Method and apparatus for paging

1 . A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one memory; and

at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to:

receive UE grouping information configured by a network node, the UE grouping information indicating UE group identity (ID) information of one or more UEs in an inactive mode and one or more UEs in an idle mode, wherein the UE grouping information is commonly configured for the one or more UEs in the inactive mode and the one or more UEs in the idle mode; and

detect, in response to a paging grouping mechanism being enabled for the UE and based at least in part on the UE grouping information, group_ID indication information carried in at least one of paging physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or paging early indication (PEI).

2 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE grouping information indicates the UE group ID information by indicating range information of UEs in a number of UE groups.

3 . The UE of claim 2 , wherein the UE grouping information indicates at least one number range [x y] for UEs associated with a UE characteristic in the number of UE groups, and wherein the UE group ID information of the UE is computed based on a formulation [floor(x*N), floor(y*N)], wherein 0<=x<y<=1, both x and y are present in decimal or percent, and N is the number of UE groups and is an integer equal to or larger than 1.

4 . The UE of claim 2 , wherein the UE grouping information indicates a range set (x 1 , . . . x m ) of at least one range unit [x 1 x 2 ] . . . and [x m-1 x m ] for UEs associated with a UE characteristic in the number of UE groups, and wherein the UE group ID information or UE group set information of the UE is computed by at least one of:

floor[0, x 1 *N), floor[x 1 *N, x 2 *N), . . . , floor[x m-1 *N, x m *N), and floor[x m *N, 1*N];

floor[x 1 *N, x 2 *N), . . . , floor[x m-1 *N, x m *N), and floor[x m *N, 1*N];

floor[0, x 1 *N), floor[x 1 *N, x 2 *N), . . . , and floor[x m-1 *N, x m *N]; and

floor[x 1 *N, x 2 *N), . . . , and floor[x m-1 *N, x m *N],

wherein, 0<=x 1 , . . . x m <=1, and x 1 , . . . x m are present in decimal or percent, N is the number of UE groups, and both m and N are integer equal to or larger than 1.

5 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the UE to:

disable the paging grouping mechanism in response to the UE moving to the idle mode from the inactive mode.

6 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the UE to:

apply, in response to UE grouping information in a cell being received, the UE grouping information in the cell.

7 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the UE to compute the UE group ID information of the UE in a cell based on a mapping rule, wherein the mapping rule is of UE characteristic to UE groups in the cell and indicates a mapping order, and wherein the mapping order is row first or column first.

8 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE grouping information indicates UE group ID information of UEs in a dedicated area, and wherein the dedicated area comprises one or more of a cell-specific area, a base station (BS)-specific area, a radio access network (RAN)-specific area, tracking area (TA)-specific area, or a public land mobile network (PLMN)-specific area.

9 . A base station for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one memory; and

at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the base station to:

receive information on user equipment (UE) paging grouping from a network node; and

transmit UE grouping information, the UE grouping information indicating UE group identity (ID) information of one or more UEs in an inactive mode and one or more UEs in an idle mode, wherein the UE grouping information is commonly configured for the one or more UEs in the inactive mode and the one or more UEs in the idle mode.

10 . The base station of claim 9 , wherein the UE grouping information indicates the UE group ID information by indicating range information of UEs in a number of UE groups.

11 . The base station of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the base station to one or more of receive or transmit statistic information, wherein the statistic information comprises at least one of:

at least one number of UEs in at least one of a power saving mode, in the inactive mode, in the idle mode, and in a paging probability zone in a dedicated area;

at least one percent of UEs in at least one of a power saving mode, in the inactive mode, in the idle mode, and in a paging probability zone in a dedicated area; or

at least one level of UEs in at least one of a power saving mode, in the inactive mode, in the idle mode, and in a paging probability zone in a dedicated area.

12 . A processor for wireless communication, comprising:

at least one controller coupled with at least one memory and configured to cause the processor to:

receive user equipment (UE) grouping information configured by a network node, the UE grouping information indicating UE group identity (ID) information of one or more UEs in an inactive mode and one or more UEs in an idle mode, wherein the UE grouping information is commonly configured for the one or more UEs in the inactive mode and the one or more UEs in the idle mode; and

detect, in response to a paging grouping mechanism being enabled for a UE and based at least in part on the UE grouping information, group ID indication information carried in at least one of paging physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or paging early indication (PEI).

13 . The processor of claim 12 , wherein the UE grouping information indicates the UE group ID information by indicating range information of UEs in a number of UE groups.

14 . A method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:

receiving UE grouping information configured by a network node, the UE grouping information indicating one or more of UE group identity (ID) information or UE group set information of one or more UEs in an inactive mode and one or more UEs in an idle mode, wherein the UE grouping information is commonly configured for the one or more UEs in the inactive mode and the one or more UEs in the idle mode; and

detecting, if that in response to a paging grouping mechanism being enabled for the UE and based at least in part on the UE grouping information, group_ID indication information carried in at least one of paging physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) or paging early indication (PEI).

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the UE grouping information indicates the UE group ID information by indicating range information of UEs in a number of UE groups.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the UE grouping information indicates at least one number range [x y] for UEs associated with a UE characteristic in the number of UE groups, and wherein the UE group ID information of the UE is computed based on a formulation [floor(x*N), floor(y*N)], wherein 0<=x<y<=1, both x and y are present in decimal or percent, and N is the number of UE groups and is an integer equal to or larger than 1.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the UE grouping information indicates a range set (x 1 , . . . x m ) of at least one range unit [x 1 x 2 ] . . . and [x m-1 x m ] for UEs associated with a UE characteristic in the number of UE groups, and wherein the UE group ID information of the UE is computed by at least one of:

floor[0, x 1 *N), floor[x 1 *N, x 2 *N), . . . , floor[x m-1 *N, x m *N), and floor[x m *N, 1*N];

floor[x 1 *N, x 2 *N), . . . , floor[x m-1 *N, x m *N), and floor[x m *N, 1*N];

floor[0, x 1 *N), floor[x 1 *N, x 2 *N), . . . , and floor[x m-1 *N, x m *N]; and

floor[x 1 *N, x 2 *N), . . . , and floor[x m-1 *N, x m *N],

wherein, 0<=x 1 , . . . x m <=1, and x 1 , . . . x m are present in decimal or percent, N is the number of UE groups, and both m and N are integer equal to or larger than 1.

18 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

disabling the paging grouping mechanism in response to the UE moving to the idle mode from the inactive mode.

19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

applying, in response to UE grouping information in a cell being received, the UE grouping information in the cell.

20 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

computing the UE group ID information of the UE in a cell based on a mapping rule, wherein the mapping rule is of UE characteristic to UE groups in the cell and indicates a mapping order, and wherein the mapping order is row first or column first.