Group Paging in Wireless Networks to Reduce Signaling Overhead
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication technologies face inefficiencies in managing individual and group paging operations for wireless devices, particularly in machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, leading to excessive signaling overhead and power consumption due to the need for individual messaging to each device, especially when a large number of devices transition from idle to connected mode.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a coordinated system that allows for both individual and group paging operations using defined parameters such as paging cycles and offsets, enabling a single message to address multiple devices, thereby reducing network traffic and power consumption by allowing devices to wake up during designated listening intervals for both types of messages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If individual paging messages are sent to each device, then each device can be addressed individually, but network traffic and signaling overhead increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual paging messages into a single group paging message that can address multiple devices simultaneously. The group paging message includes a group identifier that represents a set of target devices, allowing the network to page numerous devices with one message rather than sending separate messages to each device individually.
Solution Approach 2:
The paging message is designed to serve multiple functions: it can page individual devices or groups of devices depending on the message type. The system supports both individual paging messages for single-device addressing and group paging messages for multi-device addressing, making the paging mechanism universally applicable to different communication scenarios.
2Use of energy by moving object
If devices remain in idle mode to conserve power, then power consumption is reduced, but devices cannot receive messages until paged
Solution Approach 1:
Devices in idle mode periodically wake up to listen for paging messages during designated listening intervals, then return to idle mode to conserve power. The network schedules group paging messages to coincide with these periodic listening intervals, ensuring devices can receive messages efficiently without remaining in high-power connected mode continuously.
Solution Approach 2:
The network sends group paging messages in advance during the listening interval before devices need to transition to connected mode. This preliminary paging action allows devices to know ahead of time that they need to wake up and transition to connected mode, optimizing their power consumption while ensuring timely message reception.
3Reliability
If many devices transition from idle to connected mode simultaneously, then all devices can receive messages, but signaling overhead becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the paging operations for multiple devices into a single group paging operation. Instead of initiating separate signaling procedures for each device transition from idle to connected mode, the network uses one group paging message to trigger coordinated transitions, significantly reducing the total signaling overhead while ensuring all target devices receive the message reliably.
4Reliability
If separate monitoring messages are sent to each device in a group, then each device receives the message, but the amount of traffic increases substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate monitoring messages intended for individual devices into a single group monitoring message. This group message is transmitted once to the group of utility monitoring devices, reducing the message volume from N separate messages to 1 consolidated message, while still ensuring all devices in the group receive the monitoring information.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are described for individual and group paging of a wireless device via a wireless communications network. The method can include setting a paging cycle and a paging offset for the wireless device. A wireless device can be assigned to a device group using a device group identifier. The wireless device can wake up to check for paging events received via the wireless communication network during a portion of the paging cycle. A further operation can be receiving a group paging event for the device group at the wireless device during the portion of the paging cycle.