Feedback-Based Paging for Low-Power UE Reachability

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Solution Overview

Problem

In LTE systems, user equipment (UE) in idle mode wastes power by continuously monitoring paging messages, and network resources are inefficiently utilized due to widespread paging across tracking areas without knowing the UE's location.

Innovation Solution

A feedback-based paging method involving pre-indication information transmitted by the network-side device, allowing terminals to provide uplink signals indicating their status and resource preferences, enabling targeted paging and reducing unnecessary network and UE power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the UE in idle mode continuously monitors paging messages to ensure it can be reached, then the reliability of communication is improved, but the power consumption of the UE increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidUE power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements discontinuous reception (DRX) where the UE monitors paging messages only at periodic paging occasions (PO) instead of continuously. The network configures DRX parameters including onDuration, drx-InactivityTimer, and drx-RetransmissionTimer to define when the UE should wake up to monitor paging, allowing the UE to sleep during non-paging periods and significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining communication reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a feedback mechanism where the UE sends uplink signals (such as random access preamble or scheduled transmission) in response to paging messages. The network receives this feedback to confirm the UE has successfully received and processed the paging message, ensuring reliable communication delivery even with periodic monitoring gaps.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the network transmits paging messages through all base stations in a tracking area to ensure the UE receives the message, then the reliability of paging delivery is improved, but the network resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepaging delivery reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the tracking area into multiple paging areas or sub-regions, and the network selectively transmits paging messages only in the specific paging area where the UE is located or most likely to be found. This segmentation approach maintains paging delivery reliability by targeting the correct area while significantly reducing network resource consumption by avoiding unnecessary transmissions in other areas.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The network performs preliminary actions by maintaining UE location information and determining the appropriate paging area before transmitting the paging message. The network uses stored UE context information, recent connection data, or location tracking to pre-identify which base stations or paging areas should receive the paging message, eliminating the need for blanket transmission across the entire tracking area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the UE monitors paging at every paging frame and occasion to ensure message reception, then the completeness of paging reception is improved, but the processing overhead and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepaging reception completenessVSAvoidmonitoring complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The UE monitors paging messages only at periodically occurring paging frames (PF) and paging occasions (PO) calculated based on DRX parameters and UE identity, rather than continuously. The monitoring periodicity is determined by DRX configuration, reducing the frequency of monitoring operations while ensuring the UE catches paging messages at the scheduled intervals when the network transmits them.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The UE applies different monitoring behaviors to different time periods and conditions. During active DRX periods, the UE monitors paging with full sensitivity; during sleep periods, the UE reduces or suspends monitoring. The UE also adjusts monitoring based on local conditions such as whether it has uplink data to send or is in a specific RRC state, optimizing the balance between reception completeness and processing overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3691303B1Paging method, terminal and network side device
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 VIVO MOBILE COMM CO LTD
  • EP3691303B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP3691303B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

A paging method, a terminal, and a network-side device are provided. The paging method includes: receiving pre-indication information transmitted by a network-side device; transmitting an uplink signal to the network-side device in a case that the pre-indication information indicates that the terminal is to be paged; and monitoring a paging of the terminal by the network-side device.