DRX Timer Initialization via Channel Detection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In wireless communication systems, devices operating in discontinuous receive (DRX) mode with contention-based radio access technologies often experience wasted on-durations due to mismatched channel availability, leading to inefficiencies in power consumption and communication effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

User equipment (UE) implements downlink subframe detection and timer management to align DRX cycles with channel availability, initializing on-duration timers only when channels are successfully acquired, thereby optimizing resource activation and deactivation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If UE activates communication resources during configured on-durations in DRX mode, then the UE can receive communications from eNB, but the on-durations may be wasted when eNB cannot acquire channel in contention-based RAT

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication effectivenessVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The UE performs preliminary channel availability detection before activating communication resources. By detecting whether the channel is available (via CCA/eCCA indication) prior to entering on-duration, the UE avoids wasting power on activations that would result in no communication opportunity, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and energy loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from channel availability detection (CCA/eCCA results) to dynamically control DRX behavior. The UE receives feedback about channel status and adjusts its resource activation accordingly, ensuring that communication resources are only activated when the channel is actually available, thereby improving communication effectiveness while reducing unnecessary power consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of energy

If UE enters off duration before receiving all communications from eNB, then the UE can save power based on DRX mode parameters, but communications may be incomplete

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidcommunication completeness
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The UE performs preliminary detection of channel availability and eNB transmission status before entering off-duration. By checking whether the eNB has successfully acquired the channel and is ready to transmit, the UE can make informed decisions about when to deactivate resources, ensuring complete reception of communications while still achieving power savings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The UE uses feedback from monitoring channel status and eNB transmission indicators to dynamically adjust the timing of entering off-duration. This feedback mechanism ensures that the UE remains active long enough to receive complete communications when the eNB is transmitting, while still deactivating resources promptly when appropriate to save power.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If UE activates communication resources during on-duration, then the UE can potentially receive communications, but the activation is wasted when eNB has not acquired channel

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication efficiencyVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The UE performs preliminary channel availability detection (via CCA/eCCA indications) before activating communication resources during on-duration. This preliminary action filters out time periods when the eNB cannot transmit, ensuring that resource activation only occurs when communication is actually possible, thereby improving productivity while avoiding wasted energy activation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback from channel availability detection to control resource activation timing. The UE receives feedback about channel status and uses this information to optimize the timing of communication resource activation, ensuring that resources are activated only during periods when the eNB has successfully acquired the channel, thus improving communication efficiency and reducing energy waste.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3342243B1Discontinuous receive for contention-based radio access technologies
Publication Date: 2020.07.15 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3342243B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3342243B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3342243B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Aspects described herein relate to receiving communications in contention-based radio access technologies (RAT). Communication resources can be activated for monitoring one or more channels related to a contention-based RAT based at least in part on a discontinuous receive (DRX) cycle. The one or more channels related to the contention-based RAT can be monitored in one or more time periods following activating the communication resources to determine whether communications are received from an access network node. An on-duration timer during which the communication resources remain active to receive the communications in the contention-based RAT can be initialized based at least in part on determining that the communications are received from the access network node. The communication resources can be deactivated following expiration of the on-duration timer.