Multiplexed transmissions of paging early indication

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus are disclosed A method implemented in a user equipment (UE) that is configured to communicate with a network node includes: receiving a configuration associated with a second paging early indication, PEI, which may be multiplexed with a first PEI; and communicating with the network node based on the configuration. There is further provided a method implemented in a network node, a UE and a network node.

Description

[0001] METHODS FOR MULTIPLEXED TRANSMISSIONS OF PAGING EARLY INDICATION

[0002] FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to wireless communications, and in particular, to multiplexed transmissions of paging early indication.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] The Third Generation Partnership Project (3 GPP) has developed and is developing standards for Fourth Generation (4G) (also referred to as Long Term Evolution (LTE)) and Fifth Generation (5G) (also referred to as New Radio (NR)) wireless communication systems. Such systems provide, among other features, broadband communication between network nodes, such as base stations, and mobile user equipments (UE), as well as communication between network nodes and between UEs. The 3GPP is also developing standards for Sixth Generation (6G) wireless communication networks.

[0006] Paging in NR

[0007] A 5G / NR UE in Radio Resource Control (RRC) IDLE and RRC INACTIVE states operates in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode enabling it to save power. During this mode, the UE occasionally wakes up according to a network (NW) -configured scheme and listens to a paging channel. In case the NW is interested in reaching the UE, it pages the UE at these configured occasions, whereby the UE establishes a connection to the NW. The paging message from the NW can be either initiated by the Core NW (CN) or the network node (e.g., a base station such as a gNB) itself. More specifically, the CN-Initiated paging is used to reach the UEs in RRC IDLE state, whereas the network-node-initiated paging (i.e., radio access network (RAN) paging) is used to reach UEs in RRC INACTIVE state.

[0008] The paging message from the NW is carried out via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) / physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) combination similar to other scheduled data in the downlink (DL). When the NW has DL data for a UE, it transmits a Downlink Control Information (DCI) container on PDCCH with details about where and how the UE can find data in a PDSCH. Various formats of DCI exist in the 3GPP specifications. For the paging message a DCI format 1 0 is used for which the generated Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) bits of the DCI are scrambled with a specific value called P-RNTI (OXFFFE).

[0009] The NW typically configures several paging occasions (PO) per DRX cycle (e.g., 128 POs within a DRX cycle of 1.28 seconds). The paging configuration, i.e., amount of POs and positions in time, is broadcast over the air in system information (part of system information block 1 (SIB 1) contents). When a UE registers in the NW, it gets assigned a UE identity called 5G-S-TMSI. This identity is used by the UE and NW in a formula, e.g., as specified by 3GPP, to derive in which ofthe configured occasions the UE will listen for a potential paging message. Several UEs could be listening for a potential paging message at the very same PO. If the UEs detect a paging DCI (i.e. DCI 1 0 with P-RNTI-scrambled CRC), they may have to look in the pay load of PDSCH to see whether their identity is present, indicating the paging message was intended for them. The payload of the PDSCH might carry up to 32 identities; i.e., up to 32 UEs may be paged at the very same occasion. Even though a UE’s 5G-S-TMSI ID is used in the formulas for deriving the occasion, the identity that the UE looks for inside the PDSCH may be of another type. If the UE is in RRC IDLE state, it looks for its 5G-S-TMSI (i.e., CN-Initiated paging message), whereas if the UE is in RRC IN ACTIVE state, it has to look both for 5G-S-TMSI, and the RAN -assigned I-RNTI identity. That is, a UE in RRC IN ACTIVE state may be either paged by the CN or the RAN and hence needs to look for both assigned identities. Further details are provided in, e.g., 3GPP 38.304-i00 (e.g., 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.304-i00).

[0010] Paging Early Indicator (PEI) in NR

[0011] Each PO monitoring operation in idle mode (e.g., RRC idle / inactive states) is associated with significant processing at the UE: the UE must wake ahead of the PO time to obtain time / frequency (T / F) synchronization for the paging PDCCH reception, then collect the PDCCH samples and perform tentative decoding. Depending on the signal to interference noise ratio (SINR), the UE may need to use more than one synchronization signal block (SSB) for loop convergence in preparation for potential paging PDSCH reception, making the T / F sync overhead quite large compared to the PO monitoring (i.e., PO PDCCH reception) itself.

[0012] To potentially reduce that overhead, a PEI signal may be used to indicate to the UE whether paging signaling (PDCCH / PDSCH) is expected in an upcoming PO. If the PEI does not indicate a need to monitor the PO, the UE may skip high-quality loop convergence efforts and instead go to deep sleep state (i.e., a low power consuming state) when there is no paging signal to receive. If, on the other hand, the PEI indicates that a paging PDCCH / PDSCH is expected, the UE will prepare for possible PDSCH reception and monitor the PDCCH to find out whether it is being targeted.

[0013] In an example implementation, the UE regularly decodes / searches for PEI at preconfigured occasions. If there is imminent data to be scheduled for the UE by the NW, a PEI (which may also be referred to as Wake Up Signal (WUS)) is transmitted by the NW, based on which the UE knows that it is to wake up, prepare itself for reception (i.e., perform channel estimate), and receive a potential message at specified occasion. FIG. 1 illustrates this paging procedure, whereby the NW transmits PEI at extra occasions prior to PO. Here, such PEI signals are transmitted by the NW in addition to existing paging-related transmission. A PEI can be either based on a DCI or a sequence based one, e.g., based on a RS.The DCI format 2 7 in 3GPP Release 18 (Rel-18) for paging early indication may address up to 8 POs in 2 consecutive PFs (e.g., paging frames). The PEI / DCI2 7 is configured by RRC via the following parameters, e.g., as described in 3GPP TS 38.331-iOO:

[0014] • payloadSizeDCI-2-7: 1..43 (max 41 bits for licensed spectrum) • pei-FrameOffset: 0..16

[0015] • firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-O: symbol offset, for range see [2]

[0016] • subgroupsNumPerPO (aka / V

[0017]

[0018] ) : 1..8

[0019] • po-NumPerPEI (aka

[0020]

[0021] / V ): 1 / 2 / 4 / 8

[0022] FIG. 2 depicts offset of PEI with respect to the paging frame.

[0023] DCI format 2 7 is used for notifying the paging early indication TRS (e.g., Tracking Reference Signal) availability indication for one or more UEs.

[0024] The following information is transmitted by means of the DCI format 2 7 with CRC scrambled by PEI-RNTI:

[0025] - Paging indication field - Np1N ° bit(s), where

[0026] "NPO1is the number of paging occasions configured by higher layer parameter po- NumPerPEI, e.g., as defined in Clause 10.4A in 3GPP TS 38.213;

[0027] ■C°is the number of sub-groups of a paging occasion configured by higher layer parameter subgroupsNumPerPO .

[0028] - Each bit in the field indicates one UE subgroup of a paging occasion.

