ASSISTANCE INFORMATION FOR NETWORK POWER SAVING USING A POWER-CRITICAL INDICATION

Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application serial number 63/335,917, filed April 28, 2022, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media for reducing the power consumption of cellular networks.

Background

[0003] Energy consumption is a challenge in cellular systems including the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Fifth Generation (5G) system. The main power consumption in the 5G system comes from the radio of the Radio Access Network (RAN). The network power consumption for 5G New Radio (NR) is said to be less compared to Long Term Evolution (LTE) because of its lean design. In the current implementation, however, NR will likely consume more power than LTE due to the higher bandwidth and other new performanceenhancing features that contribute additional energy consumption. As the network is expected to be able to support the User Equipment (UE) with its maximum capability (e.g., throughput, coverage, etc.), the network may need to use a full capability configuration even when maximum support from the network support is not actually, or is rarely, needed by the UE. The network needs to know what network capability the UE actually needs to avoid a full capability configuration and save energy when less than full capability is enough for the UE.

[0004] 3GPP introduces a UE-based support mechanism through UE Assistance Information (UAI). In this mechanism, a UE can send its preference for several Radio Resource Control (RRC) parameters, including parameters related to Discontinuous Reception (DRX) configuration, bandwidth (BW), the number of serving cells, etc. The limit on how frequently the UE can send UAI is determined by a prohibit timer set by the network for each UAI item. The network, then, can configure the UE according to its preferred configurations whenever possible. It should be noted, that the network also evaluates its own considerations before following the configurations suggested by the UE.

[0005] The complete UAI available for a UE can be seen in UEAssistancelnformation information element captured in the following excerpt from 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 38.331 V17.0.0 Section 6.2.2.

***** _START EXCERPT FROM 3GPP TS 38.331*****

The UEAssistancelnformation message is used for the indication of UE assistance information to the network.

Signalling radio bearer: SRB 1

RLC-SAP: AM

Logical channel: DCCH

Direction: UE to Network

UEAssistancelnformation message

ASN1 START

- TAG-UEASSISTANCEINFORMATION-START

UEAssistancelnformation ::= SEQUENCE { critical Extensions CHOICE { ueAssistancelnformation UEAssistancelnformation-IEs, critical ExtensionsFuture SEQUENCE {}

UEAssistancelnformation-IEs ::= SEQUENCE ! delayBudgetReport Delay BudgetReport OPTIONAL, lateNonCriticalExtension OCTET STRING OPTIONAL, nonCritical Extension UEAssistancelnformation-v1540-IEs OPTIONAL

DelayBudgetReport: := CHOICE ! typel ENUMERATED { msMinus1280, msMinus640, msMinus320, msMinus160,msMinus80, msMinus60, msMinus40, msMinus20, msO, ms20,ms40, ms60, ms80, ms160, ms320, ms640, ms1280},

UEAssistancelnformation-v1540-IEs ::= SEQUENCE { overheatingAssistance OverheatingAssistance OPTIONAL, nonCritical Extension UEAssistancelnformation-v16xy-IEs OPTIONAL

OverheatingAssistance ::= SEQUENCE ! reducedMaxCCs SEQUENCE ! reducedCCsDL INTEGER (0..31), reducedCCsUL INTEGER (0..31)

} OPTIONAL, reducedMaxBW-FR1 SEQUENCE ! reducedBW-FR1-DL ReducedAggregatedBandwidth, reducedBW-FR1-UL ReducedAggregatedBandwidth

} OPTIONAL, reducedMaxBW-FR2 SEQUENCE { reducedBW-FR2-DL ReducedAggregatedBandwidth, reducedBW-FR2-UL ReducedAggregatedBandwidth

} OPTIONAL, reducedMaxMlMO-LayersFRI SEQUENCE ! reducedMIMO-LayersFR1-DL MIMO-LayersDL, reducedMIMO-LayersFR1-UL MIMO-LayersUL

} OPTIONAL, reducedMaxMIMO-LayersFR2 SEQUENCE ! reducedMIMO-LayersFR2-DL MIMO-LayersDL, reducedMIMO-LayersFR2-UL MIMO-LayersUL

} OPTIONAL

ReducedAggregatedBandwidth ::= ENUMERATED {mhzO, mhz10, mhz20, mhz30, mhz40, mhz50, mhz60, mhz80, mhzIOO, mhz200, mhz300, mhz400} UEAssistancelnformation-v16xy-IEs ::= SEQUENCE { idc-Assistance-r16 IDC-Assistance-r16 OPTIONAL, drx-Preference-r16 DRX-Preference-r16 OPTIONAL, maxBW-Preference-r16 MaxBW-Preference-r16 OPTIONAL, maxCC-Preference-r16 MaxCC-Preference-r16 OPTIONAL, maxMIMO-LayerPreference-r16 MaxMIMO-LayerPreference-r16 OPTIONAL, minSchedulingOffsetPreference-r16 MinSchedulingOffsetPreference-r16 OPTIONAL, releasePreference-r16 ReleasePreference-r16 OPTIONAL, sl-UE-AssistancelnformationNR-r16 SL-UE-AssistancelnformationNR-r16 OPTIONAL, nonCriticalExtension SEQUENCE {} OPTIONAL

IDC-Assistance-r16 ::= SEQUENCE { affectedCarrie r Freq List-r 16 AffectedCarrier Freq List-r 16 OPTIONAL, affectedCarrierFreqCombList-r16 AffectedCarrierFreqCombList-r16 OPTIONAL,

AffectedCarrierFreqList-r16 ::= SEQUENCE (SIZE (1.. maxFreqlDC-r16)) OF AffectedCarrierFreq-r16

AffectedCarrierFreq-r16 ::= SEQUENCE { carrierFreq-r16 ARFCN-ValueNR, interferenceDirection-r16 ENUMERATED {nr, other, both, spare}

AffectedCarrierFreqCombList-r16 ::= SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxComblDC-r16)) OF

AffectedCarrierFreqComb-r16

AffectedCarrierFreqComb-r16 ::= SEQUENCE { affectedCarrierFreqComb-r16 SEQUENCE (SIZE (2..maxNrofServingCells)) OF ARFCN-ValueNR OPTIONAL, victimSystemType-r16 VictimSystemType-r16 VictimSystemType-r16 ::= SEQUENCE ! gps-r16 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, glonass-r16 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, bds-r16 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, galileo-r16 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, navlC-r16 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, wlan-r16 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL, bluetooth-r16 ENUMERATED {true} OPTIONAL,

DRX-Preference-r16 ::= SEQUENCE { preferredDRX-lnactivityTimer-r16 ENUMERATED { msO, ms1 , ms2, ms3, ms4, ms5, ms6, ms8, ms10, ms20, ms30, ms40, ms50, ms60, ms80, ms100, ms200, ms300, ms500, ms750, ms1280, ms1920, ms2560, spare9, spare8, spare/, spare6, spare5, spare4, spare3, spare2, sparel} OPTIONAL, preferredDRX-LongCycle-r16 ENUMERATED { ms10, ms20, ms32, ms40, ms60, ms64, ms70, ms80, ms128, ms160, ms256, ms320, ms512, ms640, ms1024, ms1280, ms2048, ms2560, ms5120, ms10240, spare12, sparel 1 , sparel 0, spare9, spare8, spare/, spare6, spare5, spare4, spare3, spare2, sparel } OPTIONAL, preferred DRX-ShortCycle-r16 ENUMERATED { ms2, ms3, ms4, ms5, ms6, ms7, ms8, ms10, ms14, ms16, ms20, ms30, ms32, ms35, ms40, ms64, ms80, ms128, ms160, ms256, ms320, ms512, ms640, spare9, spare8, spare/, spare6, spare5, spare4, spare3, spare2, sparel } OPTIONAL, preferredDRX-ShortCycleTimer-r16 INTEGER (1..16) OPTIONAL

