Apparatus and method for paging in communication systems with large number of antennas

1. A method for paging configuration by a mobile station in a wireless network, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the mobile station, a parameter M representing a number of receiving (RX) beam instances at the mobile station in idle mode for the mobile station to finish one round of beam steering;

determining, by the mobile station, a timing for receiving a paging message from a base station, the timing being a function of the parameter M, the paging message comprising a mobile station identifier; and

receiving, by the mobile station, the paging message from the base station based on the determined timing.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the function comprises at least one of: a hashing function and a randomization function.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the function is configured such that lengths of a plurality of paging signals transmitted by the base station in each round of base station transmitter steering are substantially balanced.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the timing for receiving the paging message is also a function of at least one of: parameters related to transmitting beams of the base station, and the mobile station identifier.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter M is transmitted to the base station when the mobile station is in initial network entry, when the mobile station is in network reentry, before the mobile station enters the idle state, or when the mobile station is performing a location update.

6. An apparatus for use in a mobile station configured to receive paging messages in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

at least one antenna; and

a processor coupled to the at least one antenna, the processor configured to:

transmit, a parameter M, by the mobile station, representing a number of receiving (RX) beam instances at the mobile station in idle mode for the mobile station to finish one round of beam steering;

determine a timing for receiving a paging message from the base station, the timing is determined as a function of the parameter M, the paging message comprising a mobile station identifier; and

receive the paging message from the base station based on the determined timing.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the function comprises at least one of: a hashing function and a randomization function.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the function is configured such that lengths of a plurality of paging signals transmitted by the base station in each round of base station transmitter beam steering are substantially balanced.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the timing for receiving the paging message is also a function of at least one of: parameters related to transmitting beams of the base station, and the mobile station identifier.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processor transmits the parameter M to the base station when the mobile station is in initial network entry, when the mobile station is in network reentry, before the mobile station enters the idle state, or when the mobile station is performing a location update.

11. A method for paging configuration by a base station in a wireless network, the method comprising:

receiving, at the base station, a parameter M representing a number of receiving (RX) beam instances at a mobile station in idle mode for the mobile station to finish one round of beam steering;

determining, at the base station, a timing for transmitting a paging message to the mobile station, the timing being a function of the parameter M, the paging message comprising a mobile station identifier; and

transmitting, at the base station, the paging message to the mobile station based on the determined timing.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the function comprises at least one of: a hashing function and a randomization function.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the function is configured such that lengths of a plurality of paging signals transmitted by the base station in each round of base station transmitter beam steering are substantially balanced.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the timing for transmitting the paging message is also a function of at least one of: parameters related to transmitting beams of the base station, and the mobile station identifier.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the parameter M is received from the mobile station when the mobile station is in initial network entry, when the mobile station is in network reentry, before the mobile station enters the idle state, or when the mobile station is performing a location update.

16. An apparatus for use in a base station configured to transmit paging messages in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

at least one antenna; and

a processor coupled to the at least one antenna, the processor configured to:

receive a parameter M, at the base station, representing a number of receiving (RX) beam instances at the mobile station in idle mode for the mobile station to finish one round of beam steering;

determine, at the base station, a timing for transmitting a paging message to the mobile station, the timing is determined as a function of the parameter M, the paging message comprising a mobile station identifier; and

transmit, at the base station, the paging message to the mobile station based on the determined timing.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the function comprises at least one of: a hashing function and a randomization function.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the function is configured such that lengths of a plurality of paging signals transmitted by the base station in each round of base station transmitter beam steering are substantially balanced.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the timing for transmitting the paging message is also a function of at least one of: parameters related to transmitting beams of the base station, and the mobile station identifier.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processor receives the parameter M from the mobile station when the mobile station is in initial network entry, when the mobile station is in network reentry, before the mobile station enters the idle state, or when the mobile station is performing a location update.