METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR OPTIMIZING POWER CONSUMPTION EFFICIENCY OF USER EQUIPMENT

• US 20160073341A1
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Chao, Hua, Wang, He
• Application Number:
  US14/782,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20160073341A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/28 Discontinuous transmission [DTX]; Discontinuous reception [DRX]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

An objective of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for optimizing power consumption efficiency of user equipment. Specifically, the user equipment sends power saving related information corresponding to the user equipment to a corresponding network device; the network device determines to activate or deactivate the active timer of the user equipment in a NAS idle state; when it is determined to activate the active timer, the network determines an activation value in setting information of the active timer based on the power saving related information or ancillary reference information of the active timer; the network device sends the setting information of the active timer to the user equipment. In this way, the network may perform power saving setting processing according to the actual application need of the user equipment, which not only further optimizes the power consumption efficiency of the user equipment but also enhances the management efficiency for user equipment power saving control.

Claims

1. A method for optimizing power consumption efficiency of a user equipment, wherein the method comprises the following:

sending, by the user equipment, power saving-related information corresponding to the user equipment, to a corresponding network device;

determining, by the network device, activation or deactivation of an active timer corresponding to the user equipment in a NAS idle state;

when it is determined to activate the active timer, determining, by the network device, an activation value in setting information of the active timer based on the power saving-related information or ancillary reference information of the active timer;

sending, by the network device, the setting information of the active timer, to the user equipment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

if the setting information of the active timer includes an activation value, when the user equipment enters into the NAS idle state, starting the active timer;

when the active timer expires, migrating, by the user equipment, from the NAS idle state to a corresponding NAS hibernation state.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the determining an activation value further comprises:

when it is determined to deactivate the active timer, the network device determines a deactivation value in the setting information of the active timer;

wherein the step x further comprises;

when the setting information of the active timer includes the deactivation value, the user equipment is forbidden to enter into the NAS hibernation state.

4. The method according to claim 2 further comprising:

if the setting information of the active timer includes an activation value, when the user equipment enters into the NAS idle state, the user equipment entering into a normal residing state in a RRC idle state;

when the active timer expires, the user equipment migrating from the normal residing state into a residing hibernation state in the RRC idle state;

wherein the residing hibernation state includes at least any one of the following features;

forbidding the user equipment to perform measurement and reselection of a cell, wireless access technology, and network;

forbidding the user equipment to perform a mobility related process;

forbidding the user equipment to perform system information block monitoring;

forbidding the user equipment to perform paging monitoring.

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

when a periodical update timer expires or there is an uplink transmission need, the user equipment migrating from the NAS hibernation state into the NAS idle state, and migrating from the residing hibernation state into the normal residing state.

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

the user equipment performing a measurement and a cell reselection process corresponding to the periodical update timer or the uplink transmission need, and performing a corresponding periodical update process or an uplink data transmission process.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining activation or deactivation comprises:

determining, by the network device, to activate or deactivate an active timer corresponding to the user equipment in a NAS idle state based on a predetermined activating rule;

wherein the predetermined activating rule comprises at least any one of the following items;

when the power saving-related information includes power saving indication information of the user equipment, the network device determines to activate the active timer;

when the power saving-related information includes normal working indication information of the user equipment, the network device determines to deactivate the active timer;

when the network device detects that the user equipment is in a normal working state, the network device determines to deactivate the active timer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining an activation value comprises:

when it is determined to activate the active timer, the network device determines the activation value in the setting information of the active timer based on the power saving-related information in conjunction with the ancillary reference information of the active timer, wherein the power saving-related information includes a recommended activation value about the active timer of the user equipment;

wherein the ancillary reference information includes at least one of the following items;

customized information about the active timer of the user equipment;

machine-type communication application information corresponding to the user equipment;

local configuration information of the network where the user equipment is located.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the sending by the user equipment comprises:

sending, by the user equipment, power saving-related information corresponding to the user equipment to the corresponding network device with an attachment and/or periodical update process, wherein the power saving-related information includes a recommended activation value about the active timer of the user equipment;

wherein the step d comprises;

sending, by the network device, the setting information of the active timer to the user equipment with the attachment and/or periodical update process.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the sending by the user equipment comprises:

sending, by the user equipment, the power saving-related information corresponding to the user equipment to the corresponding access device using a corresponding RRC signaling;

sending, by the access device, the power saving-related information to the corresponding network device using an interface signaling corresponding to the network device;

wherein the sending by the network device comprises;

sending, by the network device, the setting information of the active timer to the access device using an interface signaling corresponding to the access device;

sending, by the access device, the setting information of the active timer to the user equipment using a corresponding RRC signaling.

11. User equipment for optimizing power consumption efficiency of the user equipment, wherein the user equipment comprises:

a first sending module configured to send power saving-related information corresponding to the user equipment, to a corresponding network device;

a first receiving module configured to receive setting information of an active timer sent from the network device and corresponding to the power saving-related information.

12. The user equipment according to claim 11, wherein the user equipment further comprises a state migrating module configured to:

if the setting information of the active timer includes an activation value, when the user equipment enters into the NAS idle state, start the active timer;

when the active timer expires, migrate from the NAS idle state to a corresponding NAS hibernation state.

13. A network device for optimizing power consumption efficiency of user equipment, wherein the network device comprises:

a second receiving module configured to receive power saving-related information sent from the user equipment and corresponding to the user equipment;

a first determining module configured to determine activation or deactivation of an active timer corresponding to the user equipment in a NAS idle state;

a second determining module configured to determine, when it is determined to activate the active timer, an activation value in setting information of the active timer based on the power saving-related information or ancillary reference information of the active timer;

a second sending module configured to send the setting information of the active timer, to the user equipment.

14. The network device according to claim 13, wherein the second determining module is configured to:

when it is determined to activate the active timer, determine the activation value in the setting information of the active timer based on the power saving-related information in conjunction with the ancillary reference information of the active timer, wherein the power saving-related information includes a recommended activation value about the active timer of the user equipment;

wherein the ancillary reference information includes at least one of the following items;

customized information about the active timer of the user equipment;

machine-type communication application information corresponding to the user equipment;

local configuration information of the network where the user equipment is located.

15. A communication system for optimizing power consumption efficiency of user equipment, wherein the communication system comprises at least one user equipment comprising a first sending module configured to send power saving-related information corresponding to the user equipment, to a corresponding network device and a first receiving module configured to receive setting information of an active timer sent from the network device and corresponding to the power saving-related information, and a network device according to claim 13.