Sidelink DRX Scheduling for Low-Power UE Paging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Sidelink communication among UEs in wireless networks faces challenges with power consumption due to constant monitoring of control channels, especially during paging operations, as UEs lack unique identifiers for peer UEs and often maintain unnecessary connections, leading to inefficient power usage.

Innovation Solution

Implementing discontinuous reception (DRX) cycles with defined sidelink on-duration periods allows UEs to alternate between active and power-saving states, reducing power consumption by synchronizing DRX configurations based on layer two addresses and optimizing DRX cycles for multiple UEs, enabling efficient paging operations without continuous channel monitoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If user equipment autonomously selects resources for sidelink communication without network coordination, then resource allocation speed is improved, but resource collision and interference increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresource allocation speedVSAvoidresource collision rate
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The network performs preliminary configuration of resource pools and parameters before sidelink communication occurs. User equipment is pre-configured with multiple resource pools and selection parameters, enabling fast autonomous selection while maintaining network-controlled resource management to prevent collisions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The network receives feedback from user equipment about resource selection and channel conditions, then adjusts resource pool configurations and parameters accordingly. This feedback loop allows the network to optimize resource allocation based on actual usage patterns and interference levels, preventing future collisions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If user equipment uses multiple resource pools for sidelink communication, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidresource management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple resource pools are configured with different characteristics (e.g., different time frequencies, different sizes) to serve different sidelink communication scenarios. User equipment can selectively use appropriate resource pools based on traffic type, improving reliability while the network manages the complexity of coordinating multiple pools.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The network can dynamically adjust which resource pools are active and their configurations based on current network conditions and user equipment needs. This dynamic management allows flexible adaptation to changing requirements while the network maintains oversight to prevent excessive device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Loss of time

If user equipment autonomously determines message transmission timing, then latency is reduced, but synchronization accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage transmission latencyVSAvoidsynchronization accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

User equipment is pre-configured with timing parameters, offsets, and synchronization rules before autonomous message transmission. This preliminary configuration enables low-latency autonomous transmission while maintaining synchronization accuracy through pre-established network-defined timing frameworks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Synchronization signals and timing updates are transmitted periodically according to network-configured schedules. This periodic structure allows user equipment to maintain accurate synchronization while enabling autonomous low-latency transmission between periodic updates by using pre-configured timing parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP4190120B1Mechanisms for managing user equipment on sidelink communication
Publication Date: 2026.05.06 APPLE INC
  • EP4190120B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4190120B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4190120B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Some aspects of this disclosure relate to apparatuses and methods for implementing sidelink communications among multiple user equipments (UEs). A UE operates according to a periodical discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle that includes a sidelink on-duration period when the UE is in an active state. The UE is in a power saving state outside the sidelink on-duration period. The UE listens to a Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) for sidelink communications during the active state. A UE determines the DRX cycle and the sidelink on-duration period of a receiver UE, and sends a message to the receiver UE during one or more slots of the sidelink on-duration period when the receiver UE is in the active state.