Terminal PDCCH Monitoring Skipping via Reused DCI Fields
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods lack specific signaling for indicating PDCCH skipping in terminal devices, hindering effective power saving strategies.
Innovation Solution
Utilize downlink control information (DCI) to indicate PDCCH monitoring skipping, employing specific fields within the DCI to convey PDCCH skipping indication information, such as modulation and coding scheme (MCS), new data indicator (NDI), redundancy version (RV), and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process number (HPN), among others, to reduce signaling overhead and save energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the terminal device continuously monitors PDCCH to ensure reliable communication, then communication reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic PDCCH monitoring by configuring the terminal device with a monitoring occasion pattern where it only monitors PDCCH at specific time intervals rather than continuously. The network device can dynamically indicate skipping of monitoring occasions through DCI signaling, creating a periodic monitoring schedule that reduces energy consumption while maintaining communication reliability during critical periods.
2Adaptability or versatility
If specific signaling fields are added to DCI to indicate PDCCH skipping, then PDCCH skipping indication capability is improved, but signaling overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reuses existing DCI fields that already have defined functions to carry dual purposes. For example, the Frequency Domain Resource Allocation (FDRA) field and other resource allocation fields are repurposed to indicate PDCCH skipping information when appropriate. This multi-functionality approach enables PDCCH skipping indication without adding new signaling fields, thus avoiding increased signaling overhead while maintaining full indication capability.
3Quantity of substance
If existing DCI fields are reused for PDCCH skipping indication, then signaling overhead is reduced, but field function ambiguity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes pre-defined rules and conditions for when existing DCI fields should be interpreted as carrying PDCCH skipping indication versus their traditional meanings. The terminal device is configured with criteria beforehand (such as specific bit patterns, combinations of fields, or contextual conditions) that determine when to interpret fields as PDCCH skipping indicators. This preliminary configuration eliminates ambiguity during actual operation, as both network and terminal follow predetermined interpretation rules.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for indicating to skip PDCCH monitoring and an apparatus are provided, to indicate, by using downlink control information, a terminal device to skip PDCCH monitoring. After a network device sends DCI that includes PDCCH skipping indication information to the terminal device, the terminal device determines, based on the PDCCH skipping indication information, not to monitor a PDCCH in a first time interval. In this way, the DCI is used to indicate the terminal device to skip PDCCH monitoring, and specific signaling used to indicate to skip PDCCH monitoring is clarified, thereby saving energy of the terminal device.