCReconfiguration) The indication or identifier that connects the whole QoS pipe is called QoS flow identifier. Downlink traffic requires mapping IP messages and the QoS pipe, and this is done by the UPF. For each IP message or packet, the UPF checks (by means of a packet QoS assignment / detection rule) the packet information (source / destination / protocol / type of service / ...) and directs the IP packet to a QoS flow. The packet QoS assignment / detection rule is provided by SMF interacting with PCF. In the uplink, the UE performs a similar task by applying QoS rules provided in NAS messages (e.g., PDU session establishment) by the SMF or are pre-configured / derived by the UE.

[0112] Discontinuous reception (DRX) in cellular networks such as 5G is in two types, Idle mode DRX and Connected mode DRX. In Idle mode DRX, the UE wakes up to monitor for paging messages. If no paging message is detected, it sleeps further. In Connected DRX mode, the UE enters in sleep mode periodically and during the sleep period the UE is not required to monitor the Physical Download Control Channel. The access device configures the UE device with C-DRX parameters. 2024P00462WQ

[0113] 22

[0114] Connected DRX approach reduces energy consumption of the device because it does not require monitoring the PDCCH periodically and it also reduces the transmissions of CSI or SRS signals, that also has a positive effect in the network / access devices load. There are two types of DRX cycles, long and short. A long DRX cycle consists of an on period and an off period. The on duration is in terms of milliseconds. The long DRC cycle may be configured or the long DRX cycle and short DRX cycles may be configured. The access device can configure the time (drx-onDurationTimer) during which the UE is awake and goes back to sleep if there is no PDCCH received. The access device can also configure a given drx-LongCycleStartOffiset to start to awake period at a subframe boundary and / or drx-SlotOffset relative to the subframe boundary. If there is activity in an awake period, the UE may remain awake some more time determined by the drx-lnactivityTimer. Furthermore, the access device can configure long DRX cycle together with additional DRX cycle which is shorter than long DRX cycle. Configurable parameters include the drx-ShortCycle (duration of the short cycle) and drx-ShortCycleTImer that determines how many short cycles before the device should apply.

[0115] Data scheduling in a cellular network such as a 5G cellular network may be performed by means of a scheduler wherein the scheduler takes as input information such as measurements of UE / network, buffer status report, QoS requirements, associated radio bearers, or a scheduling request. In the downlink, data scheduling may be performed by means of dynamic scheduling and semi persistent scheduling (SPS). In dynamic scheduling, every data exchange in the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) is scheduled by means of a downlink control information (DCI) message in the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). In SPS, the scheduling is done by means of an RRC message. In the uplink, scheduling can be performed by means of dynamic scheduling and configured scheduling (CS). In dynamic scheduling each Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) is scheduled over DCI. In CS, the PUSCH transmission is scheduled via RRC message. Furthermore, a Scheduling Request message may be sent over the PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel) or in an Uplink Control Information (UCI) in the PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel). An SR may be sent by a UE device when it has data to transmit. Upon reception, the access device can allocate resources (Uplink Grant by means of the Physical Downlink Control Channel. Upon resource allocation, the UE device can transmit data in the Physical Uplink Shared Channel.

[0116] Wireless sensing and integrated wireless sensing and communication: wireless systems are evolving to include wireless sensing capabilities. These wireless sensing capabilities may be implemented e.g. by a radar functionality in wireless communication involving one or more access devices (e.g., base stations (BS)) and / or one or more terminal devices (e.g., UEs). As an example, Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) mmWave radar systems can measure range, velocity, and angle of arrival (if two receivers are available) of objects in the scene which reflect radio waves. Such radar systems emit a chirp signal, e.g., a sine wave that increases in frequency over time. The chirp signal (e.g., a continuous wave pulse) has a bandwidth and a frequency increase rate. Generally, a continuous series of such chirps are emitted. The transmitted and received analogue chirp signals are mixed to generate an intermediate frequency (IF) signal which corresponds to the difference in frequencies of the two signals (outbound and inbound) and whose output phase corresponds to the difference in the phases of the two signals. Each surface of a scene or environment will therefore produce a constant frequency IF signal whose frequency relates to the distance to the surface (i.e., a first distance from the transmitter of the chirp signal to the surface plus a second distance from the surface to the receiver of the chirp signal). To resolve two surfaces at different distances, the two IF signals can be frequency resolved. A longer time window of the IF signal results in greater resolution. As the chirp time is related to its bandwidth (with constant chirp frequency change) the resolution of the radar is related to the chirp bandwidth. The IF signal may then be band pass filtered (to remove signals below some minimal range and frequencies above the maximum frequency for a subsequent analogue-to-digital converter (ADC)) and digitized prior to further processing. The upper frequency sensing range of the bandpass filter and ADC sets the maximum range that can be detected (i.e., IF frequencies increase with range). To detect vibrations, the phase of the IF signal is important, since the phase (i.e., the difference in phases of the transmitted and received chirp signals) is a sensitive measure of small changes in the distance of a surface. Small distance changes can be detected in the phase signal but may be indiscernible in the frequency signal. Moreover, phase difference measures between two consecutive chirp signals can be used to determine the velocity of the surface. As an example, a fast Fourier transform (FFT) processing can be performed across multiple chirp signals to enable separation of objects with the same range but moving at different velocities. A Fourier transform converts a signal from a space or time domain into the frequency domain. In the frequency domain the signal is represented by a weighted sum of sine and cosine waves. A discrete digital signal with N samples can be represented exactly by a sum of N waves. FFT provides a faster way of computing a discrete Fourier transform by using the symmetry and repetition of waves to combine samples and reuse partial results. This method can save a huge amount of processing time, especially with real-world signals that can have many thousands or even millions of samples. As a further example, angle estimation can be performed by using the phase difference between the received chirp signal at two separated receivers.

[0117] As another option, a channel state information (CSI) can be used, which is a measure of the phases and amplitudes of many frequencies detected at a receiver, thereby forming a complex 'map' of the radio environment, including effects of objects within that environment. CSI characterizes how wireless signals propagate from the transmitter to the receiver at certain carrier frequencies. CSI amplitude and phase are impacted by multi-path effects including amplitude attenuation and phase shift, e.g., by the displacements and movements of the transmitter, receiver, and surrounding objects and humans. In other words, CSI captures the wireless characteristics of the nearby environment. These characteristics, assisted by mathematical modeling or machine learning algorithms, can be used for different sensing applications. A radio channel may be divided into multiple subcarriers, as is done e.g. in 5G communication systems (using e.g. orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)). To measure CSI, the transmitter may send long training symbols (LTFs), which contain pre-defined symbols for each subcarrier, e.g., in a packet preamble. When those LTFs are received, the receiver can estimate a CSI matrix using the received signals and the original LTFs. For each subcarrier, the channel can be modeled by y = Hx + n, where y is the received signal, x is the transmitted signal, H is the CSI matrix, and n is the noise vector. The receiver estimates the CSI matrix H using a pre-defined signal x and the received signal y after signal processing such as removing cyclic prefix, de-mapping and demodulation. The estimated CSI is then a three-dimensional matrix of complex values and this matrix represents an 'image' of the radio environment at that time. By processing a time series of such 'images' information on movements, locations and vibrations of objects can be extracted. Such a processing of a CSI matrix can be used for vital signs monitoring, presence detection, and human movement recognition. As an example, neural network like recognition techniques can be used to process the CSI matrix to perform such kinds of recognition.

[0118] It is noted that systems using channel state information (CSI) are somehow related to systems with FMCW mmWave radar. In a CSI-based system, the input signal X may be defined and the receiver may use the received signal Y to obtain H, i.e., as H = (Y - N) / X . In a FMCW mmWave radar, the transmitted signal Chirp X may also be predefined, and the receiver may uses the received signal Y to obtain a transfer function as H = Y / X . This last step is in fact somehow related to multiplying the locally computed chirp signal and the received chirp signal and applying a bandpass filter. According to various embodiments in this invention, the above-described wireless sensing techniques are implemented in a mobile communication system (e.g. 5G or 6G or other cellular or WiFi communication systems), while the functional coexistence of radar and communication operating in the same frequency bands is configured to avoid interference bandwidths. Thereby, radio sensing can be integrated into large-scale mobile networks to create perceptive mobile networks.

[0119] As another example, the sensing signal may consist of a number of pulses sent, e.g., at specific frequencies and timing (sensing signal parameter information) by a sensing transmitter. The sensing receiver may include a number of bandpass filters that allow identifying the sensing signal parameter information, e.g, timing and frequency of the received pulses. In particular, if the transmitter determines a given pseudo-random sequence of frequency / timing pulses and beams it, e.g., by means of beamforming, in a specific direction, and if the transmitter communicates to the receiver the timing / frequency, in general, the sensing signal parameter information, of the transmitted sensing signal, the receiver can use its bandpass filters to identify the reception of the same transmitted pulses, i.e., sensing signal, based on the received sensing signal parameter information.

[0120] The wireless sensing signal may be part of the synchronization signal block. For instance, the wireless sensing signal may be a reference signal included in the primary synchronization signal or in the secondary synchronization signal. It may consist of a number of reference signals and / or it may be a wide band signal. This wireless sensing signal can allow the access devices to determine the presence of a wireless device. The wireless device may also use this wireless sensing signal to determine the access device that is more suitable to (re-)select.

