Inactivity Timer Control for Wireless Terminal Power Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication systems face challenges in reducing power consumption of terminal devices during PDCCH blind detection, as continuous detection leads to high power consumption, and existing inactivity timer mechanisms fail to balance scheduling flexibility and power efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of explicit indication of operation modes for the inactivity timer in DCI, allowing network devices to indicate modes such as starting, stopping, or continuing timing, decoupling implicit indication functions and improving scheduling flexibility, thereby reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the terminal device continuously performs blind detection on the PDCCH after waking up from sleep state, then the PDCCH detection performance is ensured, but the power consumption remains relatively high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic blind detection by configuring the terminal device to perform PDCCH blind detection only during specific monitoring occasions rather than continuously. The network device controls the terminal to wake up at predetermined intervals and perform blind detection only during these active periods, allowing the terminal to return to sleep state after each monitoring occasion. This periodic operation pattern ensures adequate PDCCH detection performance while significantly reducing overall power consumption compared to continuous detection.
2Loss of time
If the inactivity timer is restarted every time DCI indicating data transmission is received, then data transmission timeliness is ensured, but scheduling flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic control of the inactivity timer by allowing the network device to flexibly adjust timer behavior based on scheduling conditions. The terminal device is configured with multiple inactivity timer values, and the network device can dynamically select and indicate appropriate timer values through DCI messages. This dynamic adjustment mechanism enables the system to adapt timer duration to actual data transmission needs, ensuring timely transmission when data is present while allowing longer intervals when no data requires immediate transmission, thus balancing timeliness with scheduling flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter values of the inactivity timer based on different scheduling scenarios. Instead of using a fixed timer value, the system configures multiple timer values with different durations and allows the network device to select appropriate values dynamically. When data transmission is detected, shorter timer values can be applied to ensure quick response, while when no data is pending, longer or suspended timer values reduce unnecessary monitoring. This parameter variation approach resolves the contradiction between maintaining timely transmission and preserving scheduling flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal device receives first downlink control information (DCI) sent by a network device, where the first DCI carries first indication information and second indication information. The first indication information is used to indicate data transmission, and the second indication information is used to indicate an operation mode of an inactivity timer in discontinuous reception (DRX). The terminal device determines an operation mode of the inactivity timer based on the second indication information.