[0029] - TRS availability indication - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 bits, where the number of bits is equal to one plus the highest value of all the indBitID(s) provided by the trs-ResourceSetConfig or the number of bits is equal to one plus the highest value of all the indBitID-rl8(s) provided by the trs-ResourceSetConfig-rl8 if configured if configured; 0 bits otherwise.

[0030] The size of DCI format 2 7 is indicated by the higher layer parameter payloadSizeDCI-2-7, e.g., according to Clause 10.4A of 3GPP TS 38.213. The number of information bits in format 2 7 may be equal to or less than the payload size of format 2 7. If the number of information bits in format 2 7 is less than the size of format 2 7, the remaining bits are reserved. FIG. 3 shows alternative ways of illustrating DCI2 7. The left hand side shows one logical view, while the right hand side shows another view with a flat structure.

[0031] NW Energy Consumption and paging

[0032] Transmitting paging messages to different UEs in different slots / subframes / SFNs consumes energy at the network node (e.g., to wake up from a sleep state just to transmit a paging message). Paging frames in Rel-18 (and earlier releases) are uniformly distributed within a paging cycle, which can lead to increased network node wake-ups just to transmit paging messages, consuming energy on the network side. Being able to confine paging occasions in time can be beneficial and hence in 3GPP Release 19 (Rel-19) confinement of paging occasions in timedomain as part of NW Energy Saving (NES) is being studied, e.g., in work item 3GPP TSG RAN Meeting #102, RP-234065:

[0033] 3. Specify adaptation of common signal / channel transmissions. [RAN1 / 2 / 3 / 4]

[0034] • Adaptation of SSB in time domain, e.g., adapting periodicity

[0035] • Adaptation of PRACH in time domain

[0036] • Study adaptation of PRACH in spatial domain, e.g., non-uniform PRACH resources per SSB, and specify if found beneficial

[0037] This study is to be done in 2Q’2O24 only

[0038] • Adaptation of paging occasions including confining the paging occasions in the time domain

[0039] Note: there shall be no paging latency increase

[0040] • Note: there shall be no negative impact to legacy UEs, unless significant benefits are shown

[0041] PEI transmission is a cost for the NW (e.g., network node), in terms of resources unavailable for data transmission, and due to the need to wake up from sleep states to perform additional transmissions. By default, PEI, if activated, needs to be provided to all UEs in the NW or in a cell when they are paged. By introduction of a Rel-19 PEI, additional transmissions may occur in case both legacy and Rel-19 UEs are paged. These DCIs (legacy and Rel-19 PEIs) are quite costly for the NW especially due to the high aggregation levels used for them in order to guarantee reception by the UEs at cell edge. FIG. 4 illustrates the NW transmitting two PEI DCIs when R-19 and Legacy UEs are paged, respectively.

[0042] SUMMARY

[0043] As a result of the introduction of these confined paging occasions, there may be two categories of UE: legacy UEs and Rel-19 NES-capable UEs. To maintain backward compatibility for legacy UEs may require separate PEI indications for the two categories of UEs.

[0044] There is thus a need for flexible configuration of PEI contents, format and transmissions that can both reduce the PEI-related overhead for the NW and help the UEs to save power in Idle / Inactive.

[0045] Some embodiments advantageously provide methods, systems, and apparatuses for multiplexed transmissions of paging early indication.

[0046] Described herein are features in the NW (e.g., network node) for a flexible DCI-based PEI configuration and transmission occasions for UEs / POs where a Rel-19 PEI content configuration and transmission enables superimposing (multiplexing) of the Rel-19 PEI with a legacy PEI without affecting legacy UEs.

[0047] Some embodiments relate to efficient multiple of paging early indication information for legacy UEs (e.g., those monitoring PEI according to a legacy PEI configuration and possibly thelegacy POs) and new UEs (e.g., those monitoring PEI according to an additional (Rel-19) PEI configuration and potentially the additional (Rel-19) POs). Some embodiments relate to how new UEs (e.g., those monitoring PEI according monitor an additional (Rel-19) PEI configuration, and potentially how monitoring the additional (Rel-19) POs) can include monitoring PEI and TRS without having to rely on a legacy PEI configuration. Benefits of various embodiments include reduced network energy consumption without impact on legacy UEs and enhanced PEI functionality for UEs monitoring Rel-19 PEI.

[0048] According to an aspect there is provided a method implemented in a user equipment, UE, that is configured to communicate with a network node. The method comprises receiving a first configuration associated with a first paging early indication, PEI, wherein the first configuration comprises a first set of parameters, the first set of parameters comprising payloadSizeDCI-2-7, pei-FrameOffset, firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-O, subgroupsNumPerPO, and po-NumPerPEI. The method further comprises receiving a second configuration associated with a second PEI, wherein the second configuration comprises a second set of one or more parameters, the second set of one or more parameters comprising pei-FrameOffset-rl9. The method further comprises monitoring for the second PEI based on the second set of one or more parameters and at least the parameter subgroupsNumPerPO from the first configuration.

[0049] In an embodiment the second set of one or more parameters may further comprise firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-O-r 19.

[0050] In an embodiment the first set of parameters may be Rel-17 parameters.

[0051] In an embodiment the monitoring for the second PEI may be based on a downlink control format, wherein the payload size of the downlink control information format is indicated by a higher layer parameter.

[0052] In an embodiment the method may further comprise receiving the second PEI.

[0053] In an embodiment the second PEI may be received in a downlink control information, DCI, format 2 7.

[0054] In an embodiment when the parameter pei-FrameOffset-rl9 has the same value as the parameter pei-FrameOffset from the first configuration, the second PEI may be multiplexed with the first PEI.

[0055] In an embodiment the first PEI may be associated with a second UE, wherein the UE is in a different one of the number of subgroups configured by subgroupsNumPerPO from the second UE.

[0056] In an embodiment a starting position of one or both of a paging indication field associated with the second PEI and a tracking reference signal, TRS, field associated with the second PEI may be indicated by a higher layer parameter.

[0057] In an embodiment the method may further comprise receiving an indication that the second PEI is multiplexed with the first PEI.In an embodiment the first set of parameters may further comprise pei-SearchSpace, and the monitoring for the second PEI may further comprise monitoring for the second PEI based on the second set of one or more parameters and the parameters subgroupsNumPerPO and pei-SearchSpace from the first configuration.

[0058] According to an aspect there is provided a method implemented in a network node that is configured to communicate with a user equipment, UE. The method comprises transmitting a first configuration associated with a first paging early indication, PEI, wherein the first configuration comprises a first set of parameters, the first set of parameters comprising payloadSizeDCI-2-7, pei-FrameOffset, firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-O, subgroupsNumPerPO, and po-NumPerPEI. The method further comprises transmitting an additional configuration associated with a second PEI, wherein the additional configuration comprises a second set of one or more parameters, the second set of one or more parameters comprising pei-FrameOffset-rl9. The method further comprises transmitting the second PEI based on the second set of one or more parameters and the parameter subgroupsNumPerPO from the first configuration.

