Adaptive DRX Timer for High Mobility UE Power Saving
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional DRX mechanisms in 4G/5G networks fail to provide efficient power saving for user equipment (UE) with high mobility, leading to battery drainage due to frequent handovers and inability to transition to RRC-IDLE mode, especially in dense network environments.
Innovation Solution
Customization of the RRC CONNECTION RECONFIGURATION message by adjusting the drx-InactivityTimer based on the UE's mobility speed and network density, incorporating new fields in the HANDOVER REQUEST message to optimize DRX operation, allowing the UE to spend less time connected to each cell before handover, thereby enhancing power savings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the UE uses conventional DRX mechanisms with fixed drx-InactivityTimer values, then the network can maintain simple timer management, but the UE cannot achieve efficient power saving during frequent handovers in high mobility scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the drx-InactivityTimer value adaptive rather than fixed. The timer is dynamically adjusted based on the UE's mobility state and handover frequency, allowing the system to transition from static conventional DRX to dynamic context-aware DRX that responds to changing network conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of drx-InactivityTimer from a fixed network-wide value to a UE-specific value that varies based on mobility characteristics. This parameter change enables the system to optimize power saving by adjusting the timer duration according to actual handover patterns and UE behavior.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the UE remains in DRX mode during handovers, then power saving is improved, but the UE cannot complete handover procedures and data transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the network predict handover events and pre-adjust the drx-InactivityTimer before the actual handover occurs. The network monitors UE mobility patterns and proactively modifies timer values to ensure the UE wakes up in time for handover procedures, balancing power saving with handover reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the network continuously monitors UE handover behavior and DRX performance, then uses this information to adjust the drx-InactivityTimer values. This closed-loop feedback allows the system to learn from actual handover patterns and optimize timer configuration to ensure reliable handovers while maintaining power saving.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the drx-InactivityTimer is set to a large value, then the UE can stay connected longer and reduce handovers, but the UE cannot quickly respond to network changes and mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the drx-InactivityTimer dynamic by adjusting it based on real-time UE mobility detection. When the network detects high mobility or frequent handovers, it reduces the timer value to enable faster response. When mobility is low, the timer is extended to maximize power saving, creating a dynamic balance between response speed and energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the timer parameter from a static large value to a variable value that adapts to network conditions. The system monitors handover frequency and UE mobility patterns, then adjusts the drx-InactivityTimer accordingly, allowing it to be large when stability is achieved and small when rapid handovers are needed, optimizing both power saving and responsiveness.
4Ease of manufacture
If the network uses a single drx-InactivityTimer value for all UEs, then the network configuration is simple, but high mobility UEs cannot achieve optimal power saving
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by customizing the drx-InactivityTimer value for each UE based on its specific mobility characteristics and handover patterns. Instead of a uniform network-wide setting, the system tailors the timer duration to individual UE behavior, enabling optimal power saving for high mobility UEs while maintaining simplicity in the overall network configuration framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the network configuration from a single fixed parameter to a flexible parameter system that adapts to individual UE needs. The network continues to use a manageable set of timer values but dynamically assigns them based on UE mobility detection, achieving personalized power saving without complex configuration management.
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, detecting a transit speed of a device, resulting in a detected transit speed; responsive to the detected transit speed satisfying a first threshold, including information in a message related to a handover request between a first access point of a network and a second access point of the network, the information being indicative of an amount of time that the device has been in a Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode; and sending, to the first access point with which the device communicates and is transitioning away from, the message including the information that is indicative of the amount of time that the device has been in the DRX mode. Other embodiments are disclosed.