Paging Reference Signal Timing for Lower-Power 5G UE Wake-Up
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G communications systems, user equipment (UE) in inactive or idle states wastes power due to the need to wake up long before receiving paging signals, as the periodicity of synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) can be lengthy, leading to excessive power consumption during the extended wake-up periods.
Innovation Solution
UE receives configuration information for a first reference signal via system information blocks (SIBs) to wake up closer to the paging occasion (PO), reducing the need to wake up early for SSBs, and uses this signal for AGC and synchronization, thereby minimizing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If UE wakes up early to receive SSB for paging reception, then synchronization and AGC adjustment can be performed, but power consumption increases due to extended wake-up time
Solution Approach 1:
The network pre-configures reference signal resources and parameters in SIB messages before the UE needs to perform synchronization. This allows the UE to wake up later and use the pre-configured reference signals for AGC and synchronization, avoiding the need to wake up early for SSB reception while maintaining reliable paging reception.
Solution Approach 2:
Dedicated reference signals are introduced as intermediary elements between the SSB and the paging message. These reference signals serve as a bridge that enables the UE to perform necessary synchronization and AGC adjustments closer to the paging occasion without requiring early SSB reception, thus reducing wake-up time and power consumption.
2Loss of energy
If SSB periodicity is extended to reduce signaling overhead, then network resource overhead decreases, but UE wake-up time in advance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronization function is segmented into two parts: initial cell access using SSB and subsequent paging-related synchronization using dedicated reference signals. This segmentation allows the network to use longer SSB periodicity while providing UE with alternative reference signals for paging reception, thus reducing both network overhead and UE wake-up time.
Solution Approach 2:
Dedicated reference signals act as intermediaries that decouple the relationship between SSB periodicity and UE wake-up timing. These intermediary signals enable UE to perform necessary synchronization functions independently of SSB timing, allowing the network to optimize SSB periodicity for reduced overhead without increasing UE wake-up time.
3Measurement precision
If UE uses SSB for AGC and synchronization before paging, then receiving performance is ensured, but sleep time is shortened and power is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the timing parameters of reference signal reception by providing UE with configured reference signal resources that occur closer to the paging occasion. This parameter change allows UE to maintain adequate synchronization and AGC adjustment time while extending sleep duration, thus improving power efficiency without sacrificing receiving performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The network performs preliminary configuration of reference signal resources and parameters in advance through SIB messages. This preliminary action enables UE to use pre-configured reference signals for synchronization and AGC adjustment closer to the paging occasion, eliminating the need for early SSB-based preparation and extending sleep time while maintaining receiving performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A communications method includes: when a terminal device is in a non-connected state, a system information block is received from a network device, where the system information block includes first information; and configuration of a reference signal used for operations such as automatic gain control (AGC) adjustment and time and frequency synchronization can be known based on the first information. In this way, the terminal device can wake up at a location of a first reference signal to prevent terminal device from waking up too early at a location of a synchronization signal block and to effectively reduce power consumption of the terminal device.