[0059] In an embodiment the method may further comprise transmitting the first PEI based on the first configuration.

[0060] In an embodiment the method may comprise multiplexing the first PEI and the second PEI.

[0061] In an embodiment the method may further comprise assigning a second UE monitoring for the first PEI according to the first configuration to a first subgroup of the number of subgroups configured by subgroupsNumPerPO, and assigning the UE which receives the second PEI to a different one of the number of subgroups configured by subgroupsNumPerPO from the second UE.

[0062] In an embodiment the method may further comprise transmitting a higher layer parameter indicating a starting position of one or both of a paging indication field associated with the second PEI and a tracking reference signal, TRS, field associated with the second PEI.

[0063] In an embodiment the second configuration may comprise an indication that the second PEI is multiplexed with the first PEI.

[0064] According to an aspect there is provided a user equipment, UE, configured to communicate with a network node, the UE configured to perform the method of any of the preceding UE method embodiments.

[0065] According to an aspect there is provided a network node configured to communicate with a user equipment, UE, the network node configured to perform the method of any of the preceding network node method embodiments.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0066] A more complete understanding of the present embodiments, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0067] FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example paging procedure;

[0068] FIG. 2 is a diagram of an example paging frame;

[0069] FIG. 3 is a diagram of alternative ways of illustrating DCI2 7;

[0070] FIG. 4 is a diagram of the NW transmitting two PEI DCIs when R-19 and Legacy UEs are paged, respectively;

[0071] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an example network architecture illustrating a communication system according to principles disclosed herein;

[0072] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a network node in communication with a user equipment over a wireless connection according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0073] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of another example network architecture illustrating a communication system according to principles disclosed herein;

[0074] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an example process in a network node according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0075] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an example process in a user equipment according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0076] FIG. 10 is a diagram of an example paging indication field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0077] FIG. 11 is a diagram of multiplexing of legacy and Rel-19 PEIs according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0078] FIG. 12 is a diagram of PEIs that are not multiplexed according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0079] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a UE deriving position of TRS availability according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0080] FIG. 14 is diagram of another paging indication field according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0081] FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing a method in a user equipment according to some embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0082] FIG. 16 is a flow chart showing a method in a network node according to some embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0083] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] Before describing in detail exemplary embodiments, it is noted that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of apparatus components and processing steps related totransmissions of paging early indication. Accordingly, components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

[0085] As used herein, relational terms, such as “first” and “second,” “top” and “bottom,” and the like, may be used solely to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element without necessarily requiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or order between such entities or elements. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the concepts described herein. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and / or “including” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0086] In embodiments described herein, the joining term, “in communication with” and the like, may be used to indicate electrical or data communication, which may be accomplished by physical contact, induction, electromagnetic radiation, radio signaling, infrared signaling or optical signaling, for example. One having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that multiple components may interoperate and modifications and variations are possible of achieving the electrical and data communication.

[0087] In some embodiments described herein, the term “coupled,” “connected,” and the like, may be used herein to indicate a connection, although not necessarily directly, and may include wired and / or wireless connections.

[0088] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the concepts described herein. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and / or “including” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0089] The term “network node” used herein can be any kind of network node comprised in a radio network which may further comprise any of base station (BS), radio base station, base transceiver station (BTS), base station controller (BSC), radio network controller (RNC), g Node B (gNB), evolved Node B (eNB or eNodeB), Node B, multi-standard radio (MSR) radio node such as MSR BS, multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), relay node, donor node controllingrelay, radio access point (AP), transmission points, transmission nodes, Remote Radio Unit (RRU) Remote Radio Head (RRH), a core network node (e.g., mobile management entity (MME), selforganizing network (SON) node, a coordinating node, positioning node, MDT node, etc.), an external node (e.g., 3rd party node, a node external to the current network), nodes in distributed antenna system (DAS), a spectrum access system (SAS) node, an element management system (EMS), etc. The network node may also comprise test equipment. The term “radio node” used herein may be used to also denote a user equipment (UE) such as a wireless device (WD) or a radio network node.

[0090] In some embodiments, the non-limiting terms wireless device (WD) or a user equipment (UE) are used interchangeably. The UE herein can be any type of user equipment capable of communicating with a network node or another UE over radio signals, such as a wireless device (WD). The UE may also be a radio communication device, target device, device to device (D2D) UE, machine type UE or UE capable of machine to machine communication (M2M), low-cost and / or low-complexity UE, a sensor equipped with UE, Tablet, mobile terminals, smart phone, laptop embedded equipped (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), USB dongles, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), an Internet of Things (loT) device, or a Narrowband loT (NB-IOT) device etc.

[0091] Also, in some embodiments the generic term “radio network node” is used. It can be any kind of a radio network node which may comprise any of base station, radio base station, base transceiver station, base station controller, network controller, RNC, evolved Node B (eNB), Node B, gNB, Multi-cell / multicast Coordination Entity (MCE), relay node, access point, radio access point, Remote Radio Unit (RRU) Remote Radio Head (RRH).

[0092] Note that although terminology from one particular wireless system, such as, for example, 3 GPP LTE and / or New Radio (NR) and / or 6G, may be used in this disclosure, this should not be seen as limiting the scope of the disclosure to only the aforementioned system. It is contemplated that other 3GPP systems may make use of the concepts and arrangements disclosed herein. For example, a disclosure relating to NR may also be implementable in a 6G system and / or an LTE system, a disclosure relating to 6G may also be implementable in a NR and / or LTE system, and a disclosure relating to LTE may also be implementable in a NR and / or 6G system. Other wireless systems, including without limitation Wide Band Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), may also benefit from exploiting the ideas covered within this disclosure.

[0093] Note further, that functions described herein as being performed by a user equipment or a network node may be distributed over a plurality of user equipments and / or network nodes. In other words, it is contemplated that the functions of the network node and user equipmentdescribed herein are not limited to performance by a single physical device and, in fact, can be distributed among several physical devices.

[0094] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0095] Some embodiments are directed to multiplexed transmissions of paging early indication. Referring to the drawing figures, in which like elements are referred to by like reference numerals, there is shown in FIG. 5 a schematic diagram of a communication system 10, according to an embodiment, such as a 3GPP-type cellular network that may support standards such as LTE and / or NR (5G) and / or 6G, which comprises an access network 12, such as a radio access network, and a core network 14. The core network 14 includes one or more core network nodes 15. The access network 12 comprises a plurality of network nodes 16a, 16b, 16c (referred to collectively as network nodes 16), such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 18a, 18b, 18c (referred to collectively as coverage areas 18). Each network node 16a, 16b, 16c is connectable to the core network 14 over a wired or wireless connection 20. A first user equipment (UE) 22a located in coverage area 18a is configured to wirelessly connect to, or be paged by, the corresponding network node 16a. A second UE 22b in coverage area 18b is wirelessly connectable to the corresponding network node 16b. While a plurality of UEs 22a, 22b (collectively referred to as user equipments 22) are illustrated in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to a situation where a sole UE is in the coverage area or where a sole UE is connecting to the corresponding network node 16. Note that although only two UEs 22 and three network nodes 16 are shown for convenience, the communication system may include many more UEs 22 and network nodes 16.

