Cellular IoT Wake-Up Signaling for Low-Latency Battery Saving

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing 5G devices face challenges in balancing battery life and low latency, particularly for IoT devices with non-rechargeable batteries, as current power-saving mechanisms like eDRX cycles result in high latency and inefficient power consumption.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a low-power wake-up signal (LP-WUS) to selectively wake up UEs for synchronization and paging, using group IDs and additional PO configurations to minimize latency and power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If eDRX cycles are used for power saving, then battery life is extended, but latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery lifeVSAvoidlatency

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The network sends a wake-up signal to the UE before the actual paging occasion occurs. This preliminary action allows the UE to prepare for wake-up in advance, reducing the actual latency while still maintaining extended sleep periods for power saving. The wake-up signal triggers the UE to activate its receiver and prepare for incoming data, bridging the gap between long sleep cycles and low latency requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of time

If UEs continuously monitor for paging, then latency is reduced, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovelatencyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous monitoring, the UE periodically wakes up at scheduled paging occasions and uses wake-up signals to determine whether full activation is needed. This periodic approach with conditional activation based on wake-up signals significantly reduces power consumption while maintaining responsiveness. The UE only fully activates its communication stack when the wake-up signal indicates actual paging data is forthcoming.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Loss of time

If wake-up signals are sent to all UEs, then latency is reduced, but network overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovelatencyVSAvoidnetwork overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The network divides UEs into different groups and sends targeted wake-up signals to specific groups rather than all UEs. Each wake-up signal contains group identification information, allowing the network to efficiently address only the relevant subset of UEs that need to be woken up. This segmentation approach reduces network overhead by eliminating unnecessary wake-up signals to UEs that have no pending data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20260032696A1Systems and methods for cellular internet of things (IOT)

Publication Date: 2026.01.29 ZTE CORP

AI summary

Presented are systems and methods for cellular Internet of things (IoT). A wireless communication device may receive a signal from a wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may determine that information carried in the signal matches specific information. The wireless communication device may transition a radio from sleep state to wake-up state in response to the determination.