[0121] The primary authentication process is a critical security mechanism that verifies the identity of the User Equipment (UE) and the network, enabling secure access to network services. In 5G, this process is based on the Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) protocol and involves three main entities: the UE, the Serving Network (SN), and the Home Network (HN). The HN's Unified Data Management (UDM) generates Authentication Vectors (AVs), which include key parameters such as the random challenge (RAND), expected response (XRES), authentication token (AUTN), and key material for secure communication.

[0122] The authentication process can be triggered by the wireless device, when it sends a registration request including its long-term identifier. The authentication process can also be triggered by the home network. The authentication process begins when the SN, through the Authentication Server Function (AUSF), sends an authentication request to the UE containing RAND and AUTN. The UE verifies the network's authenticity using AUTN and computes its response (RES) based on RAND and its secret key. The SN then compares RES with XRES; if they match, the UE is authenticated. Upon successful authentication, both the UE and the network derive session keys for encrypted communication.

[0123] The detailed message exchanges in the 5G primary authentication process are as follows. First, the UE sends a Registration Request to the SN, including its SUCI, which is an encrypted version of the Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI). The SN forwards this request to the AUSF in the HN via the Naif_Authentication_Request message, which includes the SUCI and the serving network name to prevent replay attacks. The AUSF then requests an Authentication Vector from the UDM using the Nudm_UEAuthentication_Get Request message, providing the SUCI (or SUPI) and the serving network name. In response, the UDM generates and sends the Authentication Vector to the AUSF via the Nudm_UEAuthentication_Get Response message. This vector includes RAND, AUTN, XRES*, and K_AUSF. The AUSF retains XRES* and K_AUSF and sends RAND and AUTN to the SN in the Naif_Authentication_Response message. The SN forwards these to the UE in the Authentication Request message, challenging the UE to prove its identity.

[0124] Upon receiving the challenge, the UE verifies the network by checking the AUTN and computes its response, RES*, which it sends back to the SN in the Authentication Response message. The SN forwards RES* to the AUSF via the Naif_Authentication_Result message. The AUSF verifies the UE's identity by comparing RES* with XRES*. If they match, the AUSF sends the Naif_Authentication_Confirmation message to the SN, including the SUPI and the anchor key (K_SEAF), derived from K_AUSF. Both the UE and the network then derive session keys to secure further communication.

[0125] Wireless local area network technologies such as Wi-Fi allow devices to connect to the Internet or to each other without using cables. Wi-Fi is based on radio waves that are transmitted and received by a device called a wireless access point (AP). The AP acts as a hub that connects Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, etc., to a wired network, such as a local area network (LAN) or the Internet.

[0126] The term Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance, an industry association that certifies products that comply with the IEEE 802.11 standards for wireless local area networks (WLANs). These standards define the physical and data link layers of the communication protocol, such as the frequency bands, modulation schemes, encryption methods, authentication mechanisms, and data rates used by Wi-Fi devices. The most common Wi-Fi standards are 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802. lln, 802.11ac, and 802.11ax, which operate in different frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, or both) and offer different levels of performance and compatibility.

[0127] To use Wi-Fi, a device needs to have a wireless network interface card (NIC) that can send and receive radio signals. The NIC scans the available wireless channels and detects the presence of nearby APs. The device then selects an AP to connect to, based on factors such as signal strength, security settings, and network name (SSID). The device and the AP exchange information, such as the MAC address, IP address, encryption key, and password, to establish a connection. This process is called association. After the connection is established, the device can communicate with the AP and other devices on the same network, or access the Internet through the AP.

[0128] IEEE 802. lln (Wi-Fi 4) provided new features such as MIMO and frame aggregation to increase throughput. IEEE 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) introduced wider bandwidth and MU-MIMO. IEEE 802.11 2024P00462WQ

[0129] 27 ax (WIFI-6) included OFDMA and BSS color or spatial reuse to use spectrum resources more efficiently. IEEE 802.11 ah introduced target wake time (TWT) to support low power loT applications by allowing STAs to go into sleep when not in a wake period after negotiation with AP. IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) aims at improving throughput and latency operating in unlicensed bands between 1GHz and 7.125 GHz. Wi-Fi 7. Increases bandwidths up to 320 MHz, 4096 QAM modulation, and supporting up to 16 spatial streams in MU-MIMO with an improved sounding procedure. Wi-FI 7 also enables multiple resource units to be assigned to a single device. Furthermore, it includes an enhanced preamble with a universal SIG filed indicating the PHY version. It also extends the negotiated ack buffer size to 1024 bits.lt also enables multilink operation (MLO) enabling multiple links between a station and an access point, for instance an AP can have two radios 2.4 and 5 GHz and use both of them for simultaneous transmission and / or reception with a multi-link capable device (MLD) capable station. Wi-Fi 7 also includes a restricted TWT providing predictable latency by assigning STAs to different rTWT types and making sure that other STAs do not transmit if they do not belong to a given rTWT type. Wi-Fi 7 also include multi-AP coordination performing, e.g., coordinated transmission, beamforming, or joint transmission.

[0130] For instance, in references to Fig. 1, devices 100, 101 and 102 can be Wi-FI access points and device 106 can be a wireless station. Station 106 and access point 101 are MLD and communicate with two links 126. Device 102 is a cellular capable residential gateway.

[0131] Energy efficiency is a critical design goal in 5G, driven by the need to support massive connectivity, high data rates, and low latency while minimizing power consumption for both network infrastructure and user devices. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has introduced several standardized mechanisms to reduce energy usage in 5G New Radio (NR), particularly focusing on idle mode and connected mode optimizations. This summary outlines key energy-saving technologies defined in 3GPP specifications, including Early Paging Indication, Discontinuous Reception (DRX), Discontinuous Transmission (DTX), and on-demand transmission of Synchronization Signal Blocks (SSBs) and System Information Block 1 (SI Bl). This invention addresses further needs in this area.

[0132] A first embodiment of this invention may be illustrated in the context of a device, e.g., a UE, that requires the transmission and / or reception of data, i.e., the exchange of data. The exchange of data may be performed through one or more access devices, e.g., a first access device and a second access device. The devices may be terrestrial access devices or non-terrestrial access devices, mobile or static. The device may determine the need to receive data or transmit data. For instance, it may determine that it requires receiving data such as a movie that the user wishes to watch. For instance, it may determine that it requires transmitting data, e.g., an email. For example, a first access device may determine the need to transmit or receive the movie or the email. In this example / embodiment, the first access device (and / or the second access device) may also refer to a function in the core network steering the exchange of the data.

[0133] In such a situation, the intermediate transmission / exchange of the data may not always be possible or be the best strategy. Consider a situation in which a wireless device (UE) is far from the first access device, but it is getting closer. Although the data transfer could be performed, it may be a waste of resources because the wireless device and access devices are far from each other. It may be better (at least, when it is feasible) to wait until the devices are closer, to perform the data exchange.

[0134] In such a situation, in the first embodiment of the invention for energy efficient data transfer between a UE and one or more access devices that is illustrated by means of Fig. 10, the UE and / or an access device may determine a request for data exchange. The request may be initiated by the wireless devices (UE) and / or the access device. This first step is illustrated by means of step 1000 in Fig. 10.

[0135] The UE and / or access device may further determine a data part (e.g., a second data part) of the data exchange associated to a second set of quality of service requirements. This is illustrated by means of step 1001 in Fig. 10. Examples of (the second set of) quality of service requirements may include, e.g., the allowed time delay to perform the data exchange, the amount of energy allowed to perform the data exchange, or the quality of the data transmission, e.g., the semantic loss of video or audio or the resolution of video or audio, the speed or throughput of the transmission, etc. The wireless device may determine this by itself, or the wireless device may receive an indication from the network (e.g., first access device) and / or an application.

[0136] Based on the determined second set of quality of service requirements, the UE and / or first access device may determine a second set of communication (e.g., transmission and / or reception) parameters for the exchange of the second data part based on the second set of quality of service requirements. This is illustrated by means of step 1002 in Fig. 10. The wireless device (UE) may determine these communication parameters by itself (compute, look up them) or may receive an indication from the network / first access device. Finally, the UE and / or first access device may exchange the second data part by using the second set of transmission parameters, as illustrated by means of Fig. 1003 in Fig. 10. This means, the the UE may transmit and / or receive the second data part.

[0137] It is to be noted that some of above steps may be skipped and / or combined, for instance, Steps 1001 and 1002 may be combined if the wireless device is provided with quality of service, and the corresponding transmission parameters.

[0138] It is to be noted that in some cases the communication parameters are named transmission parameters instead, but it may also refer to both transmission, and reception parameters (in general, communication parameters). Similar, when it is stated: "transmisison of the second part", it may also refer to the "reception of the second part".

[0139] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the second set of quality of service requirements may comprise the requirement of non-time sensitive data exchange. For instance, the second data part may be a movie that the user desires to watch a few hours later, and thus, it does not need to be downloaded immediately. For instance, a user may be watching a movie 5' long, and the second part may be the second part of the movie (e.g. from minute 1' until minute 5'). The second data part (e.g., the last 4') refers to a non-time sensitive data exchange because the user needs to watch first the first minute of the movie.

