PDCCH Skipping for 5G Terminal Power Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In 5G communication systems, terminal devices face challenges in reducing power consumption, especially in carrier aggregation scenarios where they need to monitor control channels across multiple serving cells.
Innovation Solution
A method is introduced where a network device transmits a first PDCCH to a terminal device indicating PDCCH skipping, allowing the terminal device to dynamically reduce its power consumption by skipping PDCCH monitoring on multiple serving cells.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If terminal device monitors PDCCH on multiple serving cells in carrier aggregation scenario, then data transmission rate is increased, but power consumption is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic PDCCH monitoring by configuring the terminal device to monitor PDCCH only at specific intervals (e.g., every N slots or every M subframes) rather than continuously on all serving cells. This periodic monitoring approach maintains the ability to receive scheduling information while significantly reducing the average power consumption compared to continuous monitoring across multiple carrier aggregation cells.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes unnecessary PDCCH monitoring operations from the terminal device's task set. By identifying and eliminating redundant monitoring instances on serving cells where no data transmission is scheduled, the system reduces the overall monitoring burden and power consumption while preserving essential monitoring functions needed for maintaining connectivity and receiving scheduling assignments.
2Reliability
If terminal device monitors PDCCH on all serving cells, then control channel coverage is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating monitoring requirements across different serving cells and time periods. Instead of uniform monitoring across all cells, the system configures cell-specific monitoring parameters where only certain cells require monitoring at certain times based on their traffic conditions, activation state, and scheduling patterns. This localized approach maintains control channel coverage where needed while reducing complexity where unnecessary.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamic monitoring configuration where the terminal device's PDCCH monitoring behavior adapts to changing network conditions. The monitoring parameters (such as monitoring occasions, frequency, and cell selection) are dynamically adjusted based on scheduling assignments, channel conditions, and network directives, allowing the system to maintain reliability when needed while reducing complexity during low-activity periods.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present application relate to a method, a terminal device and a network device for monitoring a control channel. The method includes: in a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) search space, receiving, by a terminal device, a first PDCCH on at least one serving cell among multiple serving cells, where the first PDCCH is used for providing the terminal device a PDCCH skipping indication; performing, by the terminal device, PDCCH skipping according to the indication of the first PDCCH.