Modified Paging Mechanism for Low-Cost MTC UEs

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Low-cost machine-type communication (MTC) user equipment (UEs) in LTE networks face significant overhead and battery life degradation due to repeated transmission of paging messages, which are not optimized for coverage enhancement and data rate limitations, leading to increased network and device resource utilization.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a modified paging mechanism for low-cost MTC UEs, including a new SI-paging and RRC-paging system that uses bitmaps and specific M-P1-RNTI sequences to efficiently indicate updated system information messages, allowing for variable transmission schemes based on UE coverage enhancement status, reducing unnecessary message decoding and network overhead.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If paging messages are repeatedly transmitted for coverage enhancement, then coverage extension is improved, but network overhead and device power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage extensionVSAvoiddevice power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The paging message is segmented into two parts: a first part transmitted via PDCCH/EPDCCH containing essential paging information, and a second part transmitted via PDSCH containing detailed system information. This segmentation allows UEs to receive critical paging data without decoding the entire message, reducing power consumption while maintaining coverage enhancement through selective repetition of only the first part.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The essential paging information is extracted from the full paging message and placed in the first part transmitted via PDCCH/EPDCCH. UEs can decode this extracted portion to determine if they are paged, avoiding the need to decode the complete message and its associated overhead, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining reliable delivery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Loss of information

If all system information messages are decoded during SI modification period, then complete system information is obtained, but UE power consumption and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem information completenessVSAvoidUE power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The first part of the paging message containing essential information about system information updates is transmitted preliminarily via PDCCH/EPDCCH before the full system information messages. UEs can decode this preliminary information to determine which system information messages have been updated and only decode those specific messages, rather than decoding all system information messages during the modification period.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If paging messages are broadcasted to all cells, then paging coverage is ensured, but system overhead increases for multiple cells

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepaging coverageVSAvoidnetwork signaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The paging message is segmented such that the first part is transmitted via PDCCH/EPDCCH and can be selectively repeated in multiple cells, while the second part is transmitted once via PDSCH. This segmentation reduces the amount of data that needs to be repeatedly transmitted across multiple cells, lowering network signaling overhead while maintaining paging coverage through the repeated first part.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP3231230B1Enhanced paging for low cost (LC) machine type communication (MTC) ues
Publication Date: 2020.09.16 HFI INNOVATION INC
  • EP3231230B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3231230B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP3231230B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Methods and apparatus are provided for paging enhancement for LC-MTC devices. In one novel aspect, a new paging message is used. In one embodiment, a new system information (M-SI)-paging is provided either carrying a bitmap or being generated from specific M-P1-RNTI sequences to indicate the modified SI messages. In another embodiment, a new RRC-paging is used through a UE-specific message, a multicast message, or a broadcast message to inform a UE to establish a RRC connection. The new paging message is either a sequence or an encoded data packet transmitted without control information, or scheduled by M-PDCCH. In another novel aspect, the new paging message is transmitted within one or more cells by a broadcast mechanism to achieve a maximal CE level the one or more cells support, or a multi-cast mechanism to support a specified CE level range, or a unicast mechanism to support a CE level.