Broadcast Control Pointer for Wireless Device Battery Saving
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless devices in idle mode unnecessarily expend battery life while searching for downlink and uplink channel descriptors (DCD/UCD) as they roam into new paging groups, as they must monitor every frame until system broadcast information is detected, leading to increased power consumption.
Innovation Solution
Transmitting a Broadcast Control Pointer (BCP) during the paging listening interval between DCD/UCD transmissions, allowing devices to determine the exact frame for DCD/UCD information and reducing the time interval for searching, and using Mobility Neighbor Advertisement (MNA) messages to provide DCD/UCD information of neighboring cells during listening intervals, enabling devices to prepare for location updates before roaming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wireless devices monitor every frame to detect system broadcast information when roaming into new paging groups, then devices can reliably obtain DCD/UCD information, but battery power is unnecessarily consumed during idle mode
Solution Approach 1:
The base station transmits a pointer to the DCD/UCD information in advance during the paging listening interval, before the device needs to access the full broadcast information. This allows the device to prepare for location updates proactively without monitoring every frame, thereby maintaining reliability while reducing power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential pointer information (frame number and offset) from the complete system broadcast message and transmits it separately during the paging listening interval. This extraction allows devices to obtain the critical timing information without processing the entire broadcast message, reducing power consumption while ensuring reliable access to DCD/UCD information.
2Loss of time
If wireless devices wake up frequently to monitor network transmissions in idle mode, then devices can detect incoming traffic and system updates promptly, but battery life is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a periodic wake-up schedule where devices wake up at specific intervals defined by the pointer information to monitor for paging messages and system updates. This periodic action allows devices to balance between timely detection of incoming traffic and conserving battery life by sleeping during intervals when no updates are expected.
Solution Approach 2:
The pointer information acts as an intermediary that bridges the device's sleep mode and the network's broadcast schedule. By providing the exact frame number and offset where DCD/UCD information will be transmitted, the pointer allows devices to wake up precisely when needed without continuous monitoring, thus reducing power consumption while maintaining timely detection capability.
3Loss of information
If base stations transmit complete system broadcast information frequently, then wireless devices can obtain up-to-date network parameters, but network overhead and resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system broadcast information into two parts: (1) the pointer information containing frame number and offset, which is transmitted frequently during paging listening intervals, and (2) the complete DCD/UCD broadcast message, which is transmitted less frequently at the specified time. This segmentation allows devices to receive timely update notifications without the network bearing the overhead of frequent complete message transmissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The pointer information serves as a simplified copy or reference to the full DCD/UCD message. Instead of transmitting the complete broadcast information every time an update is available, the network transmits a compact pointer that references the full message location. Devices use this pointer to efficiently locate and retrieve the complete information only when necessary, reducing network overhead while maintaining information timeliness.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and information processing system for wirelessly transmitting at least one of a downlink channel descriptor and an uplink channel descriptor for reception by at least one wireless device (104). The method comprises selecting at least one transmission time for transmitting a pointer that indicates a transmission time for a DCD and/or a UCD. The pointer is transmitted at a time between a first transmission and a second transmission of the at least one of downlink channel descriptor and uplink channel descriptor. The transmission time is selected to reduce a time interval for the at least one wireless device (104) to search for the at least one of the DCD and UCD. Also, a message that includes DCD information and/or UCD information associated with at least one neighboring cell can also be chosen to transmit at specifically chosen times to the at least one wireless device (104).