Cell DTX Scheduling for UE Power Efficiency

Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless communication standards face challenges in managing UE power efficiency during idle modes, as UEs in inactive states cannot determine if a cell is active upon waking up, leading to potential service disruptions and power wastage due to reselection of cells, and existing techniques like cell barring are limited in duration and do not allow UEs to know if a cell is active during DTX OFF periods.

Innovation Solution

The solution involves base stations advertising their operational schedules, including DTX ON and OFF periods, allowing UEs to decide whether to camp on a cell based on overlapping ON periods, and adjusting operational schedules to enable battery-efficient operation during OFF periods, thereby optimizing UE power usage and service performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If base station operates during DTX OFF periods, then service availability is maintained, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice availabilityVSAvoidbase station energy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The base station transmits operational schedule information in advance, allowing UEs to pre-determine whether to camp on the cell during OFF periods. This preliminary information sharing enables UEs to make informed decisions about camping and power management before the actual service interaction occurs, resolving the contradiction by allowing the base station to remain OFF when no UEs need service.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

UEs use the operational schedule information received from the base station to determine their own ON/OFF periods and camping decisions. This feedback mechanism allows the system to dynamically adjust base station operation based on actual UE needs, enabling energy savings during OFF periods while maintaining service availability when required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If UE camps on cell during DTX OFF period, then service access is possible, but power efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice accessVSAvoidUE power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The base station transmits operational schedule information in advance, allowing UEs to pre-determine whether to camp on the cell during OFF periods. This preliminary information sharing enables UEs to make informed decisions about camping and power management before the actual service interaction occurs, resolving the contradiction by allowing the base station to remain OFF when no UEs need service.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

UEs autonomously use the operational schedule information to determine their own camping decisions and power management strategies. Each UE independently evaluates whether camping on the cell during an OFF period is beneficial based on the received schedule information, enabling self-service power efficiency without requiring continuous network control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Loss of energy

If cell barring is used to manage DTX periods, then base station power saving is achieved, but UE camping decision capability is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebase station power consumptionVSAvoidUE camping decision capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The operational schedule information acts as an intermediary between the base station and UE, providing detailed timing information about when the base station will be ON or OFF. This intermediary mechanism replaces the crude cell barring approach with a more sophisticated information-sharing system that enables UEs to make informed camping decisions while still allowing base station power savings during OFF periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The base station transmits operational schedule information in advance, allowing UEs to pre-determine whether to camp on the cell during OFF periods. This preliminary information sharing enables UEs to make informed decisions about camping and power management before the actual service interaction occurs, resolving the contradiction by allowing the base station to remain OFF when no UEs need service.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3498044B1Methods and apparatus for cell discontinuous transmission (DTX) scheduling

Publication Date: 2023.07.26 QUALCOMM INC

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

AI summary

Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatus for cell DTX (Discontinuous Transmission) scheduling. A Base Station (BS) determines an operational schedule for the BS including at least one ON period and at least one OFF period, wherein the BS provides a reduced level of service during the at least one OFF period relative to the at least one ON period. The BS transmits the determined operational schedule. A User Equipment (UE) receives the BSs operational schedule and determines, based on the BSs operational schedule and its own operational schedule also including ON and OFF periods, whether to perform at least one service associated with the BS.