[0096] As one example, in certain embodiments, access network 12 may contain some access network nodes 16 that support 3GPP radio access technologies (RAT), such as LTE or NR, while other access network nodes 16 support (or the same access network nodes 16 additionally support) non-3GPP RATs, such as Wi-Fi or a proprietary RAT. As another example, communication system 10 may support multiple generations of related communication standards (e.g., 4G, 5G and 6G 3GPP communication standards) and, as a result, may include an access network 12 and / or a core network 14 that supports multiple different standard generations or may include multiple access networks 12 and / or multiple core networks 14 with individual networks supporting different standards generations.

[0097] Also, it is contemplated that a UE 22 can be in simultaneous communication and / or configured to separately communicate with more than one network node 16 and more than onetype of network node 16. For example, a UE 22 can have dual connectivity with a network node 16 that supports LTE and the same or a different network node 16 that supports NR. As an example, UE 22 can be in communication with an eNB for LTE / E-UTRAN, a gNB for NR / NG-RAN (i.e. being configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved-UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC) and / or Wi-Fi.

[0098] A network node 16 (eNB or gNB) is configured to include a configuration unit 24 which is configured to perform one or more network node 16 functions described herein, including functions related to multiplexed transmissions of paging early indication. A user equipment 22 is configured to include a implementation unit 26 which is configured to perform one or more UE 22 functions described herein, including functions related to multiplexed transmissions of paging early indication.

[0099] Example implementations, in accordance with an embodiment, of the UE 22 and network node 16 discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0100] The communication system 10 includes a network node 16 provided in a communication system 10 and including hardware 28 enabling it to communicate with the UE 22. The hardware 28 may include a communication interface 29 comprising a radio interface 30 for setting up and maintaining at least a wireless connection 32 with a UE 22 located in a coverage area 18 served by the network node 16. The radio interface 30 may be formed as or may include, for example, one or more RF transmitters, one or more RF receivers, and / or one or more RF transceivers. The radio interface 30 includes an array of antennas 34 to radiate and receive signal(s) carrying electromagnetic waves.

[0101] In the embodiment shown, the hardware 28 of the network node 16 further includes processing circuitry 36. The processing circuitry 36 may include a processor 38 and a memory 40. In particular, in addition to or instead of a processor, such as a central processing unit, and memory, the processing circuitry 36 may comprise integrated circuitry for processing and / or control, e.g., one or more processors and / or processor cores and / or FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array) and / or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuitry) adapted to execute instructions. The processor 38 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and / or read from) the memory 40, which may comprise any kind of volatile and / or nonvolatile memory, e.g., cache and / or buffer memory and / or RAM (Random Access Memory) and / or ROM (Read-Only Memory) and / or optical memory and / or EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory).

[0102] Thus, the network node 16 further has software 42 stored internally in, for example, memory 40, or stored in external memory (e.g., database, storage array, network storage device, etc.) accessible by the network node 16 via an external connection. The software 42 may be executable by the processing circuitry 36. The processing circuitry 36 may be configured to control any of the methods and / or processes described herein and / or to cause such methods, and / orprocesses to be performed, e.g., by network node 16. Processor 38 corresponds to one or more processors 38 for performing network node 16 functions described herein. The memory 40 is configured to store data, programmatic software code and / or other information described herein. In some embodiments, the software 42 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 38 and / or processing circuitry 36, causes the processor 38 and / or processing circuitry 36 to perform the processes described herein with respect to network node 16. For example, processing circuitry 36 of the network node 16 may include configuration unit 24 which is configured to perform one or more network node 16 functions described herein, including functions related to multiplexed transmissions of paging early indication.

[0103] The network node 16 may be composed of multiple distinct network entities (e.g., a NodeB entity and a RNC entity, or a BTS entity and a BSC entity, etc.), which may each have or utilize their own respective physical components. In certain scenarios in which the network node 16 comprises multiple such entities (e.g., BTS and BSC), one or more of the separate entities may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 16 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memories 40 or portions of memory 40 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna may be shared by different RATs). The network node 16 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 16, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, Wi-Fi (e.g., according to an IEEE 802.11 family standard), Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within network node 16.

[0104] In certain alternative embodiments, network node 16 may be capable of wireless communication but does not include separate radio front-end circuitry, instead, the processing circuitry 36 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 34. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF receivers, transmitters and / or transceivers are part of the radio interface 30. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 29 includes one or more ports or terminals, the radio interface 30, and the RF receiver, transmitter and / or transceiver, and the communication interface 31 communicates with baseband processing circuitry, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0105] The antenna 34 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 34 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry in radio interface 30 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving dataand / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 34 is separate from the network node 16 and connectable to the network node 16 through one or more interfaces or ports.

[0106] Core network node 15 can include one or more components described above with respect to network node 16, e.g., communication interface 29, radio interface 30, antenna 34, ports, processing circuitry 36, processor 38, memory 40 and software 42. These elements of core network node 15 can be arranged such that core network node 15 can perform various core network functions. Core network node 15 can communicate wirelessly or via a wired connection with network nodes 16 via communication link 59.

[0107] The communication system 10 further includes the UE 22 already referred to. The UE 22 may have hardware 44 that may include a radio interface 46 configured to set up and maintain a wireless connection 32 with a network node 16 serving a coverage area 18 in which the UE 22 is currently located. The radio interface 46 may be formed as or may include, for example, one or more RF transmitters, one or more RF receivers, and / or one or more RF transceivers. The radio interface 46 includes an array of antennas 48 to radiate and receive signal(s) carrying electromagnetic waves.

[0108] Communication functions of the radio interface 46 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication (e.g., according to an IEEE 802.11 family standard), LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / intemet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0109] The hardware 44 of the UE 22 further includes processing circuitry 50. The processing circuitry 50 may include a processor 52 and memory 54. In particular, in addition to or instead of a processor, such as a central processing unit, and memory, the processing circuitry 50 may comprise integrated circuitry for processing and / or control, e.g., one or more processors and / or processor cores and / or FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array) and / or ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuitry) adapted to execute instructions. The processor 52 may be configured to access (e.g., write to and / or read from) memory 54, which may comprise any kind of volatile and / or nonvolatile memory, e.g., cache and / or buffer memory and / or RAM (Random Access Memory) and / or ROM (Read-Only Memory) and / or optical memory and / or EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory).Thus, the UE 22 may further comprise software 56, which is stored in, for example, memory 54 at the UE 22, or stored in external memory (e.g., database, storage array, network storage device, etc.) accessible by the UE 22. The software 56 may be executable by the processing circuitry 50. The software 56 may include a client application 58. The client application 58 may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via the UE 22.

