Wireless communications system, communications device and wireless network infrastructure

1. A method of receiving signals by a communications device from a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

controlling a receiver of the communications device to reduce a power consumption in accordance with a discontinuous reception (DRX) off period in which (1) no signals representing scheduling information are received via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) when in a connected mode and (2) the communications device can reduce a power to the receiver, the PDCCH being of a wireless access interface provided by the wireless communications network;

controlling the receiver of the communications device to increase the power consumption so as to detect whether or not signals from a group control channel have been received by the receiver during a first time slot of a DRX on period in which both (1) signals representing scheduling information may be transmitted by the wireless communications network via the PDCCH and (2) the communications device may increase the power to the receiver, wherein the group control channel provides a channel of the wireless access interface for receiving group control information transmitted by the wireless communications network for a group of communications devices, the communications device is a member of the group, and the group control information provides an indication of whether the communications device should configure the receiver to receive the scheduling information on the PDCCH during a time period; and

in a case that both (1) the signals from the group control channel have been received by the receiver and the group control information indicates that the communications device should configure the receiver to receive the scheduling information on the PDCCH during the time period and (2) the time period is within the DRX on period:

controlling the receiver to restore power to the receiver so as to receive the scheduling information via the PDCCH during the time period within the DRX on period indicated by the group control information;

receiving the signals representing scheduling information via the PDCCH; and

configuring the receiver to receive signals via a shared channel of the wireless access interface in accordance with the scheduling information, wherein

the time period is the DRX on period,

the group control information received on the group control channel provides a DRX active indicator associated with each of one or more DRX on periods including the time period,

each DRX on period comprises one or more time slots, and

each DRX active indicator includes a bitmap indicating, at a symbol level, a scheduled time for the PDCCH during the associated DRX on period.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the slot format information associated with the time period provides the indication that the communications device should configure the receiver to receive the scheduling information on the PDCCH during the time period.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

in a case that no signals from the group control channel have been received by the receiver, controlling the receiver to reduce power so as not to receive signals representing scheduling information during the DRX on period.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting, during a plurality of DRX off periods, whether or not signals from the group control channel have been received by the receiver;

determining that signals from the group control channel have not been received by the receiver during each of the plurality of DRX off periods; and

in a case that the number of the plurality of the DRX off periods in which the signals from the group control channel have not been received exceeds a predetermined threshold, controlling the receiver to restore power to the receiver so as to receive the scheduling information via the PDCCH during a next DRX on period.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

in a case that the signals from the group control channel have been received by the receiver and the group control information does not provide an indication that the wireless communications network will transmit the scheduling information on the PDCCH during the DRX on period, controlling the receiver to reduce power so as not to receive signals representing scheduling information during the DRX on period.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving radio resource configuration, RRC, information from the wireless communications network indicating a desired behavior of the communications device when signals from the group control channel have not been received correctly by the communications device when the communications device is in at least one of:

an active mode during which the communications device is required to monitor a PDCCH continuously unless it receives an indication via the group control channel that monitoring is not required, and

a DRX mode during which the communications device is not required to monitor the PDCCH continuously;

detecting, when the communications device is in at least one of the active mode and the DRX mode, that signals from the group control channel have not been received by the receiver; and

in response to the detecting, controlling the receiver in accordance with the received RRC information to either reduce power consumption so as not to receive the signals representing scheduling information via the PDCCH, to restore power to the receiver so as to receive the scheduling information via the PDCCH, or to maintain power to the receiver so as to receive the scheduling information via the PDCCH.

7. The method according claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving radio resource configuration, RRC, information from the wireless communications network for configuring the receiver, the configuration information including at least one of:

one or more parameters indicating a transmission schedule for the group control channel, and

one or more parameters for determining the DRX on period; and

determining a starting time based on a start time of the DRX on period and the transmission schedule, wherein

the controlling the receiver of the communications device to increase the power consumption so as to detect whether or not signals from a group control channel have been received by the receiver comprises detecting whether or not the signals from the group control channel have been received by the receiver starting at the determined starting time.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the transmission schedule for the group control channel is based on a type of service being used by the communications device.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the group control channel is a group common PDCCH.