MaxBW-Preference-r16 ::= SEQUENCE { reducedMaxBW-FR1-r16 SEQUENCE ! reducedBW-FR1-DL-r16 ReducedAggregated Bandwidth, reducedBW-FR1-UL-r16 ReducedAggregated Bandwidth

} OPTIONAL, reducedMaxBW-FR2-r16 SEQUENCE ! reducedBW-FR2-DL-r16 ReducedAggregated Bandwidth, reducedBW-FR2-UL-r16 ReducedAggregated Bandwidth

} OPTIONAL

MaxCC-Preference-r16 ::= SEQUENCE ! reducedCCsDL-r16 INTEGER (0..31), reducedCCsUL-r16 INTEGER (0..31)

MaxMIMO-LayerPreference-r16 ::= SEQUENCE { reducedMaxMIM0-LayersFR1-r16 SEQUENCE } reducedMI M0-LayersFR1 -DL-r 16 INTEGER (1..8), reducedMI M0-LayersFR1 -UL-r 16 INTEGER (1..4)

} OPTIONAL, reducedMaxMIMO-LayersFR2-r16 SEQUENCE } reducedMI MO-LayersFR2-DL-r16 INTEGER (1..8), reducedMI MO-LayersFR2-UL-r16 INTEGER (1..4)

} OPTIONAL

MinSchedulingOffsetPreference-r16 ::= SEQUENCE { preferred KO-r16 SEQUENCE { preferredK0-SCS-15kHz-r16 ENUMERATED {sl1 , sl2, sl4, sl6} OPTIONAL, preferredK0-SCS-30kHz-r16 ENUMERATED {sl1 , sl2, sl4, sl6} OPTIONAL, preferredK0-SCS-60kHz-r16 ENUMERATED {sl2, sl4, sl8, sl12} OPTIONAL, preferredK0-SCS-120kHz-r16 ENUMERATED {sl2, sl4, sl8, si 12} OPTIONAL } OPTIONAL, preferred K2-r16 SEQUENCE ! preferredK2-SCS-15kHz-r16 ENUMERATED {sl1 , sl2, sl4, sl6} OPTIONAL, preferred K2-SCS-30kHz-r16 ENUMERATED {sl1 , sl2, sl4, sl6} OPTIONAL, preferred K2-SCS-60kHz-r16 ENUMERATED {sl2, sl4, sl8, sl12} OPTIONAL, preferredK2-SCS-120kHz-r16 ENUMERATED {sl2, sl4, sl8, sl12} OPTIONAL } OPTIONAL

ReleasePreference-r16 ::= SEQUENCE } preferred RRC-State-r16 ENUMERATED {idle, inactive, connected} OPTIONAL

SL-UE-AssistancelnformationNR-r16 ::= SEQUENCE (SIZE (1..maxNrofTrafficPattern-r16)) OF

TrafficPatternlnfo-r16

TrafficPatternlnfo-r16::= SEQUENCE } trafficPeriodicity-r16 ENUMERATED { ms20,ms50, ms100, ms200, ms300, ms400, ms500, ms600, ms700, ms800, ms900, ms1000}, timingOffset-r16 INTEGER (0..10239) OPTIONAL, messageSize-r16 BIT STRING (SIZE (8)) OPTIONAL, sl-QoS-Flowldentity-r16 SL-QoS-Flowl den ti ty-r 16 OPTIONAL

- TAG-UEASSISTANCEINFORMATION-STOP ASN1 STOP

*****END EXCERPT FROM 3GPP TS 38.331*****

[0006] Below is an example of the UAI procedures in 3GPP TS 38.331 Section 5.7.4. The example is for Connected-mode DRX (CDRX) UAI. Similar UAI procedures for other parameters can also be found in the same section. ***** _START EXCERPT FROM 3GPP TS 38.331*****

5.7.4.2 Initiation

<text omitted>

Upon initiating the procedure, the UE shall:

<text omitted>

1 > if configured to provide its preference on DRX parameters for power saving:

2> if the UE did not transmit a UEAssistancelnformation message with drx-Preference since it was configured to provide its preference on DRX parameters for power saving; or

2> if the current preference on DRX parameters is different from the one indicated in the last transmission of the UEAssistancelnformation message including drx-Preference and timer T346a is not running:

3> start timer T346a with the timer value set to the drx-PreferenceProhibitTimer,

3> initiate transmission of the UEAssistancelnformation message in accordance with 5.7.4.3 to provide its preference on DRX parameters for power saving;

<text omitted>

5.7.4.3 Actions related to transmission of UEAssistancelnformation message

The UE shall set the contents of the UEAssistancelnformation message as follows

<text omitted>

1 > if transmission of the UEAssistancelnformation message is initiated to provide its preference on DRX parameters for power saving according to 5.7.4.2:

2> include drx-Preference in the UEAssistancelnformation message;

2> set preferredDRX-LongCycle to a desired value;

2> set preferredDRX-lnactivityTimer to a desired value;

2> set preferredDRX-ShortCycle to a desired value;

2> set preferredDRX-ShortCycleTimerto a desired value;

*****END EXCERPT FROM 3GPP TS 38.331*****

[0007] There are currently exist certain challenges in reducing the power consumption of cellular networks. In particular, new techniques are needed to reduce power consumption by both UEs and, in particular, in the network equipment.

Summary

[0008] The present disclosure relates to methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media for reducing the power consumption of cellular networks. In one aspect, a method performed by a user equipment (UE) is disclosed. The method includes detecting a trigger for sending a UE assistance information (UAI) for network power saving using a power critical UE indication. The method further includes transmitting, to a network node, the UAI for the network power saving using the power critical UE indication. Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. In various embodiments, the network may acquire additional information from a UE such as UAI to make network adjustments which results in network power-saving such as time to sleep, reduced carrier power, Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) sleep, or carrier deactivation, without compromising the UE performance.

[0009] In some embodiments, the transmitting the UAI for the network power saving using the power critical UE indication includes transmitting the UAI for the network power saving using the power critical UE indication responsive to detecting the trigger for sending the UAI for the network power saving using the power critical UE indication. In some embodiments, the detecting the trigger includes detecting a percentage or amount of energy remaining in a battery of the UE is less than a configured or a predefined threshold percentage or amount of energy. In some embodiments, the UAI includes information indicating the UE is in a power critical state including a percentage or amount of energy remaining in a battery of the UE is less than a configured or a predefined threshold percentage or amount of energy. In some embodiments, the UAI includes information indicating a future time when the UE is to enter a power critical state including a percentage or amount of energy remaining in a battery of the UE is less than a configured or a predefined threshold percentage or amount of energy.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting, to the network node, a second UAI to update a status of the UE. In some embodiments, at the time of transmitting the second UAI, the UE is in the power critical state and the battery of the UE is being charged, and the second UAI includes information that indicates that the battery of the UE is being charged. In some embodiments, the information indicating the battery of the UE is being charged includes information indicating a time when charging of the battery of the UE started.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting, to the network node, a third UAI comprising information indicating that the battery of the UE has been charged to a predefined or configured threshold percentage or amount of energy including fully charged.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting, to the network node, one or more additional UAIs that include information related to a status of the battery of the UE. In some embodiments, the information related to the status of the battery of the UE includes information related to charging or discharging of the battery of the UE including information indicating a charging rate or discharging rate of the battery of the UE.