[0110] The processing circuitry 50 may be configmed to control any of the methods and / or processes described herein and / or to cause such methods, and / or processes to be performed, e.g., by UE 22. The processor 52 corresponds to one or more processors 52 for performing UE 22 functions described herein. The UE 22 includes memory 54 that is configured to store data, programmatic software code and / or other information described herein. In some embodiments, the software 56 and / or the client application 58 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 52 and / or processing circuitry 50, causes the processor 52 and / or processing circuitry 50 to perform the processes described herein with respect to UE 22. For example, the processing circuitry 50 of the user equipment 22 may include implementation unit 26 which is configured to perform one or more UE 22 functions described herein, including functions related to multiplexed transmissions of paging early indication.

[0111] In some embodiments, the inner workings of the network node 16 and UE 22 may be as shown in FIG. 6 and independently, the surrounding network topology may be that of FIG. 5.

[0112] The wireless connection 32 between the UE 22 and the network node 16 is in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. More precisely, the teachings of some of these embodiments may improve the data rate, latency, and / or power consumption and thereby provide benefits such as reduced user waiting time, relaxed restriction on file size, better responsiveness, extended battery lifetime, etc. In some embodiments, a measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency and other factors on which the one or more embodiments improve.

[0113] Although FIGS. 5 and 6 show various “units” such as configuration unit 24 and implementation unit 26 as being within a respective processor, it is contemplated that these units may be implemented such that a portion of the unit is stored in a corresponding memory within the processing circuitry. In other words, the units may be implemented in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software within the processing circuitry.

[0114] FIG. 7 is another example of a communication system 10 according to some embodiments. As used herein, the communication system 10 of FIG. 7 includes multiple access points (APs) 60 (with four example APs 60a, 60b, 60c, and 60d being depicted) and multiple wireless devices, referred to in the context of communication system 10 of FIG. 7 as stations (ST As) 62 (referred to individually as STA 62a, STA 62b, STA 62c, STA 62d, and STA 62e). STA 62a is served by AP 60a in a first basic service set (BSS) 64a. STA 60b and STA 60c are served by AP 60b in a second BSS, BSS 64b. STA 62d is served by AP 60c in a third BSS, BSS 64c. STA 62e is served by AP60d in a fourth BSS, BSS 64d. Stations 62 may be non-AP STAs and correspond to various kinds of wireless devices, for example, user terminals, such as mobile or stationary computing devices like smartphones, laptop computers, desktop computers, tablet computers, gaming devices, headmounted displays (HMDs) for Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR), or the like, including UEs 22 that are shown and described with respect to FIGS. 5 and 6. In other words, in some embodiment, STA 62 is a UE 22. Further, stations 62 could, for example, correspond to other kinds of equipment like smart home devices, printers, multimedia devices, data storage devices, or the like.

[0115] Each of STAs 62 may connect through a radio link to one of APs 60. For example, depending on location or channel conditions experienced by a given STA 62, the STA may select an appropriate AP and BSS for establishing the radio link. The radio link may be based on one or more orthogonal frequency -division multiplexing (OFDM) carriers from a frequency spectrum that is shared on the basis of a contention-based mechanism, e.g., an unlicensed or license exempt band like 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band, the 5 GHz band, the 6 GHz band, or the 60 GHz band.

[0116] Each AP 60 may provide data connectivity to STAs 62 connected to a particular AP 60. As illustrated, APs 60 may be connected to a data network 66. In this way, APs 60 may also provide data connectivity between STAs 62 and other entities, e.g., to one or more servers, service providers, data sources, data sinks, user terminals, or the like. Accordingly, the radio link established between a given STA 62 and its serving AP 60 may be used for providing various kinds of services to STA 62, e.g., a voice service, a multimedia service, or other data service. Such services may be based on applications that are executed on STA 62 and / or on a device linked to STA 62. By way of example, FIG. 7 illustrates an application service platform 68 provided in data network 66. The application(s) executed on STA 62 and / or on one or more other devices linked to STA 62 may use the radio link for data communication with one or more other STA 62 and / or the application service platform 68, thereby enabling utilization of the corresponding service(s) at STA 62.

[0117] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an example process in a network node 16 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more blocks described herein may be performed by one or more elements of network node 16 such as by one or more of processing circuitry 36 (including the configuration unit 24), processor 38, and / or radio interface 30. Network node 16 is configured to transmit (Block SI 00) a configuration associated with a second paging early indication, PEI, that is multiplexed with a first PEI, as described herein. Network node 16 is configured to communicate (Block SI 02) with the UE 22 based on the configuration, as described herein.In some embodiments, a starting position of one or both of a paging indication field associated with the second PEI and a tracking reference signal, TRS, field associated with the second PEI is indicated by a higher layer parameter.

[0118] In some embodiments, the configuration comprises an indication that the second paging PEI is multiplexed with the first paging PEI.

[0119] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of an example process in a user equipment 22 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. One or more blocks described herein may be performed by one or more elements of user equipment 22 such as by one or more of processing circuitry 50 (including the implementation unit 26), processor 52, and / or radio interface 46. UE 22 is configured to receive (Block SI 04) a configuration associated with a second paging early indication, PEI, that is multiplexed with a first PEI, as described herein. UE 22 is configured to communicate (Block SI 06) with the network node 16 based on the configuration, as described herein.

[0120] In some embodiments, a starting position of one or both of a paging indication field associated with the second PEI and a tracking reference signal, TRS, field associated with the second PEI is indicated by a higher layer parameter.

[0121] In some embodiments, the configuration comprises an indication that the second paging PEI is multiplexed with the first paging PEI.

[0122] Having described the general process flow of some arrangements of the disclosure and having provided examples of hardware and software arrangements for implementing the processes and functions of the disclosure, the sections below provide details and examples of arrangements for transmissions of paging early indication.

[0123] Described herein are features in the NW (e.g., network node) for a flexible DCI-based PEI configuration and transmission occasions for UEs / POs where a Rel-19 PEI content configuration and transmission enables superimposing (multiplexing) of the Rel-19 PEI with a legacy PEI without affecting legacy UEs.

[0124] Benefits of various embodiments include reduced network energy consumption without impact on legacy UEs and enhanced PEI functionality for UEs monitoring Rel-19 PEI.