[0140] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the second set of transmission parameters to perform the transmission of the second data part are conditional to and / or determined based on or using the non-time sensitive data exchange requirement and a data exchange energy consumption value not exceeding a first threshold. This can mean, e.g., that the data exchange may be performed anytime within a time period respecting the non-time sensitive data exchange requirement (e.g., if the data only needs to be exchanged in the next 8 hours, anytime within the next 8 hours) as long as the data exchange does not exceed a given energy budget.

[0141] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the second set of transmission parameters to perform the transmission of the second data part are conditional to and / or determined based on or using the non-time sensitive data exchange requirement and an energy excess value exceeding a second threshold. This can mean, e.g., that the data exchange may be performed anytime within a time period respecting the non-time 2024P00462WQ

[0142] 30 sensitive data exchange requirement (e.g., if the data only needs to be exchanged in the next 8 hours, anytime within the next 8 hours) as long as the energy level of the device (e.g., access device) exceeds a threshold. For instance, if an access device is combined / powered with solar energy and / or wind energy, if at a given point of time, the input energy as generated from the sun / wind exceeds a threshold, the data may be exchanged.

[0143] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the user may be able to select an option in the UE device determining an energy efficient data transfer (through the wireless network). The user may also indicate the potential time delay tolerated that may be incurred due to the energy efficient data transfer. This user may be able to select this option for the whole UE device, and / or the user may be able to select this option for specific applications or types of notifications depending on the urgency of said applications / notifications, and / or the user may be able to select / apply this option (and / or a variant of this option e.g., different value for the potential time delay to be tolerated) for specific user profiles the user is authorized to manage.

[0144] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the mobile network operator may offer a subscription that may have a given cost, e.g., a lower cost, due to the usage of energy efficient data transfers at the cost of a potential decrease in Quality of Service, e.g., a certain delay in certain data transfers. The UE device may indicate this data subscription to a mobility function (e.g., 5G AMF) when registering in the network (e.g., in the Registration Request message). Additionally or alternatively, the home network (e.g., HPLMN) may indicate this to the mobility function (e.g., in the serving network) upon the registration / primary authentication of the UE device in the network. The network may prioritize data transfers from different wireless devices (UEs) depending on the subscription data.

[0145] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, an access device is a mobile access device such as a satellite that has received data (mobile terminated (MT) data) for a UE device at a known location. The data transmission includes an indication of the location of the UE device in order to optimize the location / timing of the satellite when the satellite performs the paging of the UE device informing about the MT data exchange. Additionally or alternatively, a network function in the core network may schedule the data exchange when the satellite is at an optimal (regarding the energy cost of the data exchange) position for the data exchange.

[0146] For instance, the second data part may be exchanged when the satellite (in general, mobile access device) is at a second position (e.g., when it just entered in the coverage area of the wireless device (UE), even if it is not the optimal location in terms of energy consumption), and the first data part may be exchanged when the satellite is at a first position (e.g., the optimal position in terms of energy consumption). Similarly, the first data part may be exchanged via another access device (e.g., a terrestrial access device) once the wireless device is in coverage of the terrestrial access device.

[0147] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the data exchange energy consumption value(s) comprises one or more of: the energy consumption of the UE; the energy consumption of a first access device of the one or more access devices; and the energy consumption of a second access device of the one or more access devices.The energy consumption of the UE can be relevant when the amount of consumed energy may be too high further depleting the UE battery. The UE may then report the UE type, current battery level, battery status, as well as aspects that may give an indication on how a given data exchange with certain transmission parameters (e.g., at a given data rate) may impact the battery level in short term and medium term. For instance, a requirement to perform a short high data rate transmission may pull energy at a high rate (with high output intensity, high power) forcing the phone to deplete its battery faster and turn off, and consequently, losing the data exchange. Knowledge of this information by the access device / network can help to schedule a data exchange at a lower data rate or with a closer access device (e.g., LEO satellite instead of a MEO satellite) which requires a lower transmission power.

[0148] The energy consumption of a first access device may be determined by the transmission power, e.g., to be able to communicate with a UE device close to the access device (e.g., base station), the transmission power may be much lower than required to be able to communicate with a UE device close to the border of the base station coverage area. In general, the coverage area of a cell may be divided into areas that are reachable with different transmission powers, and thus, some communication links with certain UEs may be preferred and / or avoided depending on the expected energy consumption. Similarly, a second access device may be in different states, e.g., the second access device may be turned off e.g., when the number of UE devices in the area is below a certain threshold, in order to save energy (e.g., because regular pilot signals do not need to be transmitted). If the number of UE devices detected (e.g., by a first access device) in the same area of the second access device exceeds the threshold, different actions may be feasible, e.g.:

[0149] (1) switch on the second access device (causing an increase of the energy consumption of the second access device); and / or

[0150] (2) perform the transmission immediately by means of the first access device causing a higher energy cost because the first access device may be further away and need to use a lower frequency band at a lower data rate; and / or

[0151] (3) delay the data exchange some time until the UE devices are close to the first access device.

[0152] In this case, (1) and / or (2) may incur an energy consumption that may exceed a threshold.

[0153] This embodiment illustrates how a second access device may be activated or not depending on the overall energy consumption; or how the first access device may perform the data transmission even at the cost of higher energy consumption.

[0154] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the UE device may communicate to the access device / network (e.g., SMF) its current energy level, and charging mode, as well as how long it expects to be charging, and / or when it expects to be able to charge including the confidence level.

[0155] In an example, the UE device may also communicate to the network the type of energy (e.g., green energy or non-green energy that has been used for charging / is being used for charging).

[0156] In an example, green energy may refer to energy produced by means of renewable energy sources such as solar panels installed on the roof of the user's house.

[0157] In an example, non-green energy may refer to energy produced by means of energy sources such as gas, oil, petrol, etc.

[0158] In an example, a UE may become aware of this information if, e.g., the smart grid communicates or makes this information available. For instance, the smart meter in a household knows whether the house is producing electricity / returning electricity to the grid. When this happens, the smart meter may inform smart devices in the household about the fact that the house is producing electricity, and thus, the devices may use this information. For instance, a washing machine may start operating when the house is producing electricity or a UE device may report the fact that its energy source is green or non-green so that data exchanges are scheduled accordingly. In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, one or more access devices may also communicate to the network, e.g., a NF, e.g., SMF, the current energy consumption and the expected energy consumption when performing a given data exchange.

[0159] In an example, a NF in the network (e.g., a session function managing the communication session) and / or UE may also indicate to an access device and / or another NF in the network (e.g., a mobility function such as 5G AMF) data exchanges that are queued for a given device, either at the network itself (e.g., UPF) or at the application (e.g., AF) or at the UE, including data amount and / or data type and / or other parameters such as a maximum time for the data exchange and / or energy budget to perform the data exchange. The access device and / or NF (e.g., AMF) may use this information to determine a point of time / location that fulfils the requirements, e.g., reducing energy consumption. The access device and / or NF in the core network may send an indication triggering the data exchange.

[0160] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the energy excess value may comprise one or more of: the excess energy produced or available in the wireless device, e.g., UE; the excess energy produced by or available in a first access device; and the excess energy produced by or available in a second access device. For instance, the energy produced or available in the UE may change.

[0161] For instance, the UE may be currently charging, and thus, an expensive data exchange may be allowed because its battery level exceeds a threshold and the status is charging.

[0162] For instance, the battery level may be at a high level, it may have been produced by means of green energy, thus, a data exchange may be allowed without waiting.

[0163] Similar considerations may be applicable to access devices, for instance, when the access devices are connected to green energy sources, data exchanges may be preferred to be scheduled when energy is actively being harvested from the green energy sources, e.g., sun shines / wind blows. Thus, data exchanges may depend on the amount of energy that is being harvested and / or amount of energy that is predicted to be generated and / or harvested. For instance, consider a user sending an email with a large attachment late at night and consider that the UE is connected to a power source and the UE device knows based on past data that the UE device remains connected to the power sources till the morning. Similarly, the access device also prefers a data exchange when green energy is available / used. While the email may be sent including an indication of the large attachment, the large attachment may be kept locally in the UE device. The large attachment may be sent in two cases, whatever happens earlier: (1) the recipient wishes to read the email and open the large attachment and (2) the energy that is being supplied to the UE is based on solar energy when the sun starts shining early in the morning.

[0164] A UE device may receive information on whether the electricity used to charge its battery is based on green or non-green energy so that the UE device knows the type of energy source. This information may be provided by the smart meter in a household when the UE is connected to a charging cable in the house. This information may also be provided by an access device, e.g., a base station installed by the access device.

[0165] While this example is given in the context of an email attachment, the same applies to other applications.

[0166] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the UE device is adapted to provide its capabilities for energy efficient data transfer to an application, e.g., an email client. For instance, the UE device may inform the application about the capability of performing energy efficient data transfers, e.g., of non-time sensitive data exchanges. The UE device is adapted to receive a request from the application to transfer a first data part (e.g., an email without attachment) including an indication of the presence of a second data part (e.g., large attachment) and a policy for the transfer of the second data part (e.g., upon request, within a given time bound, when certain energy conditions are fulfilled). The UE device may be able to monitor when the energy conditions are fulfilled in the UE itself and / or the access device / network. The UE device may also inform the network about the energy efficient data transfers that are scheduled / requested by the applications on the UE device as well as the related policy / ies.