[0013] In some embodiments, the UAI includes: (a) information providing a qualitative description of a power status at the UE; (b) information indicating a UE type of the UE comprising an Internet of Things (loT) device, or a smart vehicle device; (c) information indicating a current battery status of the UE; (d) information about one or more specifications of the battery of the UE including one or more of a battery capacity, a battery type, a charge/discharge rate, or a life cycle remaining; (e) information indicating a preferred power saving mechanism; (f) an expiration timer that indicates when the UAI is to expire; (g) a trigger timer indicating a future time at which the UE expects to be in power-critical state; (h) information indicating one or more existing UAIs are used to provide assistance information to the network for network power saving; or (i) a combination of any two or more of (a) - (h).

[0014] In another aspect, a method is performed by a network node. The method includes receiving, from a UE, UAI for network power saving using power critical UE indication. The method further includes performing one or more actions related to network power saving based on the UAI received from the UE.

[0015] In some embodiments, the UAI includes information indicating the UE is in a power critical state including a percentage or amount of energy remaining in a battery of the UE is less than a configured or a predefined threshold percentage or amount of energy. In some embodiments, the UAI includes information that indicates that a future time at which the UE is to enter a power critical state including a percentage or amount of energy remaining in a battery of the UE is less than a configured or a predefined threshold percentage or amount of energy.

[0016] In some embodiments, the method performed at the network node includes one or more actions related to network power saving that include: (i) determining additional sleep time for the network node and operating accordingly; (ii) determining a MIMO sleep time for the network node and operating accordingly; (iii) deactivating one or more carriers at the network node; (iv) adjusting one or more periodic reference signals; (v) decreasing a number of Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring occasions; (vi) decreasing a frequency of PDCCH monitoring occasions; (vii) configuring the UE with a smaller number of MIMO layers; (viii) configuring the UE with a smaller bandwidth; (ix) configuring the UE with a smaller number of component carriers; (x) lowering an operating bandwidth of the network node; (xi) deactivating one or more component carriers served by the network node; (xii) reducing a number of cells including reducing a number of Secondary Cells (SCells) served by the network node; or (xiii) a combination of any two or more of (i) - (xii).

[0017] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, from the UE, a second UAI to update a status of the UE; and performing one or more actions related to network power saving based on the second UAI.

[0018] In some embodiments, the second UAI includes information indicating that the battery of the UE is being charged. In some embodiments, the information indicating the battery of the UE is being charged includes information indicating a time when charging of the battery of the UE started.

[0019] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, from the UE, a third UAI comprising information that indicating the battery of the UE has been charged to a predefined or configured threshold level including fully charged or charged to a predefined or a configured threshold percentage or amount of energy; and performing one or more actions related to network power saving based on the third UAI.

[0020] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, from the UE, one or more additional UAIs that include information related to a status of the battery of the UE; and performing one or more actions related to network power saving based on the one or more additional UAIs. In some embodiments, the information related to the status of the battery of the UE includes information related to charging or discharging of the battery of the UE including information that indicates a charging rate or discharging rate of the battery of the UE.

[0021] In some embodiments, the UAI includes: (a) information that provides a qualitative description of a power status at the UE; (b) information that indicates a UE type of the UE including an loT device or a smart vehicle device, or another device; (c) information that indicates a current battery status of the UE; (d) information about one or more specifications of the battery of the UE including a battery capacity, a battery type, a charge/discharge rate, or a life cycle; (e) information that indicates a preferred power saving mechanism; (f) an expiration timer that indicates when the UAI is to expire; (g) a trigger timer that indicates a future time at which the UE expects to be in power-critical state; (h) information that indicates one or more existing UAI is used to provide assistance information to the network for network power saving; or (i) a combination of any two or more of (a) - (h).

[0022] In another aspect, a UE is disclosed. The UE includes receiver circuitry; and processing circuitry associated with the receiver circuitry, the processing circuitry configured to cause the second network node apparatus to at least: detect a trigger for sending a UAI for network power saving using a power critical UE indication; and transmit, to a network node, the UAI for the network power saving using the power critical UE indication.

[0023] In another aspect, a network node is disclosed. The network node includes: receiver circuitry; and processing circuitry associated with the receiver circuitry, the processing circuitry configured to cause the second network node apparatus to at least: receive, from a UE, UAI, for network power saving using power critical UE indication; and perform one or more actions related to network power saving based on the UAI received from the UE. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part of this specification illustrate several aspects of the disclosure, and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0025] Figure 1 illustrates the operation of a User Equipment (UE) and a network node such as a base station.

[0026] Figure 2 shows an example of a communication system including connectivity between UEs, network nodes, a core network node, and a host, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0027] Figure 3 shows an example of a UE, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0028] Figure 4 shows an example of a network node, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0029] Figure 5 shows an example of a host, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0030] Figure 6 shows an example of a virtualization environment, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0031] Figure 7 shows a communication diagram of a host communicating via a network node with a UE over a partially wireless connection, in accordance with some embodiments.

Detailed Description

[0032] The embodiments set forth below represent information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure.

[0033] There currently exist certain challenges. Most User Equipment (UE) Assistance Information (UAI) is used only for UE power saving e.g., preference on Discontinuous Reception (DRX) parameters, maximum aggregated bandwidth, number of secondary components carriers, number of Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) layers, etc. While these preferences provide a good tool for the UE to inform the network about power-consumption friendly configuration for most applications, these parameters are designed mainly for UE power saving and do not consider network power saving. Although the existing UAI preferences can be exploited for network power saving, the existing UAI does not provide a full set of parameters that are needed for network power saving. [0034] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. Embodiments of systems and methods in which a UE provides UAI for network power saving purposes using power critical UE indication.

[0035] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. Using embodiments of the proposed approaches, the network may acquire additional information from a UE to make several network adjustments such as time to sleep, reduced carrier power, MIMO sleep, or even carrier deactivation which results in network power-saving, without compromising the UE performance.

[0036] Herein, a scenario is considered in which a UE is configured with UAI for network power saving which may include information about power critical UE indication. Specifically, embodiments for providing UAI for network power saving such that the network can decide to determine parameters related to power critical UE indication. An example of the operation of a UE 100 and a network node 102 (e.g., a base station such as, e.g., a New Radio Base Station (gNB) or a network node that performs part of the functionality of a base station such as, e.g., a gNB Central Unit (gNB-CU) or a gNB Distributed Unit (gNB -DU)) in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown in Figure 1 where optional steps are represented by dashed lines/boxes. As illustrated, the UE 100 optionally detects a trigger for sending UAI for network power saving using power critical UE indication (step 103). This UAI may thus be referred to herein as “UAI for network power saving” or “UAI for power critical UE indication” (which is then used by the network to power action(s) related to network power saving). The UE 100 sends, to the network node 102, UAI for power critical UE indication (step 104). Note that if step 103 is performed, then step 104 is performed responsive to detecting the trigger in step 103. The network node 102 performs one or more actions related to one or more network power saving features which are also beneficial to the UE 100 in terms of power saving (step 106). Examples of the one or more actions performed in step 106 include, e.g., determining and using additional sleep time (e.g., micro-sleep or light-sleep), MIMO sleep, carrier deactivation, etc. For carrier deactivation, the UE 100 does not need to process multiple carriers, which also reduces power consumption at the UE 100. The UE 100 may optionally send one or more UAI updates to the network node 102 (step 108), and the network node 102 may take further action(s) related to network power savings based on the UAI update(s) received from the UE 100, as described in detail below (step 110).

[0037] Below, a number of mechanisms are disclosed to accommodate the above conditions.

UAI for Power- Critical UE Indication

[0038] In one embodiment, UE 100 indicates if it became a power critical UE using the UAI of step 104, which will help the network (e.g., the network node 102) to save energy and also help the UE 100 to conserve energy when it is in power critical mode.

