Wake-Up Signaling for Low-Power Paging Reception

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Solution Overview

Problem

User equipment (UE) inefficiently consumes power by monitoring for paging during scheduled time windows regardless of actual paging transmissions, leading to unnecessary power consumption.

Innovation Solution

Implementing wake-up signaling (WUS) to indicate whether paging is scheduled, allowing the UE to enter sleep mode if no transmission is intended, thereby controlling paging reception behavior.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the UE monitors for paging during the scheduled time window regardless of actual paging transmissions, then the UE ensures it does not miss any paging messages, but the UE consumes power inefficiently

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepaging reception reliabilityVSAvoidUE power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The network transmits a wake-up signal before the paging occasion to preliminarily indicate whether paging will be sent. The UE uses this advance information to decide whether to wake up for paging monitoring, avoiding unnecessary power consumption while ensuring reliable reception when paging is actually transmitted

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

A wake-up signal is introduced as an intermediary between the network's paging decision and the UE's paging monitoring action. This intermediary signal carries the paging indication information, allowing the UE to make informed decisions about whether to activate paging monitoring functions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Use of energy by moving object

If the UE enters sleep mode to conserve power, then the UE reduces power consumption, but the UE may miss paging transmissions

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveUE power consumptionVSAvoidpaging reception reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The network performs the action of transmitting wake-up signals before paging occasions to preliminarily notify the UE about upcoming paging transmissions. This allows the UE to reliably receive paging messages while minimizing unnecessary wake-ups and power consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Use of energy by moving object

If the network transmits wake-up signals to indicate paging status, then the UE can optimize power consumption, but the network increases signaling overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveUE power consumptionVSAvoidsignaling overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of transmitting wake-up signals for every possible paging occasion, the network transmits wake-up signals only when paging is actually intended to be sent. This partial action approach reduces signaling overhead while still enabling the UE to optimize power consumption based on actual paging needs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4165909B1Transmitting wake-up signals for paging operations

Publication Date: 2026.01.21 APPLE INC

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AI summary

A base station is configured to transmit wake-up signals to a user equipment to wake-up the UE to receive a page from the base station. The base station transmits one or more synchronization signals, wherein the synchronization signals correspond to a wake-up signal (WUS) that is to be transmitted to a user equipment (UE) operating in a paging discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, wherein the paging DRX cycle includes a paging occasion (PO) and transmits the WUS to the UE during a WUS occasion, wherein the WUS indicates whether the UE is to utilize an active mode or a sleep mode during the PO.