[0167] In this embodiment, the UE device may monitor its own energy consumption / availability / excess and based on it, send to an access device / network Scheduling Request (SR) to schedule the energy efficient data transfer. The energy efficient Scheduling Request may include the conditions under which the data exchange may happen, e.g., dependent on the UE device only and / or dependent on the access device only and / or dependent on UE device and access device. This scheduling request may be a dynamic request, or a permanent request (e.g., when a number of data exchanges performed, e.g., in a regular manner).

[0168] In a related embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the conditions for performing the energy efficient data transfer as requested in a request message, e.g., in a scheduling request or in an RRC message, may be explicit or may be indicated by means of a convention table or code book, e.g., when each entry in the table and / or code book indicates the conditions that are required for the scheduling request to take place.

[0169] The request message, e.g., scheduling request, may include the table entry to indicate the applicable conditions. Conditions may include different parameters as discussed in this invention, e.g.:

[0170] Type of energy available and / or required;

[0171] Minimum battery level (e.g., expected operational time, amount of energy, etc);

[0172] Energy excess threshold;

[0173] Energy consumption threshold;

[0174] Time window during which and / or until when the energy efficient data exchange request applies;

[0175] Current / expected battery level;

[0176] Current / expected charging status;

[0177] Maximum transmission power;

[0178] Request to configure an energy-efficient data transfer DRX schedule;

[0179] Battery status and condition;

[0180] Etc

[0181] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the access device and / or a NF in the core network may configure the UE device and / or access devices with one or more AI / ML (Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning) model that may predict the energy consumption patterns and / or optimize performance based on UE trajectory and location data.

[0182] For instance, the access device may send the UE device a trained AI / ML model that can estimate the optimal time, frequency, modulation, and coding scheme for the data exchange based on one or more input parameters such as the current and expected position, speed, direction, and distance of the UE device and the access device, the current and expected battery level and charging status of the UE device, the current and expected network load and congestion, the current and expected availability and quality of green energy sources, the quality of service requirements of the data exchange, measurements (e.g., RSRP, RSRQ, ...) performed by the UE and / or access devices.

[0183] For instance, the UE device may run the AI / ML model locally and adapt its behavior accordingly.

[0184] For example, the UE device may decide to delay or advance the data exchange, switch to a different frequency band or access technology, adjust its transmission power or data rate, or request a retransmission or a different encoding of the data based on the output of the AI / ML model. For instance, the access device may also run a similar or complementary AI / ML model and coordinate with the UE device to achieve energy efficient data exchanges.

[0185] For instance, the AI / ML models may be updated periodically or on-demand by the access device based on the feedback from the UE device or the network.

[0186] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, parameters such as the battery status, and / or capacity, and and / or condition of a (specific) UE is may be considered when performing data exchanges. The reason is that while two UEs may be of an identical model, brand, or have the same capacity, how the battery is used, and how long it lasts for different models, or depending on the battery condition may be quite different. While a first wireless device may have enough energy to perform a data exchange when it is located at distance d from an access device and has e energy units left, a second wireless device may not have enough energy. The system as a whole, and / or individual entities (e.g., wireless device, access device, etc) may need to exchange and / or consider these parameters when taking the decision on whether to perform a data exchange and / or how to perform the data exchange. This embodiment can be useful for example to extend the lifetime of a UE and / or reduce the energy consumption of the infrastructure.

[0187] In a related embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, an access device may have historical data about the movement pattern of a UE device and know, e.g., that a UE device will keep moving in a first direction with probability p and in a second direction with probability 1-p (in general, how likely it is that it moves in a given direction, with a given speed, etc). Moving in the first direction can mean an increase in energy efficiency of a factor k while moving in the second direction can mean a decrease of energy efficiency of a factor s. If the UE device requests or requires a data exchange at time to, before the decision about moving towards the first or second direction, the access device may use the historical data to take the decision on whether perform the data exchange immediately or with some delay. To take this decision, this embodiment requires the UE devices to report the energy consumption when performing data exchanges at different locations / times with different data transmission parameters. This information / statistics / measurements / historical data may be by the wireless device. The access device may then gather the historical data, that may be used to train an AI / ML model to infer the expected energy consumption of different actions. The UE may also further improve a local Al model, e.g., in a federated learning approach. The AI / ML model may be run at the access device and / or UE device. A UE device may use such an AI / ML model to, e.g., determine when to send a scheduling request requesting a delayed data transfers for increased energy efficiency, or determine how to split a data exchange into a first data exchange and a second data exchange, etc.

[0188] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the second set of transmission parameters are determined based on (1) the trajectory and / or location of the UE and / or (2) the trajectory and / or location of one or more access devices and / or (3) measurements performed by the wireless device (UE) and / or one or more access devices.

[0189] It may be a relative trajectory / location of the UE relative with one or more access devices.

[0190] For instance, if a UE is at position pO at time to and the UE has a trajectory such that it is approaching access device at position pl such that the UE is at position p2 very close to pl (e.g., p2-pl < r) at time tl, the access device and / or UE may determine the second set of transmission parameters such that, e.g.:

[0191] - the scheduling of the exchange of the second data part is done at time tl;

[0192] - the transmission power is kept under a transmission power threshold;

[0193] - an energy efficient modulation is selected.

[0194] It is to be noted that in addition to and / or alternatively to the position, other measurements may be considered when scheduling transmissions in an energy efficient manner. For instance, the RSRP may also be considered. For instance, a user carrying a wireless device may follow a specific trajectory when going from home to school. The wireless device may measure and report certain measurements, e.g., RSRP, as measured from reference signals transmitted by the base station. The wireless device may determine periods of time when the measurements are better / best / optimal for transmission and split / schedule a data exchange accordingly. Note that some of the measurements may be correlated with the relative location / distance of wireless device (UE) and an access device, e.g., when there is Light of Sight, however, in other deployment scenarios, e.g., in a city deployment, the measurements may not be correlated with the relative distance of the wireless device and access device.

[0195] Above embodiment adapts the operation (data transfer) based on the expected trajectory of the wireless device, UE, or measurements that may also relate to the position / trajectory of the UE. Adaptation of the operation (data transfer) may also depend on other metrics, e.g., expected usage of the wireless device (e.g., how the user is using the wireless device, how long the data is needed). In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the second set of transmission parameters schedule the data exchange for the second data part within an area determined by the trajectory of the UE and / or the trajectory of the one or more access devices and / or the expected measurements fulfilling the second set of quality of service requirements.

[0196] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, a UE device may be configured by an access device with a discontinuous reception and / or transmission schedule wherein the discontinuous reception and / or transmission schedule (DRX, DTX) may be optimized or configured to wake up the UE device when one or more conditions apply that reduce transmission / reception energy or keep it below a given threshold or in general, allow for energy efficient data exchanges.

[0197] A possible condition may refer to the fact that the positions of UE device and / or access device are such that the distance is lower than a threshold, and thus, the transmission power can be kept under a threshold.

[0198] Another condition may refer to the energy level / status, e.g., amount of energy in a battery, and / or whether the UE device is plugged to a power source; as long as this happens, a UE device in discontinuous reception and / or transmission schedule configuration, (in the following configuration) e.g., a DRX mode, may sleep even if the DRX configuration indicates that it should be awake.

[0199] This means that the usage of the DRX configuration may be determined based on one or more conditions.

[0200] The access device may have configured the UE with a DRX configuration for energy efficient data transfers and thus it may be aware that the UE may monitor one or multiple conditions before waking up according to the DRX configuration.

[0201] Since the access device does not know when this may occur, because this may be dependent on the energy level of the UE device, the UE device may be requested to (or be configured to) send an "awake" message when this happens. The "awake" message may be a reference signal such as the Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) or a preamble.

[0202] The "awake" message may include the signal strength of a received pilot signal such as SSBs. If the "awale" message is the SRS, the access device can determine the channel state that may use for further communication. The "awake" message may include the transmission power of the "awake" message itself.

[0203] This "awake" message may occur during the ON phase of the configuration, e.g., ON DRX period, when one or more conditions apply to enable energy efficient data exchanges.

[0204] For instance, a UE device may have received a first data part at a first location and may have been configured with a configuration, e.g., DRX configuration, the configuration may include some conditions that trigger the UE device to wake up, e.g., in reception or transmission mode.

[0205] When an ON period comes, e.g., on DRX period comes, before waking up, the UE Device may evaluate whether the conditions apply for waking up and start monitoring the channel for data. The UE Device may first check whether a signal from the target cell (5G Uu signal) has a signal quality higher than a threshold, e.g., the wireless device may do this by means of its low power radio, and only if the condition applies, wake up the main radio. The UE Device may then indicate by means of an "awake" message that the UE device is ready for the data exchange of a second data part. The access device / UE device may then proceed with the data exchange.

[0206] Additionally / alternatively, upon reception of the "awake" message, the access device may evaluate its own condition(s) (e.g., with regards to energy efficient data exchanges) and act accordingly. For instance, if the access device is not ready to perform the energy efficient data exchange (e.g., because the energy supply is not based on green energy or because the UE device is still too far), the access device may indicate to the UE device to sleep again. Alternatively, if the access device is ready, the access device may schedule the uplink or downlink data transfer.

