User Equipment RAR Monitoring ON-OFF Duration for Power Saving

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for reducing power consumption in user equipment (UE) during Small Data Transmission are inefficient, as devices continue to unnecessarily transmit during monitoring periods, leading to high power consumption even when the base station does not intend to schedule immediate data transmission.

Innovation Solution

Implementing an 'ON-OFF duration' within the Random Access Response (RAR) monitoring window, where the UE enters an active period to monitor RAR and then an inactive period, with the base station dynamically adjusting the duration based on traffic load through system information messages, allowing the UE to reduce wake-up time and power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the UE continuously monitors the PDCCH for RAR during the entire response window, then the reliability of random access response reception is improved, but the power consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveRAR reception reliabilityVSAvoidUE power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The response window monitoring period is segmented into multiple sub-windows, where the UE monitors RAR in specific sub-windows rather than continuously throughout the entire response window. This segmentation allows the UE to divide the monitoring task into discrete intervals, reducing overall power consumption while maintaining reliable RAR reception by focusing monitoring efforts on critical time periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The UE performs periodic monitoring of the PDCCH at specific intervals within the response window rather than continuous monitoring. By implementing periodic action with defined monitoring occasions and sleep periods, the system reduces power consumption while ensuring that RAR messages are detected at appropriate moments when the base station is likely to transmit them.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

2Use of energy by moving object

If the UE enters sleep mode during the response window, then power consumption is reduced, but the response delay increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveUE power consumptionVSAvoidRandom access response delay

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The UE performs preliminary actions by monitoring RAR in early sub-windows before entering sleep mode. By proactively checking for RAR messages in the initial monitoring occasions, the system reduces the likelihood of missing responses while allowing the UE to enter low-power states later in the response window, thus balancing power savings with response timing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The monitoring behavior is made dynamic by adapting the UE's monitoring schedule based on network conditions and traffic patterns. The system can dynamically adjust which sub-windows to monitor and when to enter sleep mode, optimizing the trade-off between power consumption and response delay based on real-time requirements rather than using fixed static behavior.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS20250106761A1Power saving method and wireless communication system

Publication Date: 2025.03.27 CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGIES GMBH

AI summary

Power is saved by a user equipment (UE) in a communication system by sending a first message from a user equipment (UE) to a base station (gNB), monitoring a second message from base-station (gNB), starting a response window, monitoring a first mode and a second mode in the second message from base-station (gNB) by the user equipment (UE), whereby the first mode describes a first time period, and the second mode describes a second time period.