[0039] In one embodiment, the UE 104 uses a threshold for percentage or energy remaining to trigger sending of the UAI in step 104. This threshold may be predefined or configured by the network (e.g., by the network node 102). The UE 104 can be triggered to send the UAI in step 104 if it reaches this threshold. Take note that the UAI in step 104 can also include a trigger timer to inform the network (e.g., the network node 102) on when the power-critical mode will be activated. In one example, the threshold is configured by the network node 102, e.g., using higher layer signaling such as System Information (SI) broadcast or Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. In another example, the threshold is pre-defined, e.g., as in standardization documentations, or pre-configured (e.g., during manufacturing). The threshold can be also in terms of an absolute power/energy level, e.g., 10 joules, or a relative one, e.g., 20% of the total storage capacity.

[0040] In one embodiment, in the event that the UE 100 is in charging state, the UE 100 sends, to the network (e.g., the network node 102), another UAI to update the status of the UE 100, where, in one embodiment, this UAI includes the time the UE 100 started charging. In one embodiment, the UE 100 additionally or alternatively sends another UAI after the UE 102 finishes charging, where this UAI may include information that indicates a current battery status (e.g., fully charged) and a time of discharge (e.g., time that the UE 100 finishes charging or time at which the UE 100 was unplugged from an electrical outlet such that charging stops) for updates. These UAI during and after charging the UE 100 will help the network (e.g., the network node 102) to judge whether to enable or disable the power-critical mode of the UE 100. For example, the time of charging and discharging may be used to determine a charging/discharging rate of the UE 100, where this charging/discharging rate of the UE 100 may be used by the network (e.g., by the network node 102) as additional criteria for enabling power-critical mode for UE 100.

[0041] In another embodiment, the UE 100 combines the UAI of step 104 with other UAI(s), e.g., preference for the number of Component Carriers (CCs), maximum bandwidth (BW), etc. For example, the UE 100 can send a UAI for power criticality with a second UAI, e.g., the number of CCs or which CCs to be deactivated, showing its preference for the power saving mechanisms using CC adaption mechanisms. Or in another example, it may be combined with maximum BW, thereby showing its preference for BW adaptation mechanisms, or with a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) monitoring periodicity preference, number of MIMO layers, and so on, or a combination of all. Triggers of UAI for Network Power Saving

[0042] The sending of UAI for network power saving may be triggered in step 103 of Figure 1 (or prevented to be triggered) by any one or more of the following:

[0043] (a) A timer to prohibit frequent reports sent by the UE, i.e. the UE can only send another report once the timer expires.

[0044] (b) Providing different information as a condition to send a subsequent report, i.e. if the UE have already sent a report concerning network power saving (or a particular field / Information Element (IE) within UAI for network power saving), it can only send another report if it concerns different information compared to the previous report.

[0045] (c) During a handover, e.g. right after the handover (reconfiguration with sync) to a target cell the UE indicates an UAI for network power saving to the target cell.

[0046] (d) During a reconfiguration procedure other than handover.

[0047] (e) During a connection setup, e.g. after security is established.

[0048] (f) During a re-establishment procedure.

[0049] (g) During a resume procedure.

[0050] (h) Before the UE is suspended.

[0051] (i) For a UE that is configured to provide UAI on network power saving, when the

UE initiates RRC connection re-establishment procedure or when the UE initiates a RRC resume procedure, the configuration related with UAI on network power saving is released by the UE.

[0052] (j) If sending an UAI message that no longer include fields related to network power saving - this may indicate to the network that the UE no longer has a preference on network power saving, or can no longer cope with a certain network pattern for power saving.

[0053] (k) Network configured conditions (which could include any of the other conditions listed here).

[0054] (1) On network request, e.g., the network can request the UE through a Downlink

Control Information (DO) or Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling to transmit a UAI related to NW power saving, or request more explicitly about one or more individual UAI types. In this case, the DCI/MAC can additionally also determine the resources which the UE can use in order to transmit the UAI. This approach is particularly useful when aperiodic UAI is required by network NW in order to tune its power saving measures.

Format of UAI for NW Power Saving

[0055] The UAI (e.g., in step 104) can be defined by at least one IE and/or at least one field containing information related to power-critical UE. It may further include at least one of: [0056] (a) A qualitative description on the power situation at the UE. For example, the

UAI may have the options of {charging, normal, critical, very critical, etc. }. Furthermore, the description of each power situation may be defined, either quantitatively or qualitatively by the standard. For example, UAI with enumerated value of very critical should be sent by the UE having less than 5% of battery time remaining while UAI with enumerated value of critical can only be sent by the UE having less than 15% of battery time remaining.

[0057] (b) Type of UE can be included in the IE whether loT device, smart vehicle, etc.

With this information, the network can judge whether power-critical mode is necessary especially for UEs related to healthcare, public safety, etc.

[0058] (c) Current battery status of the UE such as percentage or energy remaining so that network may have knowledge of the power critical level remaining. This percentage or energy remaining information from UE will also help the network whether to perform MIMO sleep, carrier deactivation, longer sleep mode, etc. This IE can also include whether UE is in charging state and the time it starts charging, which helps the network determine whether to enable or disable the power-critical mode for UE.

[0059] (d) Battery specification of the UE such as capacity, type of battery, charge/discharge rate, life cycle remaining, etc. so that network can judge the level of power saving (e.g., sleep modes, MIMO sleep, number of carrier deactivation) it can provide to the UE without compromising the overall performance. This IE also includes percentage or energy remaining ranges that define to be in power-critical level so that network can confirm whether UE is really in power-critical mode based on the current battery status. The range of such a percentage can e.g., from 5% to 40%.

[0060] (e) Preferred power-saving method. For example, the UAI may contain enumerated value of {BW, CC, DRX, MIMO, all, etc.}. For example, the UE may send {BW, DRX} if the UE wants the power saving to be achieved via BW reduction and DRX setting adjustment. In another example, the UE may transmit {all} if it wants all of its configuration to be set in the power-saving mode. In a further realization, this UAI element may only be sent, e.g., a UE in a critical or very critical battery remaining time.

[0061] (f) Expiration timer, whether how long the UAI message will remain valid, or whether the UAI is still valid or not when the NW receives the UAI. It also serves as a timer on how long NW will remain in power saving mode since it received UAI for power critical UE. In a scenario when no expiration timer attached to the UAI, the network will estimate the expiration timer based on the battery specification gathered above.

[0062] (g) A trigger timer can be included in the UAI to inform the network in advance when the UE is expected to be in power-critical mode. For example, the UE is configured to have power-critical mode if power remaining is 10%. However, current UE battery status is 20% which is still non-critical mode. The UE can estimate to have 10 minutes before it reaches power-critical level, and can send in advance a UAI to network with trigger timer to be 10 minutes. This is advantage since UE is still have a chance to send UAI before it reaches power-critical level. It is assumed that the UAI will be immediately triggered if no trigger timer is defined within UAI.

[0063] (h) An indication can be included to inform the network that an already existing

UAI (e.g., Rel-16 UAI for power saving) is also used to provide assistance info to the NW power saving.

[0064] An example format for UAI for power critical UE is shown below.