[0207] In a related embodiment that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the configuration, e.g., DRX / DTX configuration is such that the ON - OFF periods of a UE are determined by the expected (and / or inferred) features of the wireless link and / or data exchange requirements. The expected and / or inferred features and / or requirements may be obtained by means of an AI / ML model that may determine how the wireless link will behave in the upcoming time and / or which data exchange requirements will apply.

[0208] For instance, an access device (or a UE itself) may determine the expected trajectory of the UE device and the access device / UE may have trained (or be provided with) an AI / ML model that allows inferring the wireless link features between UE and access device. If the AI / ML model indicates that the upcoming time period (e.g., the following 200 ms) the wireless link is expected to be bad because of a signal blockage (e.g., due to a building), the DRX configuration may be such that no ON period is applied in that upcoming time period, in particular, if the data exchange is such that it can be delayed in time. This can allow reducing energy consumption of the UE device / access device. Similarly, in an additional example, if it is expected that the coming period (e.g., 10 seconds), the signal quality of the device UE and access device keeps improving (e.g., because the user carrying the UE is moving towards the access device), the access device may set itself and / or the wireless device to sleep for most of the time, waiting until the signal quality is expected to be better / best / optimal.

[0209] In an additional example, the wireless device may be configured with a DRX / DTX configuration, e.g., a configuration in which the ON periods are solely determined by certain conditions, e.g., the (expected) measurements.

[0210] In an additional example, the wireless device may be configured with a DRX / DTX configuration, e.g., a configuration in which the ON periods are activated when certain conditions apply, e.g., the (expected) measurements are higher than a threshold.

[0211] In an additional example, the wireless device may be configured with a DRX / DTX configuration, e.g., a configuration determining a number of ON periods. In this configuration, ON periods may be rescheduled (e.g., moved earlier or later) to fit certain conditions, e.g., that the (expected) measurements are higher than a threshold. Similarly, the data transfer may also be adapted to fit the ON periods, e.g., a first part of the data transfer may take place earlier, and a second part of the data transfer may take place later.

[0212] In an example, an access device may configure the wireless device (UE) with one or more parameters determining how a DRX / DTX configuration may be adapted based on a number of conditions such as position of the wireless device, trajectory, performed measurements, expected measurements, device condition, etc. The wireless device may also configure related parameters such as thresholds (determining whether the location of the wireless device is within a determined area, or whether the measurements are suitable).

[0213] In an example, the wireless device (UE) may be provided and / or determine a configuration, wherein the configuration may determine whether DRX / DTX active periods may be moved to an earlier point of time and / or a later point of time.

[0214] Additionally or alternatively, it may also determine how many and / or the duration of the DRX / DTX active periods may be moved earlier or later. For instance, if two DRX / DTX ON periods cannot take place because the RSRP measurement is expected to be too low, only one of the DRX / DTX ON periods may be rescheduled, e.g., to a later point of time.

[0215] Additionally or alternatively, it may also determine suitable resources (time and / or frequency) wherein the active periods may be moved earlier or later. For instance, if a DRX / DTX ON period is reschedule to a later point of time, the wireless device may monitor a second frequency band / bandwidth part, instead of a first frequency band / bandwidth part as originally configured. In an additional example, if the signal quality of the device UE and access device is expected to follow a specific pattern, the DTX / DRX schedule may be configured to fit said pattern so that the device wakes up when it is expected to be more suitable for the communication.

[0216] Fig. 11a schematically illustrates a measurement and / or expected measurement, e.g., of a reference signal. The measurement maybe, e.g., the RSRP, RSRQ, channel state,... or a combination of them. The wireless device may be configured with one or more thresholds, e.g., Thl, Th2,etc. The wireless device may be configured to transmit and / or receive only when the (expected) measurement has a quality that fulfils one or more thresholds, e.g., it is greater than Thl, or is between Thl and Th2. For instance, if the wireless device may be configured to receive when the measurement is greater than Thl, the wireless device receives until to, then between tl and t2, and then after t3.

[0217] Fig. lib schematically illustrates a deployment scenario that may correspond to Fig. 11a. In this illustrative deployment scenario, 1100 is a first access device, 1101 is a second access device, and 1102 is a wireless device that is moving from an initial position P0 (until time to) to a final position P3 (at time t3) moving between positions Pl and P2 at times tl and t2, respectively. The black boxes illustrate obstacles that may disrupt and / or decrease the quality of the radio link.

[0218] Fig. 11c schematically illustrates five DRX / DTX periods, i.e., ON periods as bars 1103- 1, 1103-2, 1103-3, 1103-4 and 1103-5. The DRX / DTX periods that are active are illustrated by means of dark bars, and inactive periods (due to a low measurement value) are illustrated by means of white bars. In particular, the inactive periods are 1103-2 and 1103-3.

[0219] Having inactive periods may not be feasible because the wireless device may need to communicate. To address this issue, Fig. lid illustrates an embodiment in which the DRX / DTX periods are rescheduled according to the (expected measurements). In particular, period 1103-2 is rescheduled earlier and is illustrated by means of dark bar 1103-2', while period 1103-3 is rescheduled to a later point of time and is illustrated by means of dark bar 1103-3'.

[0220] In the context of this invention, scheduled DRX / DTX periods 1103-1 and 1103-2' may be used to perform the transmission / reception of a first data part (e.g., time sensitive), while scheduled DRX / DTX periods 1103-3', 1103-4 and 1103-5 may be used to perform the transmission / reception of a second data part (e.g., non-time sensitive).

[0221] In a related embodiment that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the wireless device may report and / or provide indications to an access device and / or network, e.g., it may report:

[0222] 1. Predicted Mobility Path: Anticipated future trajectory and movement speed, allowing the access device to forecast optimal transmission times and locations. 2. Battery Health Status: Comprehensive battery metrics such as temperature, remaining charge cycles, and current discharge rate, helping the access device refine scheduling for energy conservation.

[0223] 3. Buffer Occupancy Level: The current amount of buffered data awaiting transmission, enabling prioritisation of devices with urgent data needs versus those able to delay. This may also indicate an application layer buffer occupancy level indicative of the QoE.

[0224] 4. Supported Energy-Saving Modes: Enumeration of DRX / DTX variations, low-power radio features, and compatibility with sleep cycles or wake-up radios.

[0225] 5. Real-Time Interference Measurement: Reports of observed interference across frequency bands, aiding in dynamic adjustment of transmission power and timing.

[0226] 6. Environmental Sensing Data: Local conditions such as ambient light, temperature, or even motion detected by the device, which may influence signal quality and energy harvesting capabilities.

[0227] 7. Preferred Data Encoding Schemes: Indication of supported or desirable encoding methods (e.g., compressed, semantic-loss, high-efficiency codec), allowing for dynamic adaptation to energy and quality constraints.

[0228] 8. Maximum Acceptable Latency: User- or application-defined tolerance for delays, supporting tailored buffering and scheduling for time-sensitive versus delay-tolerant flows.

[0229] 9. Green Energy Availability: Reporting if the device is currently charging via renewable sources (e.g., solar), to align data transfers with periods of maximal green power.

[0230] 10. Historical / expected Link Quality Profile: Summary of previous signal strength, reliability, and throughput trends, allowing predictive scheduling based on learned behaviour or recurring patterns.

[0231] 11. Planned Data Transfer Method: Specifies how the forthcoming data exchange is intended to be carried out, allowing access devices to anticipate and optimise scheduling.

[0232] 12. Adaptation of DTX / DRX Active and Inactive Periods: Describes anticipated adjustments to ON and OFF periods for energy-saving cycles, enabling devices to align their activity with optimal radio conditions.

[0233] 13. Projected or Actual Energy Consumption: Provides estimates or measurements of energy usage associated with the data exchange, helping to further refine scheduling for efficiency.

[0234] In a related embodiment that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the access device may monitor the location of the UE devices, e.g., by receiving information of the location of the UE devices from a network function such as a mobility function (e.g., 5G AMF) or by monitoring their positions, e.g., by means of wireless sensing. Based on the estimated location and a configuration / policy, the access device may then determine whether a UE device is ready and / or whether the access device itself is ready to start receiving / transmitting / exchanging data, e.g., according to the configuration (e.g., DRX configuration).

[0235] In the case of wireless sensing, the wireless sensing signal may be a radar signal, and the UE device may be configured to reflect and / or backscatter the radar signal. The reflected and / or backscatter signal may embed some information, e.g., whether the UE device has some data to transmit and / or an identifier (e.g., a radio identifier). Based on the received backscattered / reflected signals, the access device can determine the locations of the UE devices, the distance to the UE devices, and the need for transmission of the UE devices. The wireless sensing signal may also indicate the transmission power so that a UE device can determine by itself it is too far or close enough and the UE device may only reflect / backscatter the wireless sensing signal when the received wireless sensing signal has a minimum signal strength. The sensing signal may also be based on the normal communication signal so that the access device and / or wireless device can determine range / direction from it.