[0125] In some embodiments, in addition to the legacy (3 GPP Release 17 (Rel-17)) PEI configuration parameters, a separate set of configuration parameters are introduced for configuration of the Rel-19 PEI including one or more of the following parameters:

[0126] • po-NumPerPEI-rl9

[0127] • payloadSizeDCI-2-7-rl9

[0128] • pei-FrameOffset-rl9

[0129] • subgroupsNumPerPO-rl9

[0130] • subgroupsNumForUEID-rl9

[0131] • firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-O-R 19• pei-SearchSpace-R19

[0132] • nrofCandidates-PEI-R19

[0133] In some embodiments, in addition to the legacy (Rel-17) PEI configmation parameters, a separate set of configmation parameters are introduced for configuration of the Rel-19 PEI including one or more of:

[0134] • pei-FrameOffset-rl9

[0135] • firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-O-R 19

[0136] Further, some of the other configuration parameters from the Rel-17 are reused, such as one or more of the following:

[0137] • po-NumPerPEI

[0138] • payloadSizeDCI-2-7

[0139] • subgroupsNumPerPO

[0140] • subgroupsNumForUEID

[0141] • pei-SearchSpace

[0142] • nrofCandidates-PEI

[0143] The parameters listed above are replicas of their Rel-17 counterparts and may have same meaning as used in Rel-17, e.g. as specified in 3GPP TS 38.331-iOO. As such, the Rel-19 PEI can be configured separately from the Rel-17 PEI. If the NW (e.g., via network node 16) intends to transmit separate PEIs for the legacy and Rel-19 UEs (e.g., UE 22) respectively, it can configure the parameters above such that the occasion do not overlap in time. The separation of additional Rel-19 PEI transmission occasions from legacy ones can be achieved via different values (legacy vs Rel-19) of PEI-PO-Offset and / or pei-SearchSpace (mc u&ingfirstPDCCPI-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-O) configuration.

[0144] In certain scenarios, if the information bits of both legacy and Rel-19 PEI fit into one single PEI DCI 2 7, the NW (e.g., via network node 16) may want to multiplex the two PEIs into one single DCI2 7 transmission. Multiplexing legacy and Rel-19 PEIs, when feasible, can facilitate conserving network energy, as it helps eliminate unnecessary PEI transmissions. As such, the NW configures (e.g., via network node 16) both the legacy and Rel-19 UEs (e.g., UE 22) with the same or at least partially in time overlapping pei-FrameOffset, pei-SearchSpace, po-NumPerPEI. In the overlapped occasions, both legacy and Rel-19 UEs may try to decode their associated DCI2 7.

[0145] In some embodiments, a UE 22 is configured to monitor paging according to a paging configuration. The UE 22 is further configured to monitor a paging early indication based on a paging early indication configuration associated with the paging configuration. The UE 22 monitors the paging early indication based on a downlink control information format, wherein the payload size of the downlink control information format is explicitly indicated by a higher layer parameter.

[0146] In some embodiments, when, e.g., few or no subgroups or few POs are used, the NW (e.g., via network node 16) utilizes the reserved bits in legacy PEI for Rel-19 NES-capable UEs. Asspecified, e.g., in 3GPP TS 38.212-i00 (7.3.1.3.8): “The size of DCI format 2 7 is indicated by the higher layer parameter payloadSizeDCI-2-7, according to Clause 10.4A of [3GPP TS 38.213], The number of information bits in format 2 7 is equal to or less than the pay load size of format 2 7. If the number of information bits in format 2 7 is less than the size of format 2 7, the remaining bits are reserved.”

[0147] However, since the optional TRS availability indication (up to 6 bits) appears at the end of DCI 2 7 (as shown in FIG. 3), Rel-19 NES-capable UEs (e.g., UE 22) are made aware of the specific information bits positions.

[0148] In at least one embodiment, the starting position of the Paging indication field (e.g., associated with the paging early indication) within the DCI format is explicitly indicated by a higher layer parameter (e.g., positionInDCI_paging_field). When the UE 22 detects a paging early indication associated with its subgroup indicating the UE 22 to wake-up, the UE 22 monitors the associated paging occasion. Otherwise, the UE 22 may skip monitoring of the associated paging occasion.

[0149] In at least one embodiment, the starting position of a TRS indication field (e.g., associated with the paging early indication) within the DCI format is explicitly indicated by a higher layer parameter (e.g. positionlnDCI TRS field).

[0150] FIG. 10 illustrates an example paging indication field.

[0151] In at least one embodiment, the Rel-19 UE (e.g., UE 22) is instead provided a combined parameter (e.g., positionInDCI_TRS_paging_field) pointing at the starting point of TRS availability indication field. Based on a separate higher layer configuration related to TRS, the UE knows how many bits are used for TRS availability, and after those bits the Rel-19 UE assumes to find the Paging indication field.

[0152] Note that in the above embodiments, the UE 22 is not necessarily aware of the multiplexing, but may just follow the configuration for receiving DCI2 7. See, for example the two scenarios below. In a first example, illustrated in FIG. 11, the legacy and Rel-19 PEIs are multiplexed.

[0153] Whereas in the second example, illustrated in FIG. 12, the PEIs are not multiplexed, but based on provided configurations, the UEs 22 (legacy and Rel-19) still follow the same procedure for decoding their respective PEI DCIs.

[0154] In at least one embodiment, the UE 22 is not configured with specific bit positions of TRS availability or paging indication field. Instead, as shown in FIG. 13, it is informed that its PEI is multiplexed with the legacy PEI (e.g., a Boolean parameter indicating that multiplexing is set to TRUE). As such the UE 22 then reads the configuration of legacy PEI and derives the position of the TRS availability, and where the reserved bits start in the legacy PEI, and then assumes that the Rel-19 Paging indication field starts at the same position as the legacy reserved bits start.In at least one embodiment, no new parameters related to multiplexing are introduced (i.e., no configuration parameters related to bit positions in the PEI DCI). Instead, by implementation, the NW (e.g., via network node 16) multiplexes the legacy and the Rel-19 PEI by using the same pei-FrameOffset, pei-SearchSpace, po-NumPerPEI, and the same number of subgroups for both legacy and Rel-19 PEI. The network configures (e.g., via network node 16) different “placeholder” subgroups for legacy and Rel-19 UEs (e.g., UE 22) respectively, ensuring that UEs of one release are not assigned to the subgroups of the other. For example, four subgroups [1 - 4] are configured for both legacy and Rel-19 UEs (i.e., same subgroupsNumPerPO value), legacy UEs can then be assigned to subgroups 1 and 2, while Rel-19 UEs are assigned to subgroups 3 and 4, avoiding false invocations. This is illustrated in FIG. 14.

[0155] Figure 15 shows a method implemented in a user equipment, UE, that is configured to communicate with a network node. At step 1500, the method comprises receiving a first configuration associated with a first paging early indication, PEI, wherein the first configuration comprises a first set of parameters. The first configuration may be received from the network node. The first set of parameters comprises payloadSizeDCI-2-7, pei-FrameOffset, firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-O, subgroupsNumPerPO, and po-NumPerPEI. At step 1510, the method comprises receiving a second configuration associated with a second PEI, wherein the second configuration comprises a second set of one or more parameters comprising pei-FrameOffset-rl9. The second configuration may be received from the network node. The first configuration and the second configuration may be received at the same time. At step 1520, the method comprises monitoring for the second PEI based on the second set of one or more parameters and at least the parameter subgroupsNumPerPO from the first configuration.