UEAssistancelnformation message

- ASN1 START

- TAG-UEASSISTANCEINFORMATION-START

UEAssistancelnformation ::= SEQUENCE { critical Extensions CHOICE { ueAssistancelnformation UEAssistancelnformation-IEs, critical ExtensionsFuture SEQUENCE {}

UEAssistancel nformation-l Es SEQUENCE { delayBudgetReport DelayBudgetReport OPTIONAL, late NonCriticalExtension OCTET STRING OPTIONAL, nonCritical Extension UEAssistancelnformation-v1540-IEs OPTIONAL

UEAssistancelnformation-v1610-IEs : SEQUENCE { idc-Assistance-r16 IDC-Assistance-r16 OPTIONAL, drx-Preference-r16 DRX-Preference-r16 OPTIONAL, maxBW-Preference-r16 MaxBW-Preference-r16 OPTIONAL, maxCC-Preference-r16 MaxCC-Preference-r16 OPTIONAL, maxMl M0-LayerPreference-r16 MaxMl M0-LayerPreference-r16 OPTIONAL, minSchedulingOffsetPreference-r16 MinSchedulingOffsetPreference-r16 OPTIONAL, releasePreference-r16 ReleasePreference-r16 OPTIONAL, sl-UE-AssistancelnformationNR-r16 SL-UE-AssistancelnformationNR-r16 OPTIONAL, referenceTimelnfoPreference-r16 BOOLEAN OPTIONAL, nonCriticalExtension UEAssistancelnformation-v18xy-IEs OPTIONAL

UEAssistancelnformation-v18xy-IEs ::= SEQUENCE { powerCriticallnformation-r18 PowerCriticallnformation-r18 OPTIONAL, nonCriticalExtension SEQUENCE {} OPTIONAL PowerCriticallnformation-r18 ::= SEQUENCE { qualitative ENUMERATED {charging, normal, critical, veryCritical } OPTIONAL, preferredPS ENUMERATED {BW, CC, DRX, Ml MO} OPTIONAL, ueType ENUMERATED {iotDevice, smartvehicle} OPTIONAL, batteryStatus ENUMERATED { p1, p5, p10, p15, p20, p25, p30, p35, p40, p45, p50, p55, p60, p65, p70, p75, p80, p85, p90, p95, p100 } OPTIONAL, batterySpecs ENUMERATED { capacity, batteryType, chargeRate, dischargeRate, remainingLifeCycle, powerCriticalBR, spare2, sparel } OPTIONAL, trigtimerO ENUMERATED {msO, ms1000, ms2000, ms3000} OPTIONAL, extimerO ENUMERATED {min5, minW, min15, min20} OPTIONAL,

- TAG-UEASSISTANCEINFORMATION-STOP

- ASN1 STOP

Network Actions

[0065] A network node (e.g., the network node 102) can configure the UE 100 to provide the UAI to the network concerning network power saving (e.g., the UAI for power critical UE indication). Based on the reception of such report from the UE 100, the network node 102 may take any of the following actions (e.g., in step 106 of Figure 1):

[0066] (a) The network may adjust several periodic reference signals, e.g. increase the interval for periodic Channel State Information Reference Signal (CSI-RS), perform MIMO sleep, or increase sleep opportunities, which potentially save power for network.

[0067] (b) Alternatively, or additionally in another example, the network can make the

PDCCH monitoring occasions on the UE side sparser in response to knowing that the UE is power critical, and thereby also obtains potential opportunities for an appropriate sleep mode, e.g., a micro sleep mode. Furthermore, the network can configure the UE with lower number of MIMO layers, a lower BW, or a lower number of CCs such that the UE can achieve power saving, and potentially also the network by adopting a MIMO sleep mode, lowering its operating BW, as well as deactivating some CCs. Receiving UAI for power critical UE can suggest that user-perceived throughput (UPT) is not required to be high and would give the network an opportunity to save power by reducing the number of active serving or Secondary Cells (SCells). Deactivating several SCell is one way to limit the UPT of the power critical UE, and make the inactivity timer of Connected-mode DRX (C-DRX) shorter.

[0068] (c) Reconfigure the UE, e.g. add/release SCells.

[0069] (d) Send DO or MAC CE, e.g. to deactivate SCells or change the active bandwidth part (BWP). Further Description

[0070] Figure 2 shows an example of a communication system 200, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0071] In the example, the communication system 200 includes a telecommunication network 202 that includes an access network 204, such as a Radio Access Network (RAN), and a core network 206, which includes one or more core network nodes 208. The access network 204 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 210A and 210B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 210), or any other similar Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access node or non-3GPP Access Point (AP). The network nodes 210 facilitate direct or indirect connection of UE, such as by connecting UEs 212A, 212B, 212C, and 212D (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 212) to the core network 206 over one or more wireless connections.

[0072] Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and/or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and/or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system 200 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and/or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and/or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 200 may include and/or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and/or other similar type of system.

[0073] The UEs 212 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and/or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes 210 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 210 are arranged, capable, configured, and/or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 212 and/or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 202 to enable and/or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and/or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunication network 202.

[0074] In the depicted example, the core network 206 connects the network nodes 210 to one or more hosts, such as host 216. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The core network 206 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 208) that are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and/or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 208. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De-Concealing Function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and/or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0075] The host 216 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 204 and/or the telecommunication network 202, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 216 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more service. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio/video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0076] As a whole, the communication system 200 of Figure 2 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system 200 may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Fong Term Evolution (ETE), and/or other suitable Second, Third, Fourth, or Fifth Generation (2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G) standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., Sixth Generation (6G)); Wireless Focal Area Network (WEAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (WiFi); and/or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and/or any Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0077] In some examples, the telecommunication network 202 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunication network 202 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 202. For example, the telecommunication network 202 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and/or massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC)/massive Internet of Things (loT) services to yet further UEs.

[0078] In some examples, the UEs 212 are configured to transmit and/or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 204 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 204. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi-Radio Access Technology (RAT) or multi-standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of WiFi, New Radio (NR), and LTE, i.e. be configured for Multi- Radio Dual Connectivity (MR-DC), such as Evolved UMTS Terrestrial RAN (E-UTRAN) NR - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0079] In the example, a hub 214 communicates with the access network 204 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 212C and/or 212D) and network nodes (e.g., network node 210B). In some examples, the hub 214 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 214 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 206 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 214 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes 210, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 214. As another example, the hub 214 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 214 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a Virtual Reality (VR) headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 214 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 214 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and/or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 214 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular in if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0080] The hub 214 may have a constant/persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 210B. The hub 214 may also allow for a different communication scheme and/or schedule between the hub 214 and UEs (e.g., UE 212C and/or 212D), and between the hub 214 and the core network 206. In other examples, the hub 214 is connected to the core network 206 and/or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 214 may be configured to connect to a Machine-to-Machine (M2M) service provider over the access network 204 and/or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 210 while still connected via the hub 214 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 214 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to/from the UEs from/to the network node 21 OB. In other embodiments, the hub 214 may be a non-dedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and the network node 21 OB, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and/or end point for certain data channels.

[0081] Figure 3 shows a UE 300 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged, and/or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and/or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), wireless camera, gaming console or device, music storage device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, Laptop Embedded Equipment (LEE), Laptop Mounted Equipment (LME), smart device, wireless Customer Premise Equipment (CPE), vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded/integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3GPP, including a Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and/or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0082] A UE may support Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), Vehicle-to- Vehicle (V2V), Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I), or Vehicle- to-Everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and/or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0083] The UE 300 includes processing circuitry 302 that is operatively coupled via a bus 304 to an input/output interface 306, a power source 308, memory 310, a communication interface 312, and/or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 3. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc. [0084] The processing circuitry 302 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory 310. The processing circuitry 302 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or Digital Signal Processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 302 may include multiple Central Processing Units (CPUs).

[0085] In the example, the input/output interface 306 may be configured to provide an interface or interfaces to an input device, output device, or one or more input and/or output devices. Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE 300. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence- sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0086] In some embodiments, the power source 308 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used. The power source 308 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 308 itself, and/or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 300 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging the power source 308. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 308 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 300 to which power is supplied.