[0236] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, a UE device may be configured with information about the access device to be used for a data exchange or a part of a data exchange (e.g., physical cell identity, frequency / timing for measuring synchronization signals) and the UE may be configured with a minimum signal strength to be measured before waking up. Similarly, the access device may be informed about the incoming UE device and may be required to deliver on-demand synchronization signals at a given transmission power. The timing for the start of the transmission of the on-demand synchronization signal corresponds to the expected time when the UE device is in proximity. The timing may correspond to the configuration when the UE is required to be awake. When the UE device measures a synchronization signal that is higher than a threshold, the UE device connects to the access device in a RACH-based or RACH-less procedure.

[0237] For instance, in an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the device UE may have a low power radio (in general, a first radio) and a main radio (in general, a second radio), and the low power radio may measure reference signals, e.g., low power synchronization signals. Only once reference signals, e.g., low power synchronization signals, are measured with certain features (e.g., RSRP > threshold!, or RSRQ > threshold2, etc), the low power radio may wake up the main radio so that main radio performs a transmission / reception according to a pre-scheduled schedule (e.g., discontinuous reception and / or transmission (e.g., DRX / DTX). This approach ensures that the main radio only wakes up when the radio 2024P00462WQ

[0238] 44 conditions are sufficient / good for transmission / reception reducing the energy consumption of wireless device and access device.

[0239] In an embodiment, an access device may have received data for a UE device (Mobile Terminated (MT) data) and / or the UE device may have data to transmit (Mobile Originated (MO) data). The access device may know its own trajectory / location (e.g., in the case of ephemeris data of a satellite) as well as the trajectory / location of the UE device (e.g., when the UE device is a device on the ground). For instance, a mobility function such as the 5G AMF or 4G MME may be aware of the UE device location and the mobility function may be part of the access device or interact with the access device. The access device for MT data and the UE for MO data may buffer the data for a given time, where the buffering time before data is released for transmission is computed based on the trajectories / positions of the UE and / or access device such that the timer expires where the UE device and the access device are at positions such that the energy consumption of the UE and / or the access device fulfils energy efficient data exchange requirements. In an example, the data exchanged is delayed by a time T such that the positions of UE device and access device are such that they are close to each other and the data exchange can be done at very low (or at the lowest possible) transmission power.

[0240] In another example, a data exchange between access device and UE may be adapted based on the green energy production, e.g., a data exchange requested at 6.40 am is delayed until 6.43 am because the sunrise happens at 6.41am and green energy can be used for the data transfer. In another option, the delayed time may depend on the measurements, e.g., measurements of reference signals transmitted by wireless device (UE) and / or access device.

[0241] In another option, the delayed time is not computed explicitly, but a UE device is configured with a (connected) discontinuous reception or transmission configuration and a set of conditions to determine when it is ready to perform the data exchange, as in other embodiments.

[0242] Additionally or alternatively, the discontinuous configuration may be to monitor paging messages only when a set of conditions are fulfilled.

[0243] In a (related) embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, a QoS rule may determine the QoS applicable to a QoS flow in the wireless link. The QoS rule may indicate whether the QoS flow may use or rely on energy efficient data exchanges. Additionally or alternatively, a QoS class (such as a 5QI) may include a parameter related to how long a given data flow or QoS flow may be buffered. In other to enable energy efficient data exchanges while guaranteeing a given QoS or a certain QoS class (e.g., 5QI), data exchanges (e.g., IP packets) may need to be enhanced with (i.e., may comprise) information regarding the required delivery time. This allows the UE device and / or access device and / or a NF such as the UPF, e.g., to 2024P00462WQ

[0244] 45 retain / buffer the data as long as this delivery time is not reached and the energy / power consumption does not fulfil certain conditions. The downlink traffic may be buffered at the access device and / or at the UPF; uplink traffic may be buffered in the UE device. In the downlink, the traffic may be stored / buffered in the access device, e.g., when the UE device is roaming, since this can allow the access device to control energy savings rules and logic because energy saving aspects may be in control of the serving network while QoS aspects may be in control of the home network. Buffering data at the access device may require informing the access device of the QoS applicable to a QoS flow, e.g., inform about the 5QI since it may then require applying certain buffering rules, next to mapping a QoS flow to a given Data Radio Bearer. The access device may be controlled by a network function in the CN or by an entity in charge of operations, administration and maintenance about the energy consumption and saving policies that may determine how the access device is operating.

[0245] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, different User Equipment (UE) devices may possess varying capabilities with regard to energy-efficient data transfers. For instance, some UE devices may be capable of buffering data for a certain amount of time, enabling them to perform energy-efficient data exchanges by aligning their data transfer times with periods of low power consumption or optimal energy conditions. Other UE devices may lack such buffering capabilities and therefore may not be able to perform energy-efficient data transfers to the same extent. As a result of these varying capabilities, the energy consumption of access devices when serving these different types of UE devices may also differ. Access devices may need to expend more energy when communicating with UE devices that cannot buffer data and must transfer data immediately, regardless of the energy conditions. Conversely, access devices might be able to conserve energy when serving UE devices that can delay data transfers to coincide with optimal energy conditions. This variation in energy consumption can be utilized to determine the cost of serving different types of devices. For example, access devices can monitor and analyze the energy cost associated with data transfers by counting and measuring when and where these transfers are performed. By collecting data on the energy cost of serving different UE devices, access devices can classify devices by type and capabilities. This classification can then be used to optimize network resources and manage costs more effectively. In a practical implementation, an access device (and or the network, in this case, the access device may request the information from the network and / or the network may take the decision) may maintain a database of UE device types and their respective capabilities for energy-efficient data transfers. This database can include information such as the device's ability to buffer data, the typical energy consumption associated with serving the device, and any special configurations or conditions required for energy-efficient data transfers. Using this information, the access device can dynamically adjust its scheduling, resource allocation, and energy management strategies to minimize overall / UE device / access network energy consumption while maintaining the quality of service. Furthermore, network operators may use this information to develop pricing models that reflect the energy costs of serving different types of devices. For instance, devices that are capable of energy-efficient data transfers may be offered lower rates due to their reduced energy consumption, while devices that lack such capabilities may incur higher costs. This approach not only incentivizes the use of energy-efficient devices but also promotes more sustainable and cost-effective network operations. In summary, this embodiment highlights the importance of recognizing and leveraging the different capabilities of UE devices for energy-efficient data transfers. By doing so, access devices can optimize their energy consumption, manage costs more effectively, and provide tailored service offerings based on the energy efficiency of the devices in the network.

[0246] In a (related) embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, when a UE is in Idle / inactive state, the UE device may need to monitor paging occasions to determine whether the network has data (additionally or alternatively, wake-up signals via a wake-up radio, early paging indications, etc). If the frequency of this event is high, the energy requirements for the UE device increase. If the frequency is low, a UE device may be too far from an access device. Furthermore, to monitor the paging occasion, the UE device may need to monitor first the synchronization signal of the device, i.e., SSBs or low power synchronization signals, and the number of synchronization signals to monitor may depend on the signal-to- interference ratio (SINR) (varies between a single SSB and a few SSBs prior to the PO. In this case, a UE device may be configured with a set of conditions that need to be met to monitor a signal in certain communication resources, e.g., a paging message in a PO. For instance:

[0247] A UE device may only monitor a PO (and obtain SSBs before of that) if the UE device knows that an access device is close. For instance, a UE device configured for satellite access may only wake up when an access device is expected to provide good coverage. This is important because a regular schedule for PO monitoring may not be aligned with the schedule of access devices (e.g., satellites) close to the UE. This approach allows configuring a PO monitoring schedule of higher frequency while ensuring that the UE device only monitors when the access device (satellite) is close enough. This will reduce the number of SSBs that need to be monitored, as well as subsequent energy consumption of UE device and access device, if data exchange is required.

[0248] A UE device may start sampling the SSBs, but if the SINR of the SSBs or a combination of them (e.g., the first measured SSBs) is lower than a threshold, the PO may be skipped by the UE device. It is to be noted that a similar approach may be applicable to paging early indication wherein multiple SSBs are transmitted for idle / inactive UEs so that, e.g., a UE device that is too far from the access device, skips such a paging early indication.

[0249] It is to be noted that an access device may monitor the location of UEs to determine when UE devices are too far away, and it may be preferable to skip a paging occasion.

[0250] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the UE and / or an access device may determine a first data part of the data exchange associated to a first set of quality of service requirements; the UE and / or the access device may determine a first set of transmission parameters for the exchange of the first data part based on the first set of quality of service requirements, and the UE and / or the access device may perform the exchange of the first data part and the second data part. For instance, a user may wish to watch a NetFlix movie when he is at position pO at time to. Position pO may be, e.g., in the cell border of an access device requiring high transmission power. The user with his UE device may be moving towards the center of the cell covered by the access device. In this situation, the data exchange corresponding to the NetFlix movie is divided into a first data part corresponding to e.g., the first minute of the movie (time duration it requires the user to reach a position pl that is close to the access device) and a second data part corresponding to the rest of the movie. The first data part may be transferred immediately, at time to when UE is in position pO, and the second data part may be transferred when the energy conditions are more favorable, e.g., when the user / UE device is close to the access device (i.e., in position pl) or the received signal strengths are higher than a threshold or when the amount of interferences are lower than a threshold, etc, e.g., as described in other embodiments.

