UE PDCCH Monitoring Offsets for DRX Power Saving

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Solution Overview

Problem

There is a need for a method to efficiently conserve power in user equipment (UE) in wireless communication systems, particularly in 5G networks, to enable prolonged service provision.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that involves receiving power saving offset (PS-offset) signaling from a base station to adjust PDCCH monitoring occasions outside the discontinuous reception (DRX) active time, allowing UE to identify specific monitoring times for downlink control information (DCI) based on configured search spaces, thereby optimizing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the UE continuously monitors PDCCH for DCI outside DRX active time to ensure timely reception of power saving information and other control messages, then the reliability of control information reception is improved, but the power consumption of the UE increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol information reception reliabilityVSAvoidUE power consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The network configures PDCCH monitoring occasions in advance outside DRX active time, allowing the UE to know exactly when to wake up and monitor PDCCH. This preliminary configuration enables the UE to sleep during non-monitoring periods while still reliably receiving control information at predetermined times without continuous monitoring

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The UE monitors PDCCH at periodic intervals defined by monitoring occasions configured by the network, rather than continuously. The monitoring period and offset parameters create a rhythmic monitoring pattern that balances reliability of control information reception with power conservation during intervals between monitoring occasions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Reliability

If the UE monitors PDCCH at all configured monitoring occasions to ensure no control information is missed, then the completeness of control information reception is improved, but the processing complexity and power consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol information completenessVSAvoidmonitoring operation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The network extracts and configures specific monitoring occasions outside DRX active time separately from the standard DRX monitoring pattern. This allows the UE to exclude these specially configured occasions from continuous monitoring requirements, reducing overall monitoring complexity while ensuring critical power saving information is received

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The network provides advance configuration of monitoring occasion parameters (period, offset, duration) before the UE needs to monitor. This preliminary setup allows the UE to pre-calculate monitoring times and prepare accordingly, reducing real-time processing complexity during actual monitoring events

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4018729B1Method and apparatus for saving power of user equipment in wireless communication system
Publication Date: 2026.03.18 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP4018729B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4018729B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4018729B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system is provided. The method comprises: receiving, from a base station, higher layer signaling comprising a power saving offset (PS-offset) indicating a first start time when the UE starts, prior to a second start time of a drx-onDuration timer, monitoring physical downlink channel (PDCCH) for downlink control information (DCI) notifying power saving information outside a discontinuous reception (DRX) active time and parameters indicating a search space; identifying at least one PDCCH monitoring occasion for the DCI based on the PS-offset and the parameters indicating the search space; and monitoring the DCI on the at least one PDCCH monitoring occasion.