DRX Paging Wake-Up Signaling With Multiplexed Paging Indicators

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Solution Overview

Problem

Paging reception in wireless devices operating in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode leads to significant power consumption due to unnecessary synchronization and channel processing, particularly when not paged, and existing solutions introduce latency penalties.

Innovation Solution

A network node multiplexes paging indicators across multiple paging occasions, using existing downlink control channel transmissions to provide wake-up signals for wireless devices, allowing them to skip unnecessary synchronization and channel processing when not paged.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If wireless devices perform synchronization and channel processing at every paging occasion in DRX mode, then paging reception reliability is improved, but power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepaging reception reliabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The network node transmits wake-up signals before the actual paging occasion to indicate whether paging will be transmitted. The wireless device performs synchronization and channel processing only after receiving a wake-up signal, avoiding unnecessary processing when no paging is present. This preliminary indication mechanism allows the device to skip power-consuming operations when not needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The wake-up signal functionality is extracted from the main paging message and transmitted separately in advance. This separation allows the device to receive a lightweight indication (the wake-up signal) without fully processing the complete paging procedure, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining the ability to receive actual paging messages when necessary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Use of energy by moving object

If wake-up signals are transmitted separately from existing downlink control channel transmissions, then wireless devices can wake up only when necessary reducing power consumption, but network signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidnetwork signaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The wake-up signal is merged with existing downlink control channel transmissions by utilizing reserved bits in the downlink control information (DCI) format. Specifically, reserved bits in DCI format 1_0 or 1_1 are used to carry wake-up signal indications. This merging approach allows the wake-up signal to be transmitted without requiring separate dedicated resources, thereby avoiding additional signaling overhead while still enabling power-saving functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Use of energy by moving object

If wireless devices skip synchronization and channel processing when not paged, then power consumption is reduced, but latency increases due to unnecessary wake-up preparations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidpaging latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The wake-up signal is transmitted at a configured offset before the paging occasion, providing just enough advance notice for the device to prepare minimally if needed. This preliminary indication with optimized timing allows the device to avoid full synchronization and channel processing when no paging is present, while still being ready to receive paging messages promptly when indicated, thus balancing power savings with latency requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Productivity

If multiple paging occasions are configured per DRX cycle, then paging capacity is improved, but synchronization overhead increases for wireless devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepaging capacityVSAvoidsynchronization overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The paging capacity is segmented across multiple paging occasions within a DRX cycle, allowing different groups of devices to be paged at different times. The wake-up signal mechanism is applied selectively at these segmented paging occasions, enabling devices to skip synchronization and channel processing at occasions where no paging is intended for them, thereby reducing overall synchronization overhead while maintaining high paging capacity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12550063B2Efficient wake-up-signal provision for wireless devices in discontinuous reception

Publication Date: 2026.02.10 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

A method, network node and wireless device (WD) for efficient wake up signal provisioning for WDs in discontinuous reception are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method includes at a first paging occasion (PO) in which the network node transmits paging-related downlink control information to a first group of WDs, multiplexing paging indicators related to one or more POs to be monitored by a WD belonging to a second group of WDs.