IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,356,497
Granted Patent B2
US 12,356,497 · App. 18/586,384 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Technologies for controlling discontinuous reception operation

Inventors: Martin Feuersaenger (Bremen, DE); Christian Wengerter (Kleinheubach, DE); Joachim Loehr (Wiesbaden, DE); Alexander Golitschek Edler von Elbwart (Darmstadt, DE)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04W76/28H04L27/2602H04W52/0216H04W52/0225H04W72/23H04L5/0048Y02D30/70
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,356,497
App. No.
18/586,384
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure relates to methods for improving the discontinuous reception (DRX) operation of a user equipment (UE) by introducing media access control (MAC) control elements (CEs) to cause the UE to use short and long DRX cycles.

Claims (48)

1. One or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause processing circuitry to:

generate a signal to be transmitted to a user equipment (UE), the signal to include information to configure a short discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, a long DRX cycle, and an additional DRX cycle that is to be used by the UE to detect a downlink control channel message in parallel with the short DRX cycle or the long DRX cycle;

generate a first media access control (MAC) control element (CE) to be transmitted to the UE, wherein the first MAC CE is to cause the UE to use the short DRX cycle; and

generate a second MAC CE to be transmitted to the UE, the second MAC CE to cause the UE to use the long DRX cycle.

2. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processing circuitry to:

detect an expected end of downlink data; and

generate the second MAC CE based at least in part on detection of the expected end of the downlink data.

3. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 2 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processing circuitry to:

process an indication from the UE; and

detect the expected end of the downlink data based at least in part on the indication.

4. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 3 , wherein the indication is received in radio resource control signaling.

5. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the information is to configure the UE to repeat using the long DRX cycle until a scheduling message is transmitted from a base station.

6. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the signal comprises a radio resource control (RRC) signal.

7. A method comprising:

generating a signal to be transmitted to a user equipment (UE), the signal to include information to configure a short discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle and a long DRX cycle;

generating a first media access control (MAC) control element (CE) to be transmitted to the UE, wherein the first MAC CE is to cause the UE to use a DRX cycle;

detecting an expected end of downlink data; and

generating, based at least in part on detecting the expected end of the downlink data, a second MAC CE to be transmitted to the UE, wherein the second MAC CE is to cause the UE to use the long DRX cycle.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the DRX cycle is the short DRX cycle.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second MAC CE is to cause the UE to transition from the short DRX cycle to the long DRX cycle.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the signal comprises a radio resource control (RRC) signal.

11. A method comprising:

processing a signal that includes information to configure a short discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, a long DRX cycle, and an additional DRX cycle that is to be used to detect a downlink control channel message in parallel with the short DRX cycle or the long DRX cycle;

using the short DRX cycle based at least in part on a first media access control (MAC) control element (CE); and

using the long DRX cycle based at least in part on a second MAC CE.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first MAC CE and the second MAC are received from a base station.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

generating an indication of an expected end of downlink data, the indication to be transmitted to a base station.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

generating a radio resource control (RRC) signal that includes the indication.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the signal is a radio resource control (RRC) signal.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

using the short DRX cycle based at least in part on expiration of an inactivity timer.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the information is to configure repeated use of the long DRX cycle until a scheduling message is received from a base station.

18. An apparatus comprising:

memory to store information to configure a short discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle, a long DRX cycle, and an additional DRX cycle that is to be used to detect a downlink control channel message in parallel with the short DRX cycle or the long DRX cycle; and

processing circuitry coupled with the memory, the processing circuitry to:

process a signal that includes the information;

using the short DRX cycle based at least in part on a first media access control (MAC) control element (CE); and

using the long DRX cycle based at least in part on a second MAC CE.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the first MAC CE and the second MAC are received from a base station.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processing circuitry is further to:

generate an indication of an expected end of downlink data, the indication to be transmitted to a base station.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising:

generating a radio resource control (RRC) signal that includes the indication.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the processing circuitry is further to:

use the short DRX cycle based at least in part on expiration of an inactivity timer.

23. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the information is to configure repeated use of the long DRX cycle until a scheduling message is received from a base station.

Priority Claims (1)
EP 12000505 · Jan 26, 2012 · regional
Continuity (7)
Continuation 17568607 · Jan 4, 2022
Continuation 16590788 · Oct 2, 2019
Continuation 15965279 · Apr 27, 2018
Continuation 15469118 · Mar 24, 2017
Continuation 15164755 · May 25, 2016
Continuation 14372716
Related Publication 20240196475A1 · Jun 13, 2024
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