Base Station DRX Scheduling for Throughput and Power Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

In high load scenarios, LTE networks experience throughput degradation due to overloading of control and shared data channels during discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles, particularly when UEs with aligned onDuration periods fail to decode scheduling assignments, leading to premature entry into DRX mode and increased power consumption.

Innovation Solution

Implementing scheduling policies at the base station to transmit scheduling assignments to UEs during the initial onDuration portion of the DRX cycle, followed by data transmissions within the same cycle, and using physical layer group signaling to differentiate UE traffic and behavior, thereby preventing immediate DRX entry and optimizing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If UEs with aligned onDuration periods monitor scheduling assignments during the initial onDuration portion of the DRX cycle, then system throughput is improved, but control channel loading increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem throughputVSAvoidcontrol channel loading

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The base station transmits scheduling assignments during the initial onDuration portion of the DRX cycle before UEs enter DRX mode. This preliminary transmission ensures UEs receive scheduling information in advance, allowing them to remain active and receive data transmissions during the DRX cycle, thereby improving system throughput while managing control channel loading.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts UE behavior based on received scheduling assignments. UEs that successfully decode scheduling assignments during onDuration are prevented from entering immediate DRX mode and remain active for data reception, while other UEs can enter DRX mode to save power. This dynamic adjustment optimizes the balance between throughput and control channel loading.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Use of energy by moving object

If UEs enter DRX mode immediately after onDuration, then power consumption is reduced, but data transmission efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveUE power consumptionVSAvoiddata transmission efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

UEs monitor for scheduling assignments transmitted by the base station during the onDuration portion of the DRX cycle. Based on this feedback, UEs that successfully decode scheduling assignments are prevented from entering immediate DRX mode and remain active for data reception, while other UEs can enter DRX mode to save power. This feedback mechanism optimizes the balance between power consumption and data transmission efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts UE activity state based on received scheduling information. UEs transition from DRX mode to active state when scheduling assignments are received, allowing efficient data transmission, while UEs without scheduled data can remain in or enter DRX mode to save power. This dynamic state adjustment resolves the contradiction between power saving and transmission efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Productivity

If scheduling assignments are transmitted to all UEs during onDuration, then more UEs remain active improving throughput, but control channel overloading worsens

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem throughputVSAvoidcontrol channel reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The base station transmits scheduling assignments to a subset of UEs during the onDuration portion of the DRX cycle rather than all UEs. This partial action prevents control channel overloading while still enabling sufficient UEs to remain active for data transmission, thereby maintaining system throughput without compromising control channel reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3178263B1Load power consumption management in discontinuous reception

Publication Date: 2018.10.03 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

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AI summary

An example method is disclosed that is implemented by a base station that supports a plurality of UEs configured to use DRX. The base station transmits respective individual scheduling assignments to each UE in a group of the UEs during an initial, on Duration portion of a DRX cycle, thereby preventing the group of UEs from immediately entering a DRX mode after the onDuration of the DRX cycle. For each UE in the group, the scheduling assignments schedule a respective first data transmission during the onDuration, and also schedule a respective second data transmission after the onDuration but within the DRX cycle. The base station transmits the scheduled first data transmissions during the onDuration of the DRX cycle, and transmits the scheduled second data transmissions after the onDuration but within the DRX cycle. For each UE in the group, its second data transmission includes more data than its first data transmission.