Enhancement of slotted mode operation for wireless communication

1. A method of configuring a wireless network and a wireless device for:

receiving, at the wireless device, a first control message indicative of support of an extended sleep cycle duration that is greater than an existing sleep cycle duration that is currently in use; and

sending, in response to the receiving, by the wireless device, a second control message that includes an extended preferred sleep cycle duration that is greater than the existing sleep cycle duration for use in communications in place of the existing sleep cycle duration.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first control message comprises a system parameter message (SPM).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second control message comprises one of a Registration Message, an Origination Message and a Page Response Message.

4. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving a first control message indicative of support of an extended sleep cycle duration that is greater than an existing sleep cycle duration; and

means for sending, in response to the first control message, a second control message that includes an extended preferred sleep cycle duration that is greater than the existing sleep cycle duration for use in communications in place of the existing sleep cycle.

5. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable, non-volatile medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for receiving a first control message indicative of support of an extended sleep cycle duration that is greater than an existing sleep cycle duration; and

code for sending, in response to the first control message, a second control message that includes an extended preferred sleep cycle duration that is greater than the existing sleep cycle duration for use in communications in place of the existing sleep cycle duration.

6. A method of configuring a wireless network and a wireless device for:

transmitting a first control message comprising a first field indicative of support of an extended sleep cycle duration that is greater than an existing sleep cycle duration;

receiving a second control message comprising a second field indicative of an operational extended preferred sleep cycle duration, wherein the operational extended preferred sleep cycle duration is greater than the existing sleep cycle and is for use in communications in place of the existing sleep cycle duration;

receiving a paging message; and

buffering the paging message for a duration based at least in part on the operational sleep cycle duration.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first control message comprises a system parameter message.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second message comprises a registration message.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the buffering of the paging message is performed if the paging message arrives before the wireless device wakes up.

10. The method of claim 9 , further including:

sending, when buffering the paging message, an acknowledgement message to indicate the deferred page will be sent later.

11. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

sending the buffered paging message when it is the time for the wireless device to wake up.

12. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:

means for transmitting a first control message comprising a first field indicative of support of an extended sleep cycle duration that is greater than an existing sleep cycle duration;

means for receiving a second control message comprising a second field indicative of an operational sleep cycle duration, wherein the operational extended preferred sleep cycle duration is greater than the existing sleep cycle and is for use in communications in place of the existing sleep cycle;

means for receiving a paging message; and

means for buffering the paging message for a duration based at least in part on the operational sleep cycle duration.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the means for buffering the paging message buffers the paging messages if the paging message arrives before the wireless device wakes up.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further including:

means for sending, when the paging message are buffered, an acknowledgement message to indicate the deferred page will be sent later.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:

means for sending the buffered paging message when it is the time for the wireless device to wake up.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable, non-volatile medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for transmitting a first control message comprising a first field indicative of support of an extended sleep cycle duration that is greater than an existing sleep cycle duration;

code for receiving a second control message comprising a second field indicative of an operational sleep cycle duration, wherein the operational extended preferred sleep cycle duration is greater than the existing sleep cycle and is for use in communications in place of the existing sleep cycle;

code for receiving a paging message; and

code for buffering the paging message for a duration based at least in part on the operational sleep cycle duration.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , wherein the code for buffering the paging message is performed if the paging message arrives before the wireless device wakes up.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 , further including:

code for sending, when the paging message is buffered, an acknowledgement message to indicate the deferred page will be sent later.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 , further including:

code for sending the buffered paging message when it is the time for the wireless device to wake up.