Physical Layer DRX Control for Wireless Terminal Power Saving
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing power consumption in mobile terminals using Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode in LTE systems is inefficient due to the MAC layer's lack of exact timing knowledge of the physical layer, leading to unnecessary activation during 'on' durations without activity.
Innovation Solution
Redistributing tasks between the stack controller and the physical layer, where the physical layer controls power save modes based on configuration data and activity events, allowing for optimized wake-up scheduling and minimizing latency in turning off PHY components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the MAC layer controls DRX cycles as per standard specifications, then the terminal can implement discontinuous reception for power saving, but the MAC layer lacks exact timing knowledge of the physical layer causing unnecessary activation during 'on' durations without activity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional control architecture by transferring DRX cycle control from the MAC layer to the physical layer. The physical layer now autonomously manages wake-up and sleep periods based on its own timing knowledge, eliminating the delay and unnecessary activation caused by MAC layer's lack of precise timing awareness. This inversion directly resolves the contradiction by enabling accurate timing control without sacrificing the power saving benefits of DRX.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical layer performs self-service by independently controlling its own wake-up and sleep cycles based on its intrinsic timing knowledge. Rather than being controlled by the MAC layer with delayed awareness, the physical layer autonomously decides when to activate and when to enter power save mode, optimizing both power consumption and awake time without external intervention.
2Reliability
If the MAC layer schedules wake-up prior to an 'on' duration to ensure full operation timely, then the terminal can maintain proper operation timing, but the physical layer and transceiver are turned off with significant latency compared to the opportunity as seen on the air interface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the control flow by placing wake-up scheduling authority in the physical layer rather than the MAC layer. The physical layer uses its precise knowledge of air interface timing to schedule wake-up events exactly when needed, eliminating the latency introduced by MAC layer scheduling. This ensures both reliable operation timing and minimal latency in turning off PHY components.
3Reliability
If the MAC layer and stack controller remain active during 'on' durations to monitor PDCCH, then the terminal can detect downlink control information, but power is consumed unnecessarily when there is no activity
Solution Approach 1:
The physical layer performs self-service by autonomously managing its own activation state during DRX cycles. It activates only when needed based on its timing knowledge and enters power save mode when no activity is expected, eliminating unnecessary power consumption while maintaining reliable control information detection capability when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the physical layer by enabling it to dynamically adjust its activation state based on real-time conditions. The physical layer transitions between active and power save states more precisely than before, optimizing the balance between detection capability and power consumption by changing its operational parameters rather than following fixed MAC layer scheduling.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided for controlling Discontinuous Reception (DRX) mode in telecommunication user equipment (UE), with the object to improve system power consumption of a UE of a wireless communication system that is running the DRX mode in RRC_CONNECTED state. In an LTE communication system, DRX functionality is applied to the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer to discontinue monitoring the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) for certain periods in order to reduce power consumption of the UE. Typical physical UE implementations have the stack controller and the Physical Layer (PHY) running on several hardware blocks that can enter power saving modes independently. The method comprises a partitioning of the functionality between stack controller and PHY layer that allows the stack controller entity to be active at a minimum while ensuring that the UE still behaves standard compliant to the network.