[0087] The memory 310 may be or be configured to include memory such as Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Programmable ROM (PROM), Erasable PROM (EPROM), Electrically EPROM (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 310 includes one or more application programs 314, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 316. The memory 310 may store, for use by the UE 300, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0088] The memory 310 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, High Density Digital Versatile Disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, Holographic Digital Data Storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini Dual In-line Memory Module (DIMM), Synchronous Dynamic RAM (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as a tamper resistant module in the form of a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) including one or more Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs), such as a Universal SIM (USIM) and/or Internet Protocol Multimedia Services Identity Module (ISIM), other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as a ‘SIM card.’ The memory 310 may allow the UE 300 to access instructions, application programs, and the like stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system, may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 310, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0089] The processing circuitry 302 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 312. The communication interface 312 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 322. The communication interface 312 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 318 and/or a receiver 320 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 318 and receiver 320 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., the antenna 322) and may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0090] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 312 may include cellular communication, WiFi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short- range communications such as Bluetooth, NFC, location-based communication such as the use of the Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented according to one or more communication protocols and/or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, NR, UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Quick User Datagram Protocol Internet Connection (QUIC), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0091] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 312, or via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another UE. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient). [0092] As another example, a UE includes an actuator, a motor, or a switch related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may include a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0093] A UE, when in the form of an loT device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, city wearable technology, extended industrial application, and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an loT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a television, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door/window sensor, a flood/moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a head-mounted display for Augmented Reality (AR) or VR, a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or itemtracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an loT device includes circuitry and/or software in dependence of the intended application of the loT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE 300 shown in Figure 3.

[0094] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and/or measurements and transmits the results of such monitoring and/or measurements to another UE and/or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship, an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and/or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0095] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g., by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone’s speed. The first and/or the second UE can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE might include the sensor and the actuator and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0096] Figure 4 shows a network node 400 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged, and/or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and/or with other network nodes or equipment in a telecommunication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, APs (e.g., radio APs), Base Stations (BSs) (e.g., radio BSs, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs), and NR Node Bs (gNBs)).

[0097] BSs may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto BSs, pico BSs, micro BSs, or macro BSs. A BS may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio BS such as centralized digital units and/or Remote Radio Units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such RRUs may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio BS may also be referred to as nodes in a Distributed Antenna System (DAS).

[0098] Other examples of network nodes include multiple Transmission Point (multi- TRP) 5G access nodes, Multi-Standard Radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers such as Radio Network Controllers (RNCs) or BS Controllers (BSCs), Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, Multi-Cell/Multicast Coordination Entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and/or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0099] The network node 400 includes processing circuitry 402, memory 404, a communication interface 406, and a power source 408. The network node 400 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which the network node 400 includes multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such a scenario, each unique Node B and RNC pair may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 400 may be configured to support multiple RATs. In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 404 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., an antenna 410 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 400 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 400, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within the network node 400.

[0100] The processing circuitry 402 may include a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, CPU, DSP, ASIC, FPGA, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and/or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 400 components, such as the memory 404, to provide network node 400 functionality.

[0101] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 402 includes a System on a Chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 402 includes one or more of Radio Frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 412 and baseband processing circuitry 414. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 412 and the baseband processing circuitry 414 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 412 and the baseband processing circuitry 414 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0102] The memory 404 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer- readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, RAM, ROM, mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD), or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and/or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device- readable, and/or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and/or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 402. The memory 404 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and/or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 402 and utilized by the network node 400. The memory 404 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 402 and/or any data received via the communication interface 406. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 402 and the memory 404 are integrated.

[0103] The communication interface 406 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and/or data between a network node, access network, and/or UE. As illustrated, the communication interface 406 includes port(s)/terminal(s) 416 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 406 also includes radio front-end circuitry 418 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 410. The radio front-end circuitry 418 includes filters 420 and amplifiers 422. The radio front-end circuitry 418 may be connected to the antenna 410 and the processing circuitry 402. The radio front-end circuitry 418 may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 410 and the processing circuitry 402. The radio front-end circuitry 418 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 418 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of the filters 420 and/or the amplifiers 422. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 410. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 410 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 418. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 402. In other embodiments, the communication interface 406 may comprise different components and/or different combinations of components.

[0104] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 400 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 418; instead, the processing circuitry 402 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 410. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 412 is part of the communication interface 406. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 406 includes the one or more ports or terminals 416, the radio front-end circuitry 418, and the RF transceiver circuitry 412 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 406 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 414, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0105] The antenna 410 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and/or receive wireless signals. The antenna 410 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 418 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and/or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 410 is separate from the network node 400 and connectable to the network node 400 through an interface or port.

[0106] The antenna 410, the communication interface 406, and/or the processing circuitry 402 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and/or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node 400. Any information, data, and/or signals may be received from a UE, another network node, and/or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 410, the communication interface 406, and/or the processing circuitry 402 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node 400. Any information, data, and/or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node, and/or any other network equipment.

[0107] The power source 408 provides power to the various components of the network node 400 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 408 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 400 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 400 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid or an electricity outlet) via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source 408. As a further example, the power source 408 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

[0108] Embodiments of the network node 400 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 4 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and/or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 400 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 400 and to allow output of information from the network node 400. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 400.

[0109] Figure 5 is a block diagram of a host 500, which may be an embodiment of the host 216 of Figure 2, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 500 may be or comprise various combinations of hardware and/or software including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host 500 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs.

[0110] The host 500 includes processing circuitry 502 that is operatively coupled via a bus 504 to an input/output interface 506, a network interface 508, a power source 510, and memory 512. Other components may be included in other embodiments. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures 3 and 4, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the host 500.

[0111] The memory 512 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 514 and data 516, which may include user data, e.g. data generated by a UE for the host 500 or data generated by the host 500 for a UE. Embodiments of the host 500 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 514 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC), Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, and heads-up display systems). The host application programs 514 may also provide for user authentication and licensing checks and may periodically report health, routes, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in or on the edge of a core network. Accordingly, the host 500 may select and/or indicate a different host for Over-The-Top (OTT) services for a UE. The host application programs 514 may support various protocols, such as the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH or MPEG-DASH), etc.

[0112] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 600 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices, and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more Virtual Machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 600 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as a network node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized.

[0113] Applications 602 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and/or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0114] Hardware 604 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and/or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and/or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, input/output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 606 (also referred to as hypervisors or VM Monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 608A and 608B (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 608), and/or perform any of the functions, features, and/or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 606 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 608.

[0115] The VMs 608 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking, or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 606. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 602 may be implemented on one or more of the VMs 608, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as Network Function Virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers and customer premise equipment.

[0116] In the context of NFV, a VM 608 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs 608, and that part of the hardware 604 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and/or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs 608, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs 608 on top of the hardware 604 and corresponds to the application 602.

[0117] The hardware 604 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. The hardware 604 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 604 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 610, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of the applications 602. In some embodiments, the hardware 604 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a RAN or a BS. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system 612 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0118] Figure 7 shows a communication diagram of a host 702 communicating via a network node 704 with a UE 706 over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments. Example implementations, in accordance with various embodiments, of the UE (such as the UE 212A of Figure 2 and/or the UE 300 of Figure 3), the network node (such as the network node 210A of Figure 2 and/or the network node 400 of Figure 4), and the host (such as the host 216 of Figure 2 and/or the host 500 of Figure 5) discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 7.

