DRX Wake-Up Cycle Control for Faster Scheduling, Lower Battery Use

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing discontinuous reception (DRX) operations in mobile terminals face challenges in balancing fast response times with minimal battery consumption, particularly due to increased power consumption and measurement requirements when shortening DRX cycles for quicker data scheduling.

Innovation Solution

Introduce an additional DRX wake-up cycle that runs parallel to the existing short and long DRX cycles, allowing the mobile terminal to monitor the downlink control channel more frequently for scheduling messages without increasing measurement and reporting frequency, thus reducing response time while minimizing battery drain.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the DRX cycle is shortened to enable faster data scheduling, then the response time is improved, but the battery consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresponse timeVSAvoidbattery consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the DRX operation into two distinct cycles: a first DRX cycle for regular operation and an additional DRX wake-up cycle for frequent scheduling checks. This segmentation allows the terminal to maintain fast response capability during wake-up periods while returning to the longer first DRX cycle for routine operations, thereby balancing response time requirements with battery conservation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements periodic wake-up monitoring within the DRX framework, where the terminal periodically wakes up to check for scheduling messages during the additional DRX wake-up cycle. This periodic action enables the system to achieve fast scheduling response when needed while maintaining overall power efficiency by not continuously monitoring at high frequency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Productivity

If the DRX cycle is shortened to increase scheduling frequency, then the system responsiveness is improved, but the measurement and reporting requirements increase power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescheduling frequencyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the scheduling monitoring function from the general DRX operation by introducing a separate additional DRX wake-up cycle. This extraction allows scheduling messages to be monitored more frequently without triggering full measurement and reporting procedures, thereby increasing scheduling frequency while avoiding the associated power consumption overhead.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by having the terminal perform only selective monitoring for scheduling messages during the additional DRX wake-up cycle, rather than executing complete measurement and reporting sequences. This partial monitoring approach achieves the goal of increased scheduling frequency while consuming less power than full measurement and reporting would require.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12356497B2Technologies for controlling discontinuous reception operation

Publication Date: 2025.07.08 APPLE INC

AI summary

The disclosure relates to methods for improving the discontinuous reception (DRX) operation of a user equipment (UE) by introducing media access control (MAC) control elements (CEs) to cause the UE to use short and long DRX cycles.