[0156] In an embodiment, the second set of one or more parameters further comprise firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-O-r 19.

[0157] In an embodiment, the first set of parameters are Rel-17 parameters.

[0158] In an embodiment, the monitoring for the second PEI is based on a downlink control format, wherein the payload size of the downlink control information format is indicated by a higher layer parameter.

[0159] In an embodiment, the method further comprises receiving the second PEI.

[0160] In an embodiment, the second PEI is received in a downlink control information, DCI, format 2 7.

[0161] In an embodiment, when the parameter pei-FrameOffset-rl9 has the same value as the parameter pei-FrameOffset from the first configuration, the second PEI is multiplexed with the first PEI.

[0162] In an embodiment, the first PEI is associated with a second UE, wherein the UE is in a different one of the number of subgroups configured by subgroupsNumPerPO from the second UE.In an embodiment, a starting position of one or both of a paging indication field associated with the second PEI and a tracking reference signal, TRS, field associated with the second PEI is indicated by a higher layer parameter.

[0163] In an embodiment, the method further comprises receiving an indication that the second PEI is multiplexed with the first PEI.

[0164] In an embodiment, the first set of parameters further comprises pei-SearchSpace, and the monitoring for the second PEI further comprises monitoring for the second PEI based on the second set of one or more parameters and the parameters subgroupsNumPerPO and pei-SearchSpace from the first configuration.

[0165] Figure 16 shows a method implemented in a network node that is configured to communicate with a user equipment, UE. At step 1600, the method comprises transmitting a first configuration associated with a first paging early indication, PEI, wherein the first configuration comprises a first set of parameters. The first configuration may be transmitted to the UE. The first set of parameters comprises payloadSizeDCI-2-7, pei-FrameOffset, firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-O, subgroupsNumPerPO, and po-NumPerPEI. At step 1610, the method comprises transmitting a second configuration associated with a second PEI, wherein the second configuration comprises a second set of one or more parameters comprising pei-FrameOffset-rl9. The second configuration may be transmitted to the UE. At step 1620, the method comprises transmitting the second PEI based on the second set of one or more parameters and the parameter subgroupsNumPerPO from the first configuration. The second PEI may be transmitted to the UE.

[0166] In an embodiment, the method further comprises transmitting the first PEI based on the first configuration, i.e. based on the first set of parameters.

[0167] In an embodiment, the method comprises multiplexing the first PEI and the second PEI. In an embodiment, when the parameter pei-FrameOffset-rl9 has the same value as the parameter pei-FrameOffset from the first configuration, the second PEI is multiplexed with the first PEI.

[0168] In an embodiment, the method further comprises assigning a second UE monitoring PEI according to the first configuration to a first subgroup of the number of subgroups configured by subgroupsNumPerPO, and assigning the UE which receives the second PEI to a different one of the number of subgroups configured by subgroupsNumPerPO from the second UE.

[0169] In an embodiment, the method further comprises transmitting a higher layer parameter indicating a starting position of one or both of a paging indication field associated with the second PEI and a tracking reference signal, TRS, field associated with the second PEI.

[0170] In an embodiment, the second configuration comprises an indication that the second PEI is multiplexed with the first PEI.

[0171] In an embodiment, the second set of one or more parameters further comprise firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-O-r 19.In an embodiment, the first set of parameters are Rel-17 parameters.

[0172] In an embodiment, the second PEI is transmitted based on a downlink control format, wherein the method further comprises indicating a pay load size of the downlink control information format in a higher layer parameter.

[0173] In an embodiment, the second PEI is transmitted in a downlink control information, DCI, format 2 7.

[0174] In an embodiment, the first set of parameters further comprises pei-SearchSpace, and the monitoring for the second PEI further comprises monitoring for the second PEI based on the second set of one or more parameters and the parameters subgroupsNumPerPO and pei-SearchSpace from the first configuration.

[0175] As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the concepts described herein may be embodied as a method, data processing system, computer program product and / or computer storage media storing an executable computer program. Accordingly, the concepts described herein may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects all generally referred to herein as a “circuit” or “module.” Any process, step, action and / or functionality described herein may be performed by, and / or associated to, a corresponding module, which may be implemented in software and / or firmware and / or hardware. Furthermore, the disclosure may take the form of a computer program product on a tangible computer usable storage medium having computer program code embodied in the medium that can be executed by a computer. Any suitable tangible computer readable medium may be utilized including hard disks, CD-ROMs, electronic storage devices, optical storage devices, or magnetic storage devices.

[0176] Some embodiments are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, systems and computer program products. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer (to thereby create a special purpose computer), special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0177] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable memory or storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means which implement the function / act specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions / acts specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram block or blocks.

[0178] It is to be understood that the functions / acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the operational illustrations. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality / acts involved. Although some of the diagrams include arrows on communication paths to show a primary direction of communication, it is to be understood that communication may occur in the opposite direction to the depicted arrows.

[0179] Computer program code for carrying out operations of the concepts described herein may be written in an object oriented programming language such as Python, Java® or C++. However, the computer program code for carrying out operations of the disclosure may also be written in conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

[0180] Many different embodiments have been disclosed herein, in connection with the above description and the drawings. It will be understood that it would be unduly repetitious and obfuscating to literally describe and illustrate every combination and subcombination of these embodiments. Accordingly, all embodiments can be combined in any way and / or combination, and the present specification, including the drawings, shall be construed to constitute a complete written description of all combinations and subcombinations of the embodiments described herein, and of the manner and process of making and using them, and shall support claims to any such combination or subcombination.

[0181] Abbreviations that may be used in the preceding description include:

[0182] Abbreviation Explanation

[0183] DCI Downlink control information

[0184] DRX Discontinuous reception

[0185] DTX Discontinuous transmission

[0186] NR New radio

[0187] NW NetworkPDCCH Physical downlink control channel

[0188] PDSCH Physical downlink shared channel

[0189] PEI Paging Early Indication

[0190] RAN Radio access network

[0191] RRC Radio resource control

[0192] SEP Standard essential patent

[0193] SSB Synchronization signal block

[0194] T / F Time / frequency

[0195] TX Transmit

[0196] UE User equipment

[0197] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein are not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings.

[0198] Embodiments:

[0199] Embodiment Al. A method implemented in a user equipment (UE) that is configured to communicate with a network node, the method comprising:

[0200] receiving a configuration associated with a first paging early indication, PEI, that is multiplexed with a second PEI; and

[0201] communicating with the network node based on the configuration.

[0202] Embodiment A2. The method of Embodiment Al, wherein a starting position of one or both of a paging indication field associated with the first PEI and a tracking reference signal, TRS, field associated with the first PEI is indicated by a higher layer parameter.

