Sidelink DRX Connectivity via Keep Alive Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless communication technologies, such as 5G NR and LTE, face challenges in maintaining sidelink communication connectivity when user-equipment (UE) operates in discontinuous reception (DRX) mode, as they lack efficient methods to determine whether other UEs are within communication range without incurring high power consumption or performance impacts.
Innovation Solution
Implementing keep alive signaling between UEs during DRX cycles, where a transmit UE periodically sends keep alive signals, and a receive UE determines communication range based on the energy level of these signals, allowing for adaptive monitoring and reduced power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous monitoring is performed to maintain sidelink connectivity, then connection reliability is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic monitoring at DRX wake-up instances instead of continuous monitoring. The UE wakes up at predetermined intervals within the DRX cycle to check for keep alive signals from peer UEs, thereby maintaining connectivity awareness while significantly reducing power consumption compared to continuous monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables UEs to autonomously determine their connectivity status by detecting keep alive signals from peer UEs during DRX wake-up periods. Each UE independently monitors and assesses its own sidelink connection state without requiring network assistance, allowing power-efficient autonomous connectivity management.
2Reliability
If monitoring frequency is increased to detect peer UE presence, then connection reliability is improved, but performance impact increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent schedules monitoring activities to occur only at DRX wake-up instances rather than continuously. This periodic approach aligned with DRX cycles reduces processing overhead and resource usage while still providing timely detection of peer UE presence and connection status changes.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for wireless communication by a first user-equipment (UE). The method generally includes monitoring for signaling from a second UE during a DRX cycle associated with a DRX configuration for at least one of the first UE or the second UE, determining whether the first UE and the second UE are within range for communication based on the monitoring, and taking one or more actions based on the determination.