Core network node and method—time coordinated cells for extended discontinuous receive (eDRX)

1. A core network (CN) node configured to interact with a plurality of radio access network (RAN) nodes to time coordinate a plurality of cells and maintain a reliability of paging a wireless device, the CN node comprising:

a processor; and,

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor interfaces with the memory to execute the processor-executable instructions, whereby the CN node is operable to:

transmit a paging request to one of the RAN nodes, wherein the paging request includes information associated with the wireless device, the information for using by the one RAN node to calculate a time remaining until a next paging opportunity for the wireless device within the cells comprising a paging area of the wireless device, and wherein the information comprises an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of the wireless device, an extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle length of the wireless device, and a coverage class of the wireless device; and,

receive a paging response from the one RAN node, wherein the paging response includes the time remaining until a next paging opportunity for the wireless device.

2. The CN node of claim 1 , wherein:

the paging request is a dummy paging request; and,

the paging response is a dummy paging response, wherein the dummy paging request is defined to trigger the one RAN node to calculate the time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device and then transmit the dummy paging request which includes the time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device without the one RAN node transmitting a paging message over a radio interface to the wireless device.

3. The CN node of claim 1 , wherein the CN node is further operable to:

maintain an extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle timer associated with the wireless device by using the obtained time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device and an eDRX cycle length associated with the wireless device.

4. The CN node of claim 3 , wherein the CN node is further operable to perform the maintain operation as follows:

obtaining updated information indicating the time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device; and

modifying the eDRX cycle timer based on the obtained updated information indicating the time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device.

5. The CN node of claim 3 , wherein the CN node is further operable to:

set the eDRX cycle timer to expire a predetermined time before the next paging opportunity for the wireless device;

upon the expiration of the eDRX cycle timer and based on there being a buffered paging message for the wireless device, transmit one or more paging requests to the one or more RAN nodes managing the cells comprising the paging area of the wireless device and restart the eDRX cycle timer; and,

upon the expiration of the eDRX cycle timer and based on there being no buffered paging message for the wireless device, restart the eDRX cycle timer.

6. A method in a core network (CN) node configured to interact with a plurality of radio access network (RAN) nodes for time coordinating a plurality of cells and maintaining a reliability of paging a wireless device, the method comprising:

transmitting a paging request to one of the RAN nodes, wherein the paging request includes information associated with the wireless device, the information for using by the one RAN node to calculate a time remaining until a next paging opportunity for the wireless device within the cells comprising a paging area of the wireless device, and wherein the information comprises an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of the wireless device, an extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle length of the wireless device, and a coverage class of the wireless device; and,

receiving a paging response from the one RAN node, wherein the paging response includes the time remaining until a next paging opportunity for the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the paging request is a dummy paging request; and,

the paging response is a dummy paging response, wherein the dummy paging request is defined to trigger the one RAN node to calculate the time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device and then transmit the dummy paging request which includes the time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device without the one RAN node transmitting a paging message over a radio interface to the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

maintaining an extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle timer associated with the wireless device by using the obtained time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device and an eDRX cycle length associated with the wireless device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the maintaining step further comprises:

obtaining updated information indicating the time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device; and

modifying the eDRX cycle timer based on the obtained updated information indicating the time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

setting the eDRX cycle timer to expire a predetermined time before the next paging opportunity for the wireless device;

upon the expiration of the eDRX cycle timer and based on there being a buffered paging message for the wireless device, transmitting one or more paging requests to the one or more RAN nodes managing the cells comprising the paging area of the wireless device and restarting the eDRX cycle timer; and,

upon the expiration of the eDRX cycle timer and based on there being no buffered paging message for the wireless device, restarting the eDRX cycle timer.

11. A core network (CN) node, comprising:

a processor; and,

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor interfaces with the memory to execute the processor-executable instructions, whereby the CN node is operable to:

send, to a radio access network (RAN) node, a dummy paging request associated with a wireless device, wherein the dummy paging request includes information for using by the RAN node to calculate a time remaining until a next paging opportunity for the wireless device, and wherein the information comprises an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of the wireless device, an extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle length of the wireless device, and a coverage class of the wireless device; and,

receive, from the RAN node, a dummy paging response which includes the time remaining until a next paging opportunity for the wireless device.

12. The CN node of claim 11 , wherein the CN node is further operable to send the dummy paging request as frequently or infrequently as desired to determine the time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device.

13. The CN node of claim 11 , wherein:

the CN node is a Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN); and,

the RAN node is a Base Station Subsystem (BSS).

14. A method in a core network (CN) node for time coordinating a plurality of cells and maintaining a reliability of paging a wireless device, the method comprising:

sending, to a radio access network (RAN) node, a dummy paging request associated with the wireless device, wherein the dummy paging request includes information for using by the RAN node to calculate a time remaining until a next paging opportunity for the wireless device, and wherein the information comprises an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) of the wireless device, an extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle length of the wireless device, and a coverage class of the wireless device; and,

receiving, from the RAN node, a dummy paging response which includes the time remaining until a next paging opportunity for the wireless device.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising sending the dummy paging request as frequently or infrequently as desired to determine the time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

the CN node is a Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN); and,

the RAN node is a Base Station Subsystem (BSS).

17. A core network (CN) node configured to interact with a plurality of radio access network (RAN) nodes to time coordinate a plurality of cells and maintain a reliability of paging a wireless device, the CN node comprising:

a processor; and,

a memory that stores processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor interfaces with the memory to execute the processor-executable instructions, whereby the CN node is operable to:

obtain, from one of the RAN nodes, information indicating a time remaining until a next paging opportunity for the wireless device within the cells comprising a paging area of the wireless device;

maintain an extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle timer associated with the wireless device by using the obtained time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device and an eDRX cycle length associated with the wireless device;

set the eDRX cycle timer to expire a predetermined time before the next paging opportunity for the wireless device;

upon the expiration of the eDRX cycle timer and based on there being a buffered paging message for the wireless device, transmit one or more paging requests to the one or more RAN nodes managing the cells comprising the paging area of the wireless device and restart the eDRX cycle timer; and,

upon the expiration of the eDRX cycle timer and based on there being no buffered paging message for the wireless device, restart the eDRX cycle timer.

18. A method in a core network (CN) node configured to interact with a plurality of radio access network (RAN) nodes for time coordinating a plurality of cells and maintaining a reliability of paging a wireless device, the method comprising:

obtaining, from one of the RAN nodes, information indicating a time remaining until a next paging opportunity for the wireless device within the cells comprising a paging area of the wireless device;

maintaining an extended Discontinuous Receive (eDRX) cycle timer associated with the wireless device by using the obtained time remaining until the next paging opportunity for the wireless device and an eDRX cycle length associated with the wireless device;

setting the eDRX cycle timer to expire a predetermined time before the next paging opportunity for the wireless device;

upon the expiration of the eDRX cycle timer and based on there being a buffered paging message for the wireless device, transmitting one or more paging requests to the one or more RAN nodes managing the cells comprising the paging area of the wireless device and restarting the eDRX cycle timer; and,

upon the expiration of the eDRX cycle timer and based on there being no buffered paging message for the wireless device, restarting the eDRX cycle timer.