10. A method of transmitting scheduling information to a communications device in a connected mode by a wireless communications network, the method comprising:

scheduling a transmission time during a discontinuous reception (DRX) on period of the communications device for transmitting signals representing the scheduling information via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) to the communications device which can be received by the communications device by increasing a power to a receiver of the communications device;

transmitting, during a first time slot of the DRX on period, signals representing group control information on a group control channel, the DRX off period being a period during which (1) no signals representing scheduling information are transmitted via the PDCCH when the communications device is in a connected mode and (2) the communications device can reduce the power to the receiver, wherein the group control channel provides a channel of the wireless access interface for receiving group control information transmitted by the wireless communications network for a group of communications devices, the communications device is a member of the group, the group control information includes an indication that the communications device should configure the receiver to receive the scheduling information via the PDCCH during a time period, and the time period includes the transmission time; and

transmitting, during the DRX on period, the scheduling information for the communications device via the PDCCH, wherein

the communications device is configured to, in a case that both (1) the signals from the group control channel have been received by the receiver and the group control information indicates that the communications device should configure the receiver to receive the scheduling information on the PDCCH during the time period and (2) the time period is within the DRX on period:

restore power to the receiver so as to receive the scheduling information via the PDCCH during the time period within the DRX on period indicated by the group control information;

receive the signals representing scheduling information via the PDCCH; and

configure the receiver to receive signals via a shared channel of the wireless access interface in accordance with the scheduling information, wherein

the time period is the DRX on period,

the group control information transmitted on the group control channel provides a DRX active indicator associated with each of one or more DRX on periods including the time period,

each DRX on period comprises one or more time slots, and

each DRX active indicator includes a bitmap indicating, at a symbol level, a scheduled time for the PDCCH during the associated DRX on period.

11. A communications device, comprising:

receiver circuitry configured to receive signals from a wireless communications network via a wireless access interface provided by the wireless communications network; and

controller circuitry for controlling the receiver circuitry, the controller circuitry is configured to

control the receiver circuitry to reduce a power consumption in accordance with a discontinuous reception (DRX) off period in which (1) no signals representing scheduling information are received via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) when in a connected mode and (2) the communications device can reduce a power to the receiver, the PDCCH being of a wireless access interface provided by the wireless communications network;

control the receiver circuitry to increase the power consumption so as to detect whether or not signals from a group control channel have been received by the receiver during a first time slot of a DRX on period in which (1) signals representing scheduling information may be transmitted by the wireless communications network via the PDCCH and (2) the communications device may increase the power to the receiver, wherein the group control channel provides a channel of the wireless access interface for receiving group control information transmitted by the wireless communications network for a group of communications devices, the communications device is a member of the group, and the group control information provides an indication of whether the communications device should configure the receiver to receive the scheduling information on the PDCCH during a time period; and

in a case that both (1) the signals from the group control channel have been received by the receiver and the group control information indicates that the communications device should configure the receiver to receive the scheduling information on the PDCCH during the time period and (2) the time period is within the DRX on period:

control the receiver circuitry to restore power to the receiver so as to receive the scheduling information via the PDCCH during the time period within the DRX on period indicated by the group control information;

configure the receiver circuitry to receive the signals representing scheduling information via the PDCCH; and

configure the receiver circuitry to receive signals via a shared channel of the wireless access interface in accordance with the scheduling information, wherein

the time period is the DRX on period,

the group control information received on the group control channel provides a DRX active indicator associated with each of one or more DRX on periods including the time period,

each DRX on period comprises one or more time slots, and

each DRX active indicator includes a bitmap indicating, at a symbol level, a scheduled time for the PDCCH during the associated DRX on period.