Connected DRX Timer Control for UE Offloading Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication networks face challenges in managing power consumption and latency in user equipment (UE) during computation offloading tasks, particularly in latency-critical applications like augmented and virtual reality, due to discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles and the lack of consideration for correlated uplink and downlink traffic.
Innovation Solution
Implementing additional timers, such as minOffloadingTimer and maxOffloadingTimer, to manage UE activity during Connected DRX, allowing for power-saving sleep modes while ensuring timely reception of computation results, thereby reducing latency and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If DRX cycles are used to reduce power consumption, then power usage is reduced, but latency increases due to waiting for next wake cycle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by introducing wake-up signals before the UE actually needs to wake up for data reception. The base station sends wake-up signals in advance to alert the UE to wake up early, allowing the UE to prepare for incoming data without waiting for the next DRX cycle boundary. This resolves the contradiction by enabling early wake-up (reducing latency) while maintaining power-saving DRX operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the base station monitors UE activity patterns and adjusts wake-up timing accordingly. The system uses feedback from UE sleep/wake cycles to optimize the timing of wake-up signals and data transmissions, creating a dynamic adjustment mechanism that balances power consumption and latency requirements based on actual usage patterns.
2Loss of time
If wake-up signals are introduced to reduce paging delay, then latency is reduced, but device complexity increases due to receiver and transmitter modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing wake-up signals that serve multiple functions: they act as both power-saving mechanisms and latency-reduction tools. The same wake-up signal infrastructure is used across different DRX modes and traffic types (voice, data, messaging), eliminating the need for separate complex signaling mechanisms for each function. This multi-functional approach reduces overall system complexity despite the added capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by adjusting DRX configuration parameters dynamically based on traffic conditions. Instead of modifying the fundamental receiver architecture, the system changes operational parameters such as wake-up signal timing, DRX cycle duration, and activation thresholds to optimize performance. This parameter-based approach achieves latency reduction without requiring complex hardware modifications.
3Use of energy by moving object
If timers are used to manage UE activity during DRX, then power consumption is reduced, but device complexity increases due to additional timer management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple timer functions into a unified timer management mechanism. Instead of implementing separate timers for different DRX modes, wake-up conditions, and data reception timing, the system combines these into an integrated timer framework that handles all timing requirements through a single coherent management structure. This merging approach reduces the cognitive load and implementation complexity while maintaining power-saving benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service by designing the timer management system to automatically adjust and optimize itself based on UE behavior patterns. The system monitors actual wake-up and sleep cycles, automatically tuning timer durations and wake-up scheduling without requiring manual configuration or complex user intervention. This self-adjusting mechanism simplifies operation while maintaining optimal power consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer programs for offloading computing tasks to one or more computers, e.g., that implement an edge server. In one aspect, the method can include actions of transmitting, for a user equipment and to the one or more computers, uplink information via an air interface; determining whether the uplink information has been fully transmitted across the air interface; based on determining that the uplink information has been fully transmitted across the air interface, triggering a sleep mode for the user equipment and starting a first timer; determining that the first timer has expired; and based on determining that the first timer has expired, triggering (i) a user equipment wake-up operation and (ii) maintaining a second timer that indicates when the user equipment should enter the sleep mode if result data, to be generated using the uplink information, has not been received.