Aligning DRX Cycles for Downlink and D2D Power Savings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication networks face challenges in aligning Discontinuous Reception (DRX) cycles for downlink (DL) and device-to-device (D2D) communication, leading to misalignment and inefficient power usage, particularly in NR technology where DL DRX cycles are defined in absolute time while D2D DRX cycles are based on a subset of physical slots.
Innovation Solution
Configuring DRX cycles such that each time period contains an integer number of DL DRX cycles and D2D DRX cycles, with the length of the D2D DRX cycle defined in terms of slots from a resource pool, ensuring alignment and optimizing power savings by maintaining consistent slot assignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If DRX cycles for DL and D2D communication are configured independently without alignment, then each communication type can be optimized separately, but misalignment occurs leading to increased active time and reduced power savings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the configuration of DL DRX cycle and D2D DRX cycle by establishing a mathematical relationship between them. The D2D DRX cycle is configured as an integer multiple of the DL DRX cycle (Td2d = k * Tdl), ensuring that both communication types share a synchronized timing structure. This merging approach allows the UE to align its active periods for both DL and D2D communications, reducing the total active time and maximizing power savings opportunities.
2Stability of the object's composition
If D2D DRX cycle length is defined in terms of physical slots, then slot assignment consistency is improved, but alignment with DL DRX cycle becomes difficult due to subset of slots assigned to resource pools
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter definition approach by introducing a scaling factor k that relates D2D DRX cycle to DL DRX cycle. Instead of defining D2D DRX cycle independently in absolute time or slot count, the solution expresses it as Td2d = k * Tdl, where k is a positive integer. This parameter transformation simplifies the alignment process while maintaining slot assignment consistency, as the relationship ensures that D2D active periods align with DL active periods regardless of the specific slot subset assigned to D2D resource pools.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless communication device (10) configures a first discontinuous reception, DRX, cycle for downlink, DL, communication of the wireless communication device (10) with a wireless communication network. A length of the first DRX cycle is defined in terms of a number of slots in the time domain. Further, the wireless communication device (10) configures a second DRX cycle for device-to-device, D2D, communication performed on resources of at least one resource pool to which a subset of the slots is assigned. A length of the second DRX cycle is defined in terms of a number of the slots from the at least one resource pool. Further, the wireless communication device (10) sets the length of the first DRX cycle and the length of the second DRX cycle under the condition that, for consecutive time periods of fixed length, each time period contains an integer number of the first DRX cycles and an integer number of the second DRX cycles.