[0203] Embodiment A3. The method of Embodiment Al, wherein the configuration comprises an indication that the first paging PEI is multiplexed with the second paging PEI.

[0204] Embodiment Bl. A user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a network node, the UE configured to, and / or comprising a radio interface and / or processing circuitry configured to:

[0205] receive a configuration associated with a first paging early indication, PEI, that is multiplexed with a second PEI; and

[0206] communicate with the network node based on the configuration.Embodiment B2. The UE of Embodiment Bl, wherein a starting position of one or both of a paging indication field associated with the first PEI and a tracking reference signal, TRS, field associated with the first PEI is indicated by a higher layer parameter.

[0207] Embodiment B3. The UE of Embodiment Bl, wherein the configuration comprises an indication that the first paging PEI is multiplexed with the second paging PEI.

[0208] Embodiment Cl. A method implemented in a network node that is configured to communicate with a user equipment, the method comprising:

[0209] transmitting a configuration associated with a first paging early indication, PEI, that is multiplexed with a second PEI; and

[0210] communicating with the UE based on the configuration.

[0211] Embodiment C2. The method of Embodiment Cl, wherein a starting position of one or both of a paging indication field associated with the first PEI and a tracking reference signal, TRS, field associated with the first PEI is indicated by a higher layer parameter.

[0212] Embodiment C3. The method of Embodiment Cl, wherein the configuration comprises an indication that the first paging PEI is multiplexed with the second paging PEI.

[0213] Embodiment DI. A network node configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE), the network node configured to, and / or comprising a radio interface and / or comprising processing circuitry configured to:

[0214] transmit a configuration associated with a first paging early indication, PEI, that is multiplexed with a second PEI; and

[0215] communicate with the UE based on the configuration.

[0216] Embodiment D2. The network node of Embodiment DI, wherein a starting position of one or both of a paging indication field associated with the first PEI and a tracking reference signal, TRS, field associated with the first PEI is indicated by a higher layer parameter.

[0217] Embodiment D3. The network node of Embodiment DI, wherein the configuration comprises an indication that the first paging PEI is multiplexed with the second paging PEI.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method implemented in a user equipment, UE, that is configured to communicate with a network node, the method comprising:receiving (1500) a first configuration associated with a first paging early indication, PEI; wherein the first configuration comprises a first set of parameters, the first set of parameters comprising:payloadSizeDCI-2-7pei-FrameOffsetfirstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-OsubgroupsNumPerPOpo-NumPerPEI;receiving (1510) a second configuration associated with a second PEI; wherein the second configuration comprises a second set of one or more parameters, the second set of one or more parameters comprising:pei-FrameOffset-rl9; andmonitoring (1520) for the second PEI based on the second set of one or more parameters and at least the parameter subgroupsNumPerPO from the first configuration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more parameters further comprises : firstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-O-r 19.

3. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the first set of parameters are Rel-17 parameters.

4. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the monitoring (1520) for the second PEI is based on a downlink control format; wherein the pay load size of the downlink control information format is indicated by a higher layer parameter.

5. The method of any preceding claim, further comprising receiving the second PEI.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second PEI is received in a downlink control information, DCI, format 2 7.

7. The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein, when the parameter pei-FrameOffset-rl9 has the same value as the parameter pei-FrameOffset from the first configuration, the second PEI is multiplexed with the first PEI.

258. The method of claim 7, wherein the first PEI is associated with a second UE; wherein the UE is in a different one of the number of subgroups configured by subgroupsNumPerPO from the second UE.

9. The method of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein a starting position of one or both of a paging indication field associated with the second PEI and a tracking reference signal, TRS, field associated with the second PEI is indicated by a higher layer parameter.

10. The method of any of claims 1 to 7, further comprising receiving an indication that the second PEI is multiplexed with the first PEI.

11. The method of any preceding claim, wherein the first set of parameters further comprises pei-SearchSpace; and wherein the monitoring (1520) for the second PEI further comprises: monitoring for the second PEI based on the second set of one or more parameters and the parameters subgroupsNumPerPO and pei-SearchSpace from the first configuration.

12. A method implemented in a network node that is configured to communicate with a user equipment, UE, the method comprising:transmitting (1600) a first configuration associated with a first paging early indication, PEI; wherein the first configuration comprises a first set of parameters, the first set of parameters comprising:payloadSizeDCI-2-7pei-FrameOffsetfirstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-OsubgroupsNumPerPOpo-NumPerPEI;transmitting (1610) an additional configuration associated with a second PEI; wherein the additional configuration comprises a second set of one or more parameters, the second set of one or more parameters comprising:pei-FrameOffset-rl9; andtransmitting (1620) the second PEI based on the second set of one or more parameters and the parameter subgroupsNumPerPO from the first configuration.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting the first PEI based on the first configuration.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising, when the parameter pei-FrameOffset-rl9 has the same value as the parameter pei-FrameOffset from the first configuration, multiplexing the first PEI and the second PEI.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: assigning a second UE monitoring for the first PEI according to the first configuration to a first subgroup of the number of subgroups configured by subgroupsNumPerPO; and assigning the UE which receives the second PEI to a different one of the number of subgroups configured by subgroupsNumPerPO from the second UE.

16. The method of any of claims 12 to 14, further comprising transmitting a higher layer parameter indicating a starting position of one or both of a paging indication field associated with the second PEI and a tracking reference signal, TRS, field associated with the second PEI.

17. The method of any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the second configuration comprises an indication that the second PEI is multiplexed with the first PEI.

18. A user equipment, UE, configured to communicate with a network node, the UE configured to:receive a first configuration associated with a first paging early indication, PEI; wherein the first configuration comprises a first set of parameters, the first set of parameters comprising:payloadSizeDCI-2-7pei-FrameOffsetfirstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-OsubgroupsNumPerPOpo-NumPerPEI;receive a second configuration associated with a second PEI; wherein the second configuration comprises a second set of one or more parameters, the second set of one or more parameters comprising:pei-FrameOffset-rl9; andmonitor for the second PEI based on the second set of one or more parameters and at least the parameter subgroupsNumPerPO from the first configuration.

19. The UE of claim 18, wherein the UE is further configured to perform the method of any of claims 2 to 11.

20. A network node configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE), the network node configured to:transmit a first configuration associated with a first paging early indication, PEI; wherein the first configuration comprises a first set of parameters, the first set of parameters comprising:payloadSizeDCI-2-7pei-FrameOffsetfirstPDCCH-MonitoringOccasionOfPEI-OsubgroupsNumPerPOpo-NumPerPEI;transmit an additional configuration associated with a second PEI; wherein the additional configuration comprises a second set of one or more parameters, the second set of one or more parameters comprising:pei-FrameOffset-rl9; andtransmit the second PEI based on the second set of one or more parameters and the parameter subgroupsNumPerPO from the first configuration.

21. The network node of claim 20, wherein the network node is further configured to perform the method of any of claims 13 to 17.

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