Telecommunications apparatus and methods implementing wake-up signaling with validity period

1. A method of operating a terminal device in a wireless telecommunications system comprising the terminal device and a plurality of network access nodes, wherein the method comprises:

establishing first wake-up signalling configuration information for a first network access node covering a first current location for the terminal device, wherein the first wake-up signalling configuration information comprises:

a first indication of a first wake-up signalling format to be transmitted by the first network access node in advance of transmitting a first paging message to indicate the terminal device should seek to decode the paging message, and

a second indication of an associated first wake-up signalling validity period for the first wake-up signalling format;

monitoring for signalling transmitted by one of the plurality of network access nodes in accordance with the first wake-up signalling format during the associated first wake-up signalling validity period, and seeking to decode a first subsequent paging message under a first condition where wake-up signalling in accordance with the first wake-up signalling format is detected; and

performing, by the terminal device, a cell selection/reselection procedure to establish second wake-up signalling configuration information for a second network access node when it is determined that the associated first wake-up signalling validity period has expired.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to determining the associated first wake-up signalling validity period has expired, monitoring for subsequent paging messages regardless of whether wake-up signalling in accordance with the first wake-up signalling format is detected.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to determining that the associated first wake-up signalling validity period has expired, establishing the second wake-up signalling configuration information for the second network access node covering a second current location for the final device, wherein the second wake-up signalling configuration information comprises:

a third indication of a second wake-up signalling format to be transmitted by the second network access node in advance of transmitting a second paging message to indicate the terminal device should seek to decode the paging message, and

a fourth indication of an associated second wake-up signalling validity period for the second wake-up signalling format; and

monitoring for signalling transmitted by said one of the plurality of network access nodes in accordance with the second wake-up signalling format during the associated second wake-up signalling validity period, and seeking to decode a second subsequent paging message under a second condition where wake-up signalling in accordance with the second wake-up signalling format is detected.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first network access node still covers the location for the terminal device when it is determined that the associated first wake-up signalling validity period has expired so that the first and second network access nodes are the same network access node.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the terminal device moves during the associated first wake-up signalling validity period such that the first network access node no longer covers the location for the terminal device when it is determined that the associated first wake-up signalling validity period has expired so that the first and second network access nodes are different network access nodes.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the terminal device establishes the first wake-up signalling configuration information from system information broadcast (SIB) signalling transmitted by the first network access node.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the terminal device establishes the first wake-up signalling configuration information from radio resource control (RRC) signalling transmitted by the first network access node.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising in response to detecting wake-up signalling in accordance with the first wake-up signalling format in the associated first wake-up signalling validity period, determining whether the detected wake-up signalling is transmitted by a network access node other than the first network access node, and under a second condition that the network access node other than the first network access node transmits the detected wake-up signalling, seeking to decode system information from the network access node that transmitted the detected wake-up signalling to facilitate exchange of subsequent paging message signalling.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a duration of the associated first wake-up signalling validity period is derived from an estimated mobility for the terminal device and/or a context awareness for the terminal device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in response to detecting signalling transmitted by one of the plurality of network access nodes in accordance with the first wake-up signalling format during the associated first wake-up signalling validity period, and decoding the first subsequent paging message, the terminal device responds to the paging message, and then establishes updated wake-up signalling configuration information and monitors for signalling transmitted by said one of the plurality of network access nodes in accordance with the updated wake-up signalling information, wherein the updated wake-up signalling configuration information is established from one or more of: (i) the first wake-up signalling configuration information, (ii) RRC signalling associated with the paging response, and (iii) a cell selection/reselection procedure performed after responding to the paging message.

11. A mobile terminal device for use in a wireless telecommunications system comprising the mobile terminal device and a plurality of network access nodes, wherein the mobile terminal device comprises controller circuitry and transceiver circuitry configured to operate together such that the mobile terminal device is operable to:

establish first wake-up signalling configuration information for a first network access node covering a first current location for the mobile terminal device, upon receiving the first wake-up signalling configuration information from one of the plurality of network access nodes, wherein the first wake-up signalling configuration information comprises:

a first indication of a first wake-up signalling format to be transmitted by the first network access node in advance of transmitting a first paging message to indicate the mobile terminal device should seek to decode the paging message, and

a second indication of an associated first wake-up signalling validity period for the first wake-up signalling format;

monitor for signalling transmitted by one of the plurality of network access nodes in accordance with the first wake-up signalling format during the associated first wake-up signalling validity period, and seek to decode a subsequent paging message under a condition where wake-up signalling in accordance with the first wake-up signalling format is detected; and

in response to determining that the associated first wake-up signalling validity period has expired, establishing, via a cell selection/reselection procedure, second wake-up signalling configuration information for a second network access node different from the first network access node that covers a second current location for the mobile terminal device different from the first current location for the mobile terminal device.

12. A method of operating a first network access node in a wireless telecommunications system comprising a terminal device and a plurality of network access nodes, wherein the method comprises:

establishing an indication of an estimated mobility for the terminal device;

determining first wake-up signalling configuration information for the terminal device, wherein the first wake-up signalling configuration information comprises:

an indication of a first wake-up signalling format to be transmitted by the first network access node in advance of transmitting a paging message to indicate the terminal device should seek to decode the paging message, and

an indication of an associated first wake-up signalling validity period for the first wake-up signalling format, wherein the first wake-up signalling validity period is determined from the indication of the estimated mobility for the terminal device, whereby an indication of a higher estimated mobility for the terminal device is associated with a shorter first wake-up signalling validity period than an indication of a lower estimated mobility for the terminal device; and

transmitting an indication of the first wake-up signalling configuration information to the terminal device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the wireless telecommunications system comprises a mobility management entity, and the indication of the estimated mobility for the terminal device is established from information regarding the expected mobility for the terminal device received by the first network access node from the mobility management entity.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the indication of the estimated mobility for the terminal device is established from information regarding the expected mobility for the terminal device received by the first network access node from the terminal device.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the indication of the estimated mobility for the terminal device is established from a terminal device type classification for the terminal device.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the first network access node conveying an indication of the first wake-up signalling format to a second network access node operating in the wireless telecommunications system.