[0251] In some cases, the signal strength of an access device and / or UE device may be high (because access device / UE device are close), but it may still be subject to noise or interferences. In this case, in an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, even if (1) the signal strength of, e.g., an access device, is high, because, e.g., the access device is close / there is direct line of sight, and thus the baseband signal processing is efficient, (2) the overall exchange of data may still be energy expensive because a UE and / or access device may require high resources in tasks related to radio interference signal processing. Thus, the radio interference load / requirements should be taken into account in energy efficient data transfers. It is to be noted that even if the received signal strength of a signal (e.g., from an access device) is high, the received signal strength of the signal needs to be compared with the transmitted signal strength of the signal, since measured strength decreases with the power of the distance. Furthermore, expected / measured interference level and signal strength / distance / line of sight may be considered as parameters determining when / where / how a data exchange may take place. For instance, even if a position pl at 2024P00462WQ

[0252] 48 time tl, a second data exchange may benefit from the lowest distance between UE device and access device (and thus, the lowest transmission power is required), position pl may be subject to interference. Thus, an access device / UE device may prefer a further position p2 at a later time t2 where / when despite the higher transmission power (due to the longer distance), the (expected) interference level is lower.

[0253] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the first set of transmission parameters uses a first energy efficient data encoding, or in general, the data exchange is energy efficient. For instance, the first set of transmission parameters may be required for a data exchange when UE device and access device are far apart. Thus, a lower frequency range is required and a low data rate is applied to reduce the energy consumption to meet energy efficiency requirements. Furthermore, the data exchange may use an encoding for the data that may imply data compression with quality loss, e.g., semantic loss. This may be beneficial due to its lower energy requirements, but it comes at the price of a lower quality of the data exchange, e.g., when the first part of the video data is encoded by means of an encoder with semantic loses. It is to be noted that the network may require exposing one or more parameters, e.g., to an application function. For instance, if the network determines a first data part and a second data part, and it determines that the first data part may need a different encoding to ensure energy efficient data transmission, the network may expose this requirement to the AF so that the data is encoded in the corresponding manner. Additionally or alternatively, it may expose the timing for performing efficient data transmissions (e.g., based on historical data), so that the AF may operate accordingly.

[0254] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the access device may send an indication, e.g., in the System Information Block (SIB) or Radio Resource Control (RRC) message, indicating the support and / or usage of energy-efficient data transfer methods. Upon receiving this indication, the User Equipment (UE) device may confirm its usage and provide suitable parameters for the energy-efficient data transfer. For instance, the UE device can report its current battery status, preferred encoding methods, and acceptable quality-of- service levels. The UE device may also indicate the QoS that is reasonable / applicable for said data exchanges. For instance, the UE device and / or access device may define or choose several data classes that are applicable to the data exchanges informing each other about them. Based on these parameters, the access device can optimize the data exchange process to minimize energy consumption, ensuring that high-priority data is transmitted efficiently while less critical data is deferred to a more opportune moment. Additionally, or alternatively, the wireless device UE may also indicate its support of energy efficient data transfer modes, e.g., during initial registration. The network may then enable / disable / ... operate accordingly.

[0255] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the second data part may include the first data part and the second set of transmission parameters may use or reliy on transmission parameters such as a modulation scheme, a second data encoding, etcthat are characterized by being less energy efficient than the first energy efficient data encoding.

[0256] For instance, if the second data part is a video and data compression algorithm without loses may be applied and the second data part may comprise the first data part so that any quality loses that happened during the data exchange of the first data exchange can be recovered.

[0257] For instance, if the second data part is a video and data compression algorithm without loses may be applied, data compression algorithm without loses may be less energy efficient than a data compression algorithm with loses that may have been used in the exchange of a first data part.

[0258] Still, overall, since the data exchange of the second data part may happen when UE device and access device are closer and / or conditions (e.g., radio link) are more suitable, the overall energy consumption may be lower.

[0259] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the first data part may be exchanged through a first access device and the second data part may be exchanged through a second access device. This may happen when, e.g., a large area is covered by a macro access device (e.g., a primary cell or a main cell) providing overall connectivity but uncapable of delivering the data transfer to all devices. Instead, the macro access device may be the first access device and may be in charge of delivering, in general, a first data part of a data exchange wherein the first data part is focused on time-sensitive data. For instance, a user may receive in his UE device (e.g., smart glasses) the text messages of a WhatsApp conversation / call but only an indication of the reception of pictures / videos / audios. The first access device may then schedule the data exchange of a second data part, e.g., a video, through a second access device (e.g., a secondary cell) when the UE device is close to the second access device. This approach does not only optimize the energy efficiency of UE and access devices but also improves the overall network resource allocation.

[0260] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, data units in a data exchange may include and / or may be connected to metadata wherein the metadata may include parameters such as time / quality level. Data units may 2024P00462WQ

[0261] 50 also be structured in such a way that they comprise one or more data copies with different quality levels, e.g., a data unit corresponding to a video frame may have a first data subunit for a low quality video frame and a second data subunit for a high quality video frame. A data unit may have a delivery deadline. Data units may be generated and exchanged in this manner, e.g., based on a policy and / or based on request of the network and / or based on request of the UE. For instance, the network may request an application to provide data units (e.g., as above) for a data exchange that is performed in an energy efficient manner. The network can then use above data units, e.g., to adjust the quality level depending on the amount of energy that can be used. The transmission of data units may also be delayed / buffered according to the delivery deadline. It is to be noted that for some applications such as video streaming, a user may stop the streaming of video, or move forward in the video streaming, and this may influence the delivery time. For instance, if the user stops the video streaming, the UE may indicate this information (stop, move forward) to the access device and / or NF in the core network (e.g., SMF) and / or application since this may influence the delivery deadline, and thus, the energy efficient scheduling of the data exchanges. Additionally or alternatively, the application may communicate this fact to the core network and the core network may indicate it to the access device.

[0262] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, UE and / or network may indicate to the application (AF) that the data exchange is taking place over an energy-aware connection / energy-efficient data transfer. The UE wireless device / or network may indicate to the application its communication constraint regarding energy / QoS, e.g., timing to perform a data exchange, e.g., as in other embodiments. This may allow the application to prepare the data to be exchanged accordingly. For instance, the wireless device may start a video streaming service when it is far from the access device, but it is moving toward it. The UE and / or network may indicate to the application the need to receive a first data part with a first set of QoS requirements (e.g., high energy consumption for transmission, high resolution, low latency) and a second data part with a second set of QoS requirements (e.g., (1) lower energy consumption for transmission, lower resolution, higher latency allowed or (1) low energy consumption for transmission, high resolution, higher latency allowed). The application may provide the network with those data parts, and the network may schedule the data exchange accordingly.

[0263] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the UE and / or access device and / or network (e.g. SMF) may determine when to exchange the data faster or slower. For instance, in the case of video streaming, a first data part may need to be exchanged fast / without delays because the user is waiting to watch the content (i.e., it is time sensitive), but the second data part may be exchanged slower, i.e., with some delay. The communication parameters, such as the data rate, when transmitting this second data part may be 2024P00462WQ

[0264] 51 dependent on the signal strength of a received reference signal (that may indicate how close the wireless device / access device are) and / or expected energy consumption per bit. For instance, when performing a data exchange, the communication parameters (e.g., data rate) may depend on the amount of energy consumption per bit. For instance, a given data exchange may be allocated a maximum energy budget E, and it may be required to the wireless device and / or access device to transmit faster when the energy consumption per bit is low and transmit slower when the energy consumption per bit is higher. In general, the transmission data rate may be a function of the measured and / or predicted signal strength.

[0265] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, a QoS flow may be featured by an energy budget, e.g., a given amount of energy per bit.

[0266] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, a DRB may be featured by an energy budget, e.g., a given amount of energy per bit.

[0267] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the wireless device and / or access device may exchange the available energy budget for a given data exchange, wherein the energy budget may be the total amount of energy and / or the energy per bit. The application and / or network and / or UE may allocate resources accordingly.

[0268] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the UE and / or access device and / or network may expose the delay budget, when exchanging certain data

[0269] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the UE and / or access device and / or network may expose the energy budget.

[0270] In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, data exchanges may be performed by means of a mobile access device such as a vehicle-mounted access device, a UAV, or a satellite. The mobile access device may have the functionality of an access device / base station. The mobile access device may also have some or all functionality of a core network. The mobile access device may operate in store and forward mode, e.g., when it does not have suitable connectivity with both a wireless device and, e.g., a gateway or a macro cell. When working in store and forward mode, the mobile access device may indicate how long data is to be stored because data may be potentially transferred faster at the cost of higher energy consumption. For instance, in view of Fig. 9, a wireless device 900 may receive data from a mobile access device 901 (e.g., working in store and forward mode) that may have received the data from 2024P00462WQ

[0271] 52 device (e.g., gateway, macro-cell) 902. The data exchange between device 902 and mobile access device happens in step 903 at time to. The final data exchange (in case of mobile terminated data) may be in step 404 at time tl or in step 905 at time t2 or in step 906 at time t3. Performing the data exchange at time t2 may be more energy efficient, but it increases the communication latency t2-tl. Performing the data transfer at time tl reduces the latency, but increases the energy consumption. Performing the data transfer at time t3 increases the latency and energy consumption, but may still be required if, e.g., the access device 901 is unable to handle the communication before, e.g., because the communication with other wireless devices has a higher priority. A device in store and forward mode may determine the delivery deadlines (e.g., as in other embodiments) to determine the optimal transmission time, and may schedule its transmissions accordingly, e.g., may page wireless devices and schedule transmissions according to the delivery deadlines. The wireless device 900 and the mobile access device 901 may accept / reject / schedule a data exchange when it fits the energy budget, quality levels, etc. The UE / access device may be configured with a policy determining the positions / location / distance from which a (mobile) access device and the wireless device / UE can perform the data exchange. For instance, a premium subscription may allow the wireless device / UE to perform the data exchange whatever distance separates both devices (e.g., range R as in Fig. 9, and thus data exchange may happen at tl, t2, or t3, in general between tl and t3), while an energyefficient subscription may limit that range to a specific area, e.g., at range r, and thus, data transmission may happen at time t2, in general between t2-T and t2+T. A wireless device with plenty of energy and low latency requirements may be able to wait till t3 (step 906) to perform the data exchange. In order for mobile access device / network 901 to schedule the communication, mobile access device 901 may require knowing the QoS requirements of the data exchange of wireless device 900 (as well as of other devices), and the expected energy levels (or other energy related parameters, e.g., battery status) of the devices. Based on this information, the mobile access device / network may schedule the data transfers. In order to accommodate this:

[0272] The mobile access device may distribute to the wireless devices, directly (e.g., in a SIB, RRC message) or indirectly (e.g., via another access devices) its energy saving needs / excess and / or requirements to adjust the schedule of certain communications;

[0273] The wireless device may indicate its energy / QoS constraints, e.g., as soon as the wireless device performs the random-access procedure, e.g., selecting a preamble that may indicate high / low energy level and / or QoS requirements and / or sending a message indicating this, gets connected to the mobile access device, or registers with the network. In an embodiment of the invention that may be combined with other embodiments or used independently, the second access device is one of a smart repeater, a reflective intelligent surface, a mobile access device, a Light Fidelity access device.

[0274] Fig. 8 schematically represents the interactions between a UE device (800) and one or two access devices (801 / 803) to perform a data exchange with / through the one or more network functions in the core network (804). The arrows represent messages or signals exchanged between the entities. The time flows from the top to the bottom of the figure, i.e., a message or signal exchanged on the top happens before a message or message exchanged on the bottom of the figure. Not all messages or signals or entities may be always required. Some messages may be repeated and some messages (as per some embodiments of the invention) may not be explicitly indicated.

[0275] Message 805 represents synchronization signals such as SSBs and system information such as SIB1 broadcasted by access device 801. Upon reception, UE device 800 may perform random access to get synchronized. Once synchronized, the access device may start performing beamforming and MIMO (multiple input multiple output) configuration by means of messages in the PDCCH channel using a radio identifier such as RA-RNTI and C-RNTL In this step, the RRC connection is established, the UE device sends the RRCSetupRequest (message 3 in the random access procedure) and the access device 801 replies with the RRCSetup. Then UE device replies with the RRCSetupComplete that may include the UE Capability. In this step, UE device 300 may report one or more of its energy status, energy saving capabilities, battery lifetime, battery status, e.g., in the RRCSetupComplete message. The access device may also send an indication for energy savings, e.g., option to use energy efficient data transfers. The access device may also identify the need for saving energy for an upcoming data exchange indicated by the UE device because the signal quality with the device is low. The access device may allocate resources to perform a data exchange of a first data part that may happen in message 807. The access device may provide a configuration (e.g., DRX configuration) to the UE device in step 808 together with a set of conditions to wake up and perform the data exchange of a second data part. This configuration may apply to the UE device when the device is idle / inactive or connected. In step 809, the first access device may distribute synchronization signals and this distribution may be triggered by the monitoring of the UE position and determining that it is in an area with good transmission features, and the UE device / access device may determine the conditions to wake up to perform the subsequent data exchange are fulfilled, e.g., in message 810. This data exchange (e.g., a first data exchange) may happen in step 812. Access device 801 may determine that UE device is leaving its coverage area and moving towards / will be in the coverage area of 803. Thus, in message 813 access device 801 may provide a configuration for UE device 800 to move to access device 803 or be served by access device 303 (e.g., as a secondary cell). Access device 803 may provide on demand synchronization signals and UE device may be provided with a configuration to obtain them. Subsequently, a data exchange (e.g., a second data exchange) of a further data part may be performed.

[0276] To summarize, it is proposed a method for energy efficient data transfer between a communication device and one or more access devices comprising determining a request for a data exchange; determining a second data part of the data exchange wherein the second data part is associated to a second set of quality of service requirements; determining a second set of transmission parameters for the data exchange of the second data part based on the second set of quality of service requirements, and performing the data exchange of the second data part.

[0277] Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. The foregoing de-scription details certain embodiments of the invention. It will be appreciated, however, that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in the text, the invention may be practiced in many ways, and is therefore not limited to the embodiments disclosed. It should be noted that the use of particular terminology when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being re-defined herein to be restricted to include any specific characteristics of the features or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. Additionally, the expression "at least one of A, B, and C" is to be understood as disjunctive, i.e., as "A and / or B and / or C". The same applies to the expressions "A or B" and "at least one of A or B", i.e., they may indicate all possible combinations of the listed items.

[0278] A single unit or device may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

[0279] The described operations like those indicated in the above embodiments may be implemented as program code means of a computer program and / or as dedicated hardware of the related network device or function, respectively. The computer program may be stored and / or distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium, supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunication systems.

Claims

55Claims1. A method for energy efficient data transfer between a communication device and one or more access devices in a communication network, the method comprising: the communication device determining a data exchange request; the communication device determining a second data part of the data exchange, wherein the second data part is associated to a second set of quality of service requirements; the communication device determining a second set of communication parameters for the data exchange of the second data part based on the second set of quality of service requirements, and the communication device performing the data exchange of the second data part.

2. The method of Claim 1, wherein the second set of quality of service requirements comprises one or more of: a. a requirement of non-time sensitive data exchange; b. a buffering time of the second data part; c. a delivery time of the second data part.

3. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the determining of the second set of communication parameters comprises determining whether the data exchange request is non-time sensitive.

4. The method of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the determining of the second set of communication parameters comprises determining whether a data exchange energy consumption value does not exceed a threshold.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data exchange energy consumption value comprises one or more of: an energy consumption of the communication device; an energy consumption of a first access device of the one or more access devices; and an energy consumption of a second access device of the one or more access devices.

566. The method of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the determining of the second set of communication parameters comprises determining whether an energy excess value exceeds a threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the energy excess value comprises one or more of: an excess energy produced or available in the communication device, an excess energy produced by or available in a first access device; and an excess energy produced by or available in a second access device.

8. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the second set of communication parameters are determined based on trajectory data and / or measurements and / or expected measurements, wherein the trajectory data comprises a trajectory of the communication device and / or an access device trajectory of one or more access devices, and / or a relative trajectory of the communication device relative to one or more of the access devices, and wherein the measurements and / or expected measurements are radio link conditions measured and / or predicted by the communication device and / or the access device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second set of communication parameters comprises a schedule of the data exchange for the second data part within an area determined by the trajectory data; and / or a schedule of the data exchange for the second data part determined by the measurements and / or expected measurements, wherein the schedule of the data exchange fulfills the second set of quality-of-service requirements.

10. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the method further comprises the communication device determining a first data part associated to a first set of quality-of-service requirements; the communication device determining a first set of communication parameters for the data exchange of the first data part based on the first set of quality-of-service requirements; and57 the communication device performing the data exchange of the first data part and the second data part.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a. the first set of communication parameters involves a first energy efficient data encoding and / or communication parameters; and / or b. the first data part is time sensitive and the second data part is non-time sensitive.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second data part includes a copy of the first data part and wherein the second set of communication parameters uses a second data encoding, the second data encoding being less energy efficient than the first energy efficient data encoding.

13. The method of any of claims 10-12, wherein the first data part is exchanged through a first access device and the second data part is exchanged through a second access device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication is adapted to communication with the second access device, wherein the second access device is one of a smart repeater, a reflective intelligent surface, and a mobile access device.

15. The method of any previous claims, further comprising- the communication device receiving a configuration for discontinuous reception and / or transmission; and- the communication device receiving a set of conditions determining an activation and / or adaptation of the configuration for discontinuous reception and / or transmission, wherein the set of conditions determining the activation and / or adaptation of the configuration for discontinuous reception and / or transmission comprises one or more of:- obtaining a measurement fulfilling a threshold condition; and / or- determining the location of the communication device within a region.

16. The method of Claim 15, wherein the communication device obtains a measurement by means of a first radio, and wherein the activation and / or adaptation of the configuration for discontinuous reception and / or transmission is applied to a second radio.5817. An apparatus for energy efficient data transfer with one or more access devices comprising: a communication unit, a controller, a memory comprising instructions causing the controller to: determine a request for a data exchange; determine a second data part of the data exchange wherein the second data part is associated to a second set of quality-of-service requirements determine a second set of transmission parameters for the data exchange of the second data part based on the second set of quality-of-service requirements, and cause the communication unit to perform the data exchange of the second data part.

18. A computer program for energy efficient data transfer, wherein the program comprises instructions executing the method of any of claims 1 to 16.

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