[0119] Eike the host 500, embodiments of the host 702 include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 702 also includes software, which is stored in or is accessible by the host 702 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide a service to a remote user, such as the UE 706 connecting via an OTT connection 750 extending between the UE 706 and the host 702. In providing the service to the remote user, a host application may provide user data which is transmitted using the OTT connection 750.

[0120] The network node 704 includes hardware enabling it to communicate with the host 702 and the UE 706 via a connection 760. The connection 760 may be direct or pass through a core network (like the core network 206 of Figure 2) and/or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, an intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet. [0121] The UE 706 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by the UE 706 and executable by the UE’s processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific “app” that may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via the UE 706 with the support of the host 702. In the host 702, an executing host application may communicate with the executing client application via the OTT connection 750 terminating at the UE 706 and the host 702. In providing the service to the user, the UE’s client application may receive request data from the host's host application and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 750 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The UE’s client application may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides to the host application through the OTT connection 750.

[0122] The OTT connection 750 may extend via the connection 760 between the host 702 and the network node 704 and via a wireless connection 770 between the network node 704 and the UE 706 to provide the connection between the host 702 and the UE 706. The connection 760 and the wireless connection 770, over which the OTT connection 750 may be provided, have been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host 702 and the UE 706 via the network node 704, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices.

[0123] As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 750, in step 708, the host 702 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 706. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 706 that shares data with the host 702 without explicit human interaction. In step 710, the host 702 initiates a transmission carrying the user data towards the UE 706. The host 702 may initiate the transmission responsive to a request transmitted by the UE 706. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 706 or by operation of the client application executing on the UE 706. The transmission may pass via the network node 704 in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Accordingly, in step 712, the network node 704 transmits to the UE 706 the user data that was carried in the transmission that the host 702 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 714, the UE 706 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executed on the UE 706 associated with the host application executed by the host 702. [0124] In some examples, the UE 706 executes a client application which provides user data to the host 702. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to the data received from the host 702. Accordingly, in step 716, the UE 706 may provide user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from the user via an input/output interface of the UE 706. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE 706 initiates, in step 718, transmission of the user data towards the host 702 via the network node 704. In step 720, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 704 receives user data from the UE 706 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 702. In step 722, the host 702 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 706.

[0125] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 706 using the OTT connection 750, in which the wireless connection 770 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve, e.g., power consumption and thereby provide benefits such as, e.g., improved network performance, extended battery lifetime for the UEs, etc.

[0126] In an example scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 702. As another example, the host 702 may process audio and video data which may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 702 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicle congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, the host 702 may store surveillance video uploaded by a UE. As another example, the host 702 may store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR, or AR which it can broadcast, multicast, or unicast to UEs. As other examples, the host 702 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time critical electrical load to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing, and/or transmitting data.

[0127] In some examples, a measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency, and other factors on which the one or more embodiments improve. There may further be an optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 750 between the host 702 and the UE 706 in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and/or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 750 may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 702 and/or the UE 706. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 750 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying values of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or by supplying values of other physical quantities from which software may compute or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguring of the OTT connection 750 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc.; the reconfiguring need not directly alter the operation of the network node 704. Such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation times, latency, and the like by the host 702. The measurements may be implemented in that software causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or ‘dummy’ messages, using the OTT connection 750 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc.

[0128] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and/or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining, or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and/or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in practice computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitioned between separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and/or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0129] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole and/or by end users and a wireless network generally.

[0130] Some example embodiments of the present disclosure are as follows:

Group A Embodiments

[0131] Embodiment 1: A method performed by a UE (100), the method comprising: transmitting (104), to a network node (102), UE assistance information, UAI, for network power saving using power critical UE indication.

[0132] Embodiment 2: The method of embodiment 1 further comprising: detecting (103) a trigger for sending the UAI for network power saving using power critical UE indication, wherein transmitting (104) the UAI for network power saving using power critical UE indication comprises transmitting (104) the UAI for network power saving using power critical UE indication responsive to detecting (103) the trigger for sending the UAI for network power saving using power critical UE indication.

[0133] Embodiment 3: The method of embodiment 2 wherein detecting (103) the trigger comprises detecting that a percentage or amount of energy remaining in a battery of the UE (100) is less than a configured or predefined threshold percentage or amount of energy.

[0134] Embodiment 4: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 3 wherein the UAI comprises information that indicates that the UE (100) is in a power critical state (e.g., a percentage or amount of energy remaining in a battery of the UE (100) is less than a configured or predefined threshold percentage or amount of energy).

[0135] Embodiment 5: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 3 wherein the UAI comprises information that indicates that a future time at which the UE (100) is to enter a power critical state (e.g., a percentage or amount of energy remaining in a battery of the UE (100) is less than a configured or predefined threshold percentage or amount of energy).

[0136] Embodiment 6: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 5 further comprising transmitting (108), to the network node (102), a second UAI to update a status of the UE (100).

[0137] Embodiment 7 : The method of embodiment 6 wherein, at the time of transmitting the second UAI, the UE (100) is in a power critical state but a battery of the UE (100) is being charged, and the second UE comprises information that indicates that the battery of the UE (100) is being charged.

[0138] Embodiment 8: The method of embodiment 7 wherein the information that indicates that the battery of the UE (100) is being charged comprises information that indicates a time at which charging of the battery of the UE (100) started.

[0139] Embodiment 9: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 8 further comprising transmitting (108), to the network node (102), a third UAI comprising information that indicates that a battery of the UE (100) has been charged to a predefined or configured threshold level (e.g., fully charged or charged to a predefined or configured threshold percentage or amount of energy). [0140] Embodiment 10: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 5 further comprising transmitting (108), to the network node (102), one or more additional UAIs that comprise information related to a status of a battery of the UE (100).

[0141] Embodiment 11: The method of embodiment 10 wherein the information related to the status of the battery of the UE (100) comprises information related to charging or discharging of the battery of the UE (100) (e.g., information that indicates a charging rate or discharging rate of the battery of the UE (100)).

[0142] Embodiment 12: The method of any of embodiments 1 to 11 wherein the UAI comprises: (a) information that provides a qualitative description of a power status at the UE (100); (b) information that indicates a UE type of the UE (100) (e.g., loT device, smart vehicle device, etc.); (c) information that indicates a current battery status of the UE (100); (d) information about one or more specifications of a battery of the UE (100) (e.g., capacity, battery type, charge/discharge rate, life cycle remaining, etc.); (e) information that indicates a preferred power saving mechanism; (f) an expiration timer that indicates when the UAI is to expire; (g) a trigger timer that indicates a future time at which the UE (100) expects to be in power-critical state; (h) information that indicates one or more existing UAI is used to provide assistance information to the network for network power saving; or (i) a combination of any two or more of (a) - (h).

[0143] Embodiment 13: The method of any of the previous embodiments, further comprising: providing user data; and forwarding the user data to a host via the transmission to the network node.

[0144] Group B Embodiments

[0145] Embodiment 14: A method performed by a network node (102), the method comprising: receiving (104), from a UE (100), UE assistance information, UAI, for network power saving using power critical UE indication; and performing (106) one or more actions related to network power saving based on the UAI received from the UE (100).

[0146] Embodiment 15: The method of embodiment 14 wherein the UAI comprises information that indicates that the UE (100) is in a power critical state (e.g., a percentage or amount of energy remaining in a battery of the UE (100) is less than a configured or predefined threshold percentage or amount of energy). [0147] Embodiment 16: The method of embodiment 14 wherein the UAI comprises information that indicates that a future time at which the UE (100) is to enter a power critical state (e.g., a percentage or amount of energy remaining in a battery of the UE (100) is less than a configured or predefined threshold percentage or amount of energy).

[0148] Embodiment 17: The method of any of embodiments 14 to 16 wherein the one or more actions related to network power saving comprise: (i) determining additional sleep time for the network node (102) and operating accordingly; (ii) determining a MIMO sleep time for the network node (102) and operating accordingly; (iii) deactivating one or more carriers at the network node (102); (iv) adjusting one or more periodic reference signals; (v) decreasing a number of PDCCH monitoring occasions; (vi) decreasing a frequency of PDCCH monitoring occasions; (vii) configuring the UE (100) with a smaller number of MIMO layers; (viii) configuring the UE (100) with a smaller bandwidth; (ix) configuring the UE (100) with a smaller number of component carriers; (x) lowering an operating bandwidth of the network node (100); (xi) deactivating one or more component carriers served by the network node (100); (xii) reducing a number of cells (e.g., reducing a number of SCells) served by the network node (100); or (xiii) a combination of any two or more of (i) - (xii).

[0149] Embodiment 18: The method of any of embodiments 14 to 17 further comprising: receiving (108), from the UE (100), a second UAI to update a status of the UE (100); and performing (110) one or more actions related to network power saving based on the second UAI. [0150] Embodiment 19: The method of embodiment 18 wherein the second UE comprises information that indicates that the battery of the UE (100) is being charged.

[0151] Embodiment 20: The method of embodiment 19 wherein the information that indicates that the battery of the UE (100) is being charged comprises information that indicates a time at which charging of the battery of the UE (100) started.

[0152] Embodiment 21: The method of any of embodiments 14 to 20 further comprising: receiving (108), from the UE (100), a third UAI comprising information that indicates that a battery of the UE (100) has been charged to a predefined or configured threshold level (e.g., fully charged or charged to a predefined or configured threshold percentage or amount of energy); and performing (110) one or more actions related to network power saving based on the third UAI.

[0153] Embodiment 22: The method of any of embodiments 14 to 17 further comprising: receiving (108), from the UE (100), one or more additional UAIs that comprise information related to a status of a battery of the UE (100); and performing (110) one or more actions related to network power saving based on the one or more additional UAIs.

[0154] Embodiment 23: The method of embodiment 22 wherein the information related to the status of the battery of the UE (100) comprises information related to charging or discharging of the battery of the UE (100) (e.g., information that indicates a charging rate or discharging rate of the battery of the UE (100)).

[0155] Embodiment 24: The method of any of embodiments 14 to 23 wherein the UAI comprises: (a) information that provides a qualitative description of a power status at the UE (100); (b) information that indicates a UE type of the UE (100) (e.g., loT device, smart vehicle device, etc.); (c) information that indicates a current battery status of the UE (100); (d) information about one or more specifications of a battery of the UE (100) (e.g., capacity, battery type, charge/discharge rate, life cycle remaining, etc.); (e) information that indicates a preferred power saving mechanism; (f) an expiration timer that indicates when the UAI is to expire; (g) a trigger timer that indicates a future time at which the UE (100) expects to be in power-critical state; (h) information that indicates one or more existing UAI is used to provide assistance information to the network for network power saving; or (i) a combination of any two or more of (a) - (h).

[0156] Embodiment 25: The method of any of the previous embodiments, further comprising: obtaining user data; and forwarding the user data to a host or a user equipment.

[0157] Group C Embodiments

[0158] Embodiment 26: A user equipment comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0159] Embodiment 27: A network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments; power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

[0160] Embodiment 28: A UE comprising: an antenna configured to send and receive wireless signals; radio front-end circuitry connected to the antenna and to processing circuitry, and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuitry; the processing circuitry being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments; an input interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery connected to the processing circuitry and configured to supply power to the UE.

[0161] Embodiment 29: A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a UE, wherein the UE comprises a communication interface and processing circuitry, the communication interface and processing circuitry of the UE being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments to receive the user data from the host.

[0162] Embodiment 30: The host of the previous embodiment, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to transmit the user data to the UE from the host.

[0163] Embodiment 31: The host of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[0164] Embodiment 32: A method implemented by a host operating in a communication system that further includes a network node and a UE, the method comprising: providing user data for the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the UE performs any of the operations of any of the Group A embodiments to receive the user data from the host.

[0165] Embodiment 33: The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising: at the host, executing a host application associated with a client application executing on the UE to receive the user data from the UE.

[0166] Embodiment 34: The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising: at the host, transmitting input data to the client application executing on the UE, the input data being provided by executing the host application, wherein the user data is provided by the client application in response to the input data from the host application.

[0167] Embodiment 35: A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a UE, wherein the UE comprises a communication interface and processing circuitry, the communication interface and processing circuitry of the UE being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments to transmit the user data to the host.

[0168] Embodiment 36: The host of the previous embodiment, wherein the cellular network further includes a network node configured to communicate with the UE to transmit the user data from the UE to the host.

[0169] Embodiment 37: The host of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[0170] Embodiment 38: A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a UE, the method comprising: at the host, receiving user data transmitted to the host via the network node by the UE, wherein the UE performs any of the steps of any of the Group A embodiments to transmit the user data to the host.

[0171] Embodiment 39: The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising: at the host, executing a host application associated with a client application executing on the UE to receive the user data from the UE.

[0172] Embodiment 40: The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising: at the host, transmitting input data to the client application executing on the UE, the input data being provided by executing the host application, wherein the user data is provided by the client application in response to the input data from the host application.

[0173] Embodiment 41: A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data to a network node in a cellular network for transmission to a UE, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the Group B embodiments to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.

[0174] Embodiment 42: The host of the previous embodiment, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application that provides the user data; and [0175] the UE comprises processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application to receive the transmission of user data from the host.

[0176] Embodiment 43: A method implemented in a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a UE, the method comprising: providing user data for the UE; and initiating a transmission carrying the user data to the UE via a cellular network comprising the network node, wherein the network node performs any of the operations of any of the Group B embodiments to transmit the user data from the host to the UE. [0177] Embodiment 44: The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising, at the network node, transmitting the user data provided by the host for the UE.

[0178] Embodiment 45: The method of any of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein the user data is provided at the host by executing a host application that interacts with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application. [0179] Embodiment 46: A communication system configured to provide an over-the-top service, the communication system comprising: a host comprising: processing circuitry configured to provide user data for a UE, the user data being associated with the over-the-top service; and a network interface configured to initiate transmission of the user data toward a cellular network node for transmission to the UE, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the Group B embodiments to transmit the user data from the host to the UE.

[0180] Embodiment 47 : The communication system of the previous embodiment, further comprising: the network node; and/or the user equipment.

[0181] Embodiment 48: A host configured to operate in a communication system to provide an over-the-top (OTT) service, the host comprising: processing circuitry configured to initiate receipt of user data; and a network interface configured to receive the user data from a network node in a cellular network, the network node having a communication interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the network node configured to perform any of the operations of any of the Group B embodiments to receive the user data from a UE for the host. [0182] Embodiment 49: The host of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein: the processing circuitry of the host is configured to execute a host application, thereby providing the user data; and the host application is configured to interact with a client application executing on the UE, the client application being associated with the host application.

[0183] Embodiment 50: The host of the any of the previous 2 embodiments, wherein the initiating receipt of the user data comprises requesting the user data.

[0184] Embodiment 51: A method implemented by a host configured to operate in a communication system that further includes a network node and a UE, the method comprising: at the host, initiating receipt of user data from the UE, the user data originating from a transmission which the network node has received from the UE, wherein the network node performs any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments to receive the user data from the UE for the host.

[0185] Embodiment 52: The method of the previous embodiment, further comprising at the network node, transmitting the received user data to the host.

[0186] Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the embodiments of the present disclosure. All such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein.