Paging Zone Partitioning for Mobile UE Power and Latency Tradeoff
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current paging strategies in cellular networks, particularly with extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) and paging time window (PTW) zones, face challenges in balancing UE power consumption and paging latency, leading to inefficiencies and increased complexity in network synchronization.
Innovation Solution
A method that partitions eNodeBs into non-overlapping paging transmission window (PTW) zones, where the PTW zone for an eNodeB is determined by the E-UTRAN cell identifier, allowing the MME to efficiently page UEs by selecting and escalating through zones, reducing power consumption and controlling the tradeoff between paging load and latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the network uses traditional paging strategies with eDRX and PTW zones, then UE reachability is maintained, but UE power consumption increases and paging latency is uncontrolled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tracking area into multiple paging zones, each with its own paging occasion. This segmentation allows the network to page UEs in a more targeted and efficient manner, reducing the time UEs need to spend listening for paging messages and thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining controlled paging latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustment of paging parameters including multiple paging occasions per PTW zone, variable PTW lengths, and flexible eDRX cycle configurations. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt paging behavior to current network conditions and UE characteristics, optimizing the balance between power consumption and paging latency.
2Loss of time
If the network increases paging monitoring frequency to reduce latency, then paging latency decreases, but UE power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic paging occasions within PTW zones, where UEs wake up at predetermined intervals to check for paging messages. This periodic structure allows UEs to sleep for extended periods between paging occasions, significantly reducing power consumption while ensuring that paging latency remains bounded by the periodic interval.
3Reliability
If the network uses blanket paging across all eNodeBs, then paging reliability is improved, but network complexity and signaling load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent assigns different paging strategies and parameters to different paging zones within the tracking area. Each zone can be configured with appropriate paging occasions, PTW lengths, and eDRX cycles based on local conditions such as UE density, mobility patterns, and traffic characteristics. This localized approach maintains paging reliability in each zone while reducing overall network complexity compared to uniform blanket paging.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention discloses a method for efficient paging of mobile user equipment (UEs), using extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) and paging time window (PTW) zones, PzeNB, with PzeNB=0...NPz being identifiers of PTW zones within a tracking area (TA) and NPz>0 being a number of the PTW zones, wherein the TA consists of a set of eNodeBs connected to a mobile management entity (MME), wherein the eNodeBs are partitioned into the PTW zones. The objective to specify a method that allows an efficient paging for UEs which does not go of the power consumption of the UE will be solved by a method comprising the following steps: - step 1: the MME determines an eNodeB of a requested UE, where said UE was last registered and determines an associated paging transmission window start time for said UE, whereas the last registered eNodeB is in PTW zone 0; - step 2: the MME selects one PTW zone within the TA and pages the target UE in the selected PTW zone; - step 3: the MME stops the paging if it was successful, - otherwise the MME selects a next PTW zone and continues with step 2 until all PTW zones in the associated TA of the target UE have been proceeded, wherein the different PTW zones are non-overlapping in time and except for PTW zone 0, all PTW zones are pseudo-randomly assigned to eNodeBs.