DRX Control Signaling for Power Management in Wireless Terminals
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mechanism in wireless communication is not flexible enough, especially in scenarios with a large number of users, leading to inefficient power management and increased power consumption in terminal devices.
Innovation Solution
The method involves indicating multiple pieces of DRX information to multiple terminal devices simultaneously, allowing each device to adjust its DRX configuration, parameters, and bandwidth part (BWP) usage, enabling optimized power management and resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the network device configures the terminal device with the DRX mechanism for periodic monitoring of the control channel in the on-duration, then power saving is achieved, but flexibility is insufficient especially in scenarios with a large number of users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the DRX configuration by introducing multiple BWPs (Bandwidth Parts) and associating each BWP with different DRX parameters. The network device can configure multiple BWPs for a terminal device, where each BWP has its own DRX configuration including on-duration, drx-InactivityTimer, and other parameters. This allows different DRX strategies to be applied to different service types or traffic patterns, thereby improving flexibility while maintaining power saving benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables dynamic switching between different BWPs, each with different DRX configurations. The network device can send BWP switching indications to the terminal device, allowing it to transition between BWPs with different DRX parameters based on current service requirements. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction by allowing the system to optimize between power saving and responsiveness depending on real-time conditions.
2Productivity
If multiple pieces of DRX information are indicated to multiple terminal devices simultaneously, then indication efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a universal BWP switching mechanism that serves multiple functions: it simultaneously indicates BWP changes, triggers DRX configuration updates, and conveys scheduling information. By making the BWP switching indication multi-functional, the system improves indication efficiency without proportionally increasing complexity, as the same signaling structure achieves multiple objectives.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the BWP switching indication with DRX configuration indication into a single signaling mechanism. Instead of separately signaling BWP changes and DRX parameter updates, the system combines these functions by associating DRX configurations with BWPs and triggering updates through BWP switching indications. This consolidation improves efficiency while managing complexity through unified signaling.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided in embodiments of the present application are a discontinuous reception (DRX) method, a terminal device and a network device, which may optimize a DRX mechanism, thereby further reducing power consumption. The method comprises: a first terminal device detecting a downlink control channel, the downlink control channel carrying m pieces of DRX information which are for m terminal devices respectively, the m terminal devices comprising the first terminal device, m being a positive integer, and each piece of DRX information among the m pieces of DRX information being used to indicate at least one of the following: a target BWP, a target DRX configuration, target DRX parameters and the duration during which a PDCCH is monitored within an active period of a DRX cycle.