IoT UE Active Time Control for Lower Paging Power Drain

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing IoT devices in Power Saving Mode (PSM) waste significant battery life by frequently listening for paging messages, especially after mobile originated (MO) data transfers, due to the power consumption associated with monitoring the network for potential mobile terminated (MT) data.

Innovation Solution

A network node sets an active time timer to zero for IoT devices that generate mostly MO traffic, determining MT data availability and sending a message to the device to listen only when MT data is pending, thereby reducing unnecessary active time listening.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the UE frequently listens for paging messages to receive MT data, then the reliability of receiving MT data is improved, but the battery life is reduced due to increased power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereliability of receiving MT dataVSAvoidbattery life

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles where the UE alternates between active listening periods and sleep periods. During DRX cycles, the UE listens for paging messages only at specific intervals rather than continuously, reducing power consumption while maintaining the ability to receive MT data. The network can page the UE during these periodic active windows, balancing reliability with battery conservation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent dynamically adjusts the UE's listening behavior based on traffic patterns and network conditions. The UE can transition between different power saving modes (e.g., PSM with extended discontinuous reception) that allow it to enter deep sleep states while still being reachable by the network through periodic paging. This dynamic state adjustment optimizes the trade-off between receiving MT data reliability and extending battery life.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Duration of action of moving object

If the UE enters PSM deep sleep to save power, then the battery life is extended, but the device cannot receive MT data during sleep periods

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebattery lifeVSAvoidability to receive MT data

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses periodic TAU (Tracking Area Update) timers to periodically wake the UE from PSM deep sleep and check for pending MT data. Before the UE enters extended sleep, it performs preliminary actions to update its location with the network and check for buffered data. This ensures the UE can receive MT data by waking up at predetermined intervals, maintaining reliability while maximizing battery savings during deep sleep periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The network provides feedback to the UE about pending MT data through paging messages sent during the UE's active windows. When MT data is available, the network pages the UE, and upon receiving the page, the UE wakes up to retrieve the data and then returns to deep sleep. This feedback mechanism ensures the UE only wakes when necessary, balancing battery life extension with the ability to receive MT data reliably.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the UE listens for paging after every data transfer session, then the device can receive MT data promptly, but the power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepromptness of receiving MT dataVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) cycles that allow the UE to listen for paging messages at extended periodic intervals rather than after every data transfer. The UE enters a configured DRX cycle after completing a data session, reducing the frequency of paging checks while maintaining the ability to receive MT data during these extended periodic windows. This significantly reduces power consumption compared to listening after every session.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the operational parameters of the UE's reception behavior by configuring different DRX cycle lengths and PSM durations based on traffic patterns and QoS requirements. The network can adjust parameters such as the length of active time windows, DRX cycle periods, and PSM durations to optimize the balance between prompt MT data reception and power consumption. This parameter adjustment allows the UE to operate more efficiently without sacrificing reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS12477467B2Increasing battery performance for a device that uses power saving features

Publication Date: 2025.11.18 MALIKIE INNOVATIONS LTD

AI summary

Described herein are systems and methods to increase battery life of a user equipment (UE) by reducing the amount of time a UE spends in active time listening for paging messages following mobile originate (MO) or mobile terminated (MT) data transfers. A network node may receive, from a UE, a message including an identifier of the UE and a request to set the duration of an active time timer to zero. The network node may determine whether any MT traffic is available for the UE, and send a message to the UE including the duration of the active time timer or some other indicator to indicate to the UE whether or not MT data is awaiting transmission.