NR Paging Beam Aggregation to Reduce High-Frequency Signaling

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Solution Overview

Problem

The response-driven paging concept in NR systems using high carrier frequencies leads to increased signaling overhead due to ambiguous paging identifiers, necessitating UEs to contact the network for additional information, which results in substantial uplink and downlink signaling.

Innovation Solution

Wireless devices report their set of acceptable downlink beam directions to the network, allowing the network to determine optimal beam directions for transmitting paging information, thereby reducing the number of response beams required.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If beam sweeping is used to cover entire cell with paging on high carrier frequencies, then coverage is improved, but control signalling overhead increases substantially

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidcontrol signalling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the cell coverage area into multiple beam directions, where each beam covers a specific sector. Instead of transmitting paging information in all directions simultaneously, the system divides the coverage into discrete beam segments and transmits paging information selectively in only those beam directions where UEs have indicated interest, thereby reducing overall signaling overhead while maintaining complete coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by transmitting paging information in only a subset of beam directions rather than all possible directions. UEs first indicate their preferred beam directions, and the network then transmits paging information partially (only in those indicated directions) rather than excessively (in all directions), reducing signaling overhead while ensuring paging reaches all relevant UEs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

2Quantity of substance

If shorter paging identifiers are used to reduce initial message size, then message size is reduced, but ambiguity increases requiring additional contact with network

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage sizeVSAvoididentifier ambiguity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces beam direction indication as an intermediary mechanism. Instead of directly transmitting full UE identifiers (which would be large), the system uses shorter identifiers combined with beam direction indications. The beam direction acts as an intermediary that helps disambiguate which UE is being paged, allowing the network to contact the correct UE with minimal additional signaling while keeping the initial message size small.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If full UE identifiers are transmitted in each paging message, then identifier accuracy is improved, but signaling overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveidentifier accuracyVSAvoidsignaling overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transmits only partial identifier information (shorter paging identifiers) in the initial paging message, supplemented by beam direction indications. Full UE identifiers are transmitted only partially (only when necessary and only in specific beam directions), rather than excessively (in every paging message in every beam direction), thereby reducing signaling overhead while maintaining sufficient identifier accuracy through the combination of short identifier + beam direction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3711184B1Response beam aggregation for paging on higher carrier frequencies in nr
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)
  • EP3711184B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3711184B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3711184B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

According to certain embodiments, a method by a wireless device for reporting acceptable downlink (DL) beam directions to a network node is provided. The method includes identifying a plurality of acceptable DL beam directions. An indicator of the plurality of acceptable DL beam directions is transmitted to the network node. Paging information is received from the network node on one of the DL beam directions in the plurality